anchors. ( thiam! ) [ 1 ]

WELCOME TO THE RAEKEN'S

flashback

THEO was sitting on the couch at the house they lived in at the time, his sister Allison pacing back and forth in front of him, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand. He was confused as to why she needed to talk to him so badly in the first place.

He was at a friends house playing some video games when Allison called him and said that he needed to get home right away, because something happened, and it couldn't wait. When he asked what was so urgent that he needed to leave in the middle of a campaign, she said "don't ask questions and just get home!" so that's what he did. He ran back to the house, bursting through the door completely out of breath.

It led up to this point of him sitting down, legs crossed on the couch, rubbing his hands together with a worried expression on his face.

"Alli, what's going on? You're making me nervous." He said, wanting her to stop pacing and just sit down.

She finally did stop and sat on the coffee table right in front of Theo. She grabbed her brother's hand with her free one that wasn't holding onto the piece of paper, and exhaled slowly. "Theo, what I'm about to say can only remain between me and you, okay? You can't go running to your friends and start spilling this information. Understand?"

He nodded, furrowing his eyebrows. "I understand."

Allison looked at her brother, sadness in her eyes. She knew that once she told him what was in the letter, he'd be heartbroken, and that was the last thing she wanted for Theo.

She sighed softly, squeezing his hand. "Mom's gone." She said, her voice shaking.

Theo looked at Allison, still confused. "What do you mean she's gone? Did she have to leave for another business trip?" He asked.

Allison shook her head, her eyes starting to water. "No, Theo."

"Then what are you talking about? Where did she go?"

It was bad enough that their father had left them when Allison was eight and Theo was five, but now their mother was gone as well, leaving them both alone.

"Little brother, she left us." Allison took her hand from Theo's, opening up the piece of paper that she had been holding, and then started reading it:

Dear Theo and Allison,
By the time you read this, I'll be gone. I don't know how else to say this, but you'll both be better without me. I couldn't take care of you, I never knew how to. I am so sorry to cause you such pain, but I just hope you know that I love you. And I hope you get everything you want in life. To Allison: please take care of your brother, he needs you more than ever right now. He needs his big sister and his best friend. To Theo: after your father left, you started acting out and I know him leaving was hard. You were only five years old, but you did not deserve what he did to you and you definitely don't deserve what I'm doing either.
Just please stay strong, the both of you. You're all you guys have now. Again, I am so sorry. I hope one day you'll forgive me.
—
Mom.

The blood left Theo's face, leaving it a ghostly pale. His body instantly turned cold and he couldn't stop shaking. Both of their parents were gone. The only person he had left was his big sister and he wasn't even sure he would have her for much longer.

"She — she's really gone?" Theo asked, his eyes looking anywhere but at his sister.

She sat next to him, leaving the paper on the coffee table and took both of his hands in hers. "Hey, little brother, look at me." She said, her voice soft.

He did just that, his eyes starting to water. "Are we going to be separated? Am I going to have to go into foster care? Alli, I don't think I could handle that. I don't think I could handle losing you —" He didn't even get a chance to finish before Allison pulled him into a tight hug.

"I will not let anyone pull us apart, you hear me? No one is going to take you away from me." She pulled away from Theo, her eyes stern as she looked at him.

"Well, what are we going to do?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"Move." She replied without hesitation. He looked at her like she was insane, not knowing what to do with that information.

"Wait, are you serious?"

She laughed, wiping the tears from under Theo's eyes and nodded. "Of course I am. We're going to move. I have enough money saved up to buy an apartment, because I was going to move out anyway. I also have a car, so we could go anywhere in the world." She explained, before adding, "Plus... you're in trouble with the law, so it'd be the perfect time to leave this shitty town and go somewhere new. Make a fresh start. What do you say, little brother?" She finished.

"Okay, let's do it." Theo smiled, suddenly full of excitement. He could use a clean slate after all the shit that has happened to him this year. "Where are we going?"

Allison grinned, getting up from her seat on the couch, before disappearing into her room and coming out with a map. "Okay, close your eyes and wherever you point to, that's where we'll go." She said, looking at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding?" She shook her head, waiting for him to do what she asked of him. So he did. He closed his eyes and ran a finger along the map before stopping to where there new home would be.

When he opened his eyes, he glanced down at the map and whispered three words. "Beacon Hills, California."

[ this chapter is short, i know, but i just wanted you guys to know a little bit about theo and allison's past. also don't you worry, you'll learn why theo was in trouble with the law sooner or later. another thing, allison is 18 and theo is 15 in the flashback, just so you know 😊 leave me some feedback on what you think!]