Behind Closed Doors | Kaylor

Chapter 3

Thursday morning, Taylor drags her feet across the floor towards the living room. This is the third time in a row she's woken up early and she hates it. She doesn't even know why she keeps waking up  before the sun even rises. Hopefully, it's just a phase and she'll be able to get back to sleeping in in no time.

Taylor walks into the kitchen that hadn't changed once since they moved here all those years ago. The dark brown cabinets and white countertops, the kitchen island surrounded by bar stools and the needless appliances that filled the otherwise vacant places. Let's be honest here, who actually needs an egg cooker? Surely only the dumbest people that grace the surface of the earth wouldn't know how to cook and egg. If Taylor can do it, it must be easy.

Her whole family is seated in the kitchen, but Austin is the only one to actually glance her way once she walks in and give her a little wave. Her mother is too busy reading the newspaper while her dad is basically screaming into his phone. Welcome to the Swift family.

Opening the fridge, Taylor finds that they have literally no food that's even slightly appealing to her. Sighing out of frustration, she grabs a slice of bread and stuffs it into her mouth. Not the best idea to do in the presence of her mom.

"Taylor! Manners!" her mother screams with a disgusted look on her face. Taylor simply rolls her eyes and sits down on one of the stools.

With a longing look Taylor looks through the window, observing her neighborhood. She sees their neighbor walking hand in hand with their daughter. That's someone Taylor hadn't missed, the annoying little brat always thought she was better than Taylor. It might be a little pathetic, but the blonde could spend hours fighting that little girl if she had to.

"So, are you guys happy to be back in the states?" Her dad questions when his phone call ends.

"Yeah, America rocks," Austin replies with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Exactly why does it 'rock'?" her dad staring straight at Austin. An apprehensive frown is etched on his forehead.

"Because America has lacrosse," her brother replies with a smirk, "and hotter girls. And Hooters."

Taylor laughs quietly. Like Austin had been to Hooters... unless of course he had. Taylor cringes at the thought. She desperately hopes her little brother hasn't been to Hooters. He is her only younger sibling, the only one she feels like she needs to protect, and him going to Hooters definitely isn't part of the plan.

Austin's grin is wiped of his face because of the look their father gives him. He slouches back into his seat and focusses on the food in front of him. "And you Taylor? Are you happy to be back?"

"Well yeah. I missed my friends a lot, so it's nice to see them again."

"That's great honey," her mother says, but it sounds fake. Everything said in this house sounds fake. There's always some kind of alternative motif or some judgement being made. Taylor can't remember the last time she had a conversation with her parents where she wasn't overthinking everything she said, calculating each and every sentence.

"I'm going to school," Taylor says, standing up from the stool. A loud screeching sound can be heard once she does and with a fast pace she walks out of the room.

"But it's still early sweetie," her mother's scream can be heard from the other room.

"I need to do something," Taylor lies and slips her arms into her coat. The weights of the fabric falls onto her shoulders while warmth engulfs her. With a last bye, Taylor is out the door.

Tucking her hands in her pockets, Taylor starts her journey to school. The freezing air hits her face while she hugs her coat as close to her as possible. The pine trees look beautiful in the morning light, a kind of orangey glow shining over them. The sun is just peeking over the gorgeous Victorian style houses and the inhabitants of Lakefield are starting to rise.