The Night Everything Changed

Chapter 1

Today started out like any other summer day. I woke up at 10 to find breakfast waiting for me in the kitchen. I walk in and, like always, my brother and sister were arguing at the table. I giggled a bit as I sat down. Everything felt normal, but no one knew that in 12 short hours everything would change forever.

* * *

"I said stop kicking my feet!" My 17 year old brother Jacob said to my 8 year old sister Nevaeh.

"I didn't mean to!" She screamed back a little too loud. "I said that last time too."

"Well then maybe you should just stop kicking your feet." He said. I rolled my eyes. "It's really anno--"

"Will you two stop it?" My mom yelled from the couch. "Just eat your breakfast. Less talk, more chew."

"Thank you." I muttered under my breath. They literally do this every time we eat at the table together, which actually isn't much. Jacob is always out with friends, so he's usually only here for breakfast.

"I'm done eating." Jacob stood up. "I'm going to go hang out with Derek."

"What a surprise." I sighed. "You never spend time with us anymore."

"That's because you guys are lame." He teased. "All you guys do is sit around all day and talk. Just like girls do. I miss when dad was aroun--" He stopped, noticing mom's facial expression change. "How about this, I break my plans off with Jerry tomorrow and we go out and do something. Just you and me, like old times."

"Where would we go?" I asked

"Whatever we feel like doing." He messed up my hair. I hate when he does that, but that was a him and dad thing so I put up with it. "Sound like a plan?"

"Okay, I guess." I said fixing my hair. "If you actually think about places I would have fun at, not just places you find fun."

"Okay, okay. I'll think about it." He winked and then left the house.

"What about me?" Nevaeh asked in a pouty tone. "I never get to do anything."

"How about we have a mother-daughter day today?" My mom suggested turning around to see us sitting in the kitchen, making Nevaeh's face light up. "We could go swimming and then set off the fireworks we bought tonight."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" She jumped up from the table and ran to her room, probably looking for her swimming suit. I stood up too and went to the couch.

"Raelyn, are you coming?" My mom turned to me.

"Oh, uh, I don't know." I looked at the Tv which was playing the Spongebob Squarepants theme song. "Swimming isn't really my thing anymore."

"Oh come on, nothing has ever been your 'thing' these days. You used to love swimming. You used to always win metals at your swim meets." She said depressed. "You could at least actually do something with your family on the Fourth of July."

"I just don't want to go okay?" I snapped a little. "Can you just deal with the fact that I'm not the same girl I was 3 years ago."

"I do understand that, I just don't understand how everything has changed about you." She said standing up. "Nothing has been the same since dad left us. Jacob is never home, you never want to do anything, Nevaeh never wants to go to dance practice, I don't have near enough money for food for all of you." It didn't really seem like she was talking to me anymore, it was more like she was speaking to herself. "I just want things to go back to normal as much as possible. Is that too much to ask?" I didn't say anything because what would you say to that? I can't help what she's going through. I have to deal with this family not being the same just as much as she does, we all do. "So you aren't coming to the lake with us then?"

"I'll just stay home." I snapped. "Besides it's the middle of summer and I am whiter than those pieces of papers." I gestured to the pile of envelopes by the wall.

"Like anyone is going to care sweety." She said as sweetly as possible.

"No, Mom. I don't want to go." I said pulling my legs up onto the couch, so I could make myself more comfortable.

"Okay..." She walked out of the living room and into her room.

"Raelyn?" I heard Nevaeh's voice coming innocently from her door.

"Yes Nevaeh?" I said turning around.

"Why don't you want to go with us?" She walked into the living room.

"I don't know, I'm not really in the mood."

"But you are never in the mood to do anything with us." She sounded sad. "Just like Jacob. We never do anything as a family anymore."

"That's because we aren't a full one anymore." I meant to say that quietly, but instead I saw Nevaeh's hurt face turning away from my gaze. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that Nevaeh."

"I can't control what dad did, why do I get punished for it?" She whined

"We all are Nevaeh. It's not just you."

"No, don't you get it? It's you and Jacob that are punishing me. You guys never go out to do anything with us, you just stay home all day and he just goes out with his friends. We are never all together."

"Hey, I don't stay home all the time." I told her. "I do some stuff with you guys."

"Really? Like what." She said crossing her arms.

"I went to the zoo with you guys, we did that as a family."

"Ya because mom made you guys go." She said annoyed. "And that was four months ago."

"Okay, I'm sorry I haven't been the best sister in the world but no one is perfect." I stated.

"I know no one is perfect, but you aren't even close to being the perfect sister!" She stomped to her room. "I don't even want you to come anymore!" I heard her voice say something else that was muffled through the closed door but for how loud she was talking, I could make out the words. "I hate you."

~~Hey, Megan here!!~~ I have been working on this book recently, and I am REALLY excited about it!! I plan to post a chapter once a week, but that schedule might change depending on what is going on in my everyday life. I really hope you liked the first chapter of this emotional roller coaster I call a book!! Enjoy!!! :)