Annalise

Bonus Chapter: Ricky, Noah, and Asher?

~Asher~
The Beginning of Sixth Grade

I was exhausted. Dead. Deprived of air. I hated football but I hated walking home from football more. I didn't want to be a stupid quarterback, I wanted some other sport to do.

Catching a ball all day in the sun wasn't surprisingly great. I dragged my feet up the small centered pathway that led to the front door of my house. For the millionth time since my little journey from school to here, I shrugged up the strap of my duffle bag, which contained cleats, my jersey, shoulder pads, and a whole lot of crap I didn't want.

I trudged up the white steps of the porch, wiping the sweat that formed against my forehead, welcoming the cool shade that engulfed me.

"Finally home," I mumbled to no one but myself, positioning the helmet in my left hand to go underneath my right armpit.

I twisted the door handle to find it already unlocked for me as I took a victorious step inside, reaching my destination at last. That's when all the voices hit me with full force, no longer blocked by the door.

"LALALALA!" I heard Annalise's voice, singing at the top of her lungs as she marched towards the stairs.

Her small hands were acting as shields to her ears, attempting to cut off the shouts emitting from the kitchen. The waves of her brown hair swayed side to side as she stomped her feet up the steps quickly.

"I don't like it, Hagen! It isn't right!" My mom berated my father, her voice holding heavy disapproval and restrained anger.

"Honey, we need the money, or our kids won't have a roof under their head, and neither will we! There's no other way," he protested, his tone one of finality.

"I can-"

"The school won't give you a raise and no amount of extra shifts I do will make up for four months of mortgage payments," he interrupted, his words ripping through the ideas swirling in her head.

"I- this isn't forever, right?" She asked, her voice lowering in defeat.

"No, Oliva, it isn't," he sighed, speaking several inaudible words as I slammed the door shut, retreating back outside to the heat.

I dropped my duffle bag to the porch, kicking it away with my sneakers as I threw my helmet as if I made a touchdown.

Screw this. Screw their fighting.

I raced down the steps, jumping off the last one as my feet hit the ground with a thud. The burning rays of the sun were tanning my skin as houses and people blurred past me. The next thing I knew, more and more trees were popping up as I noticed I was approaching the deserted playground. I slowly came to a stop, observing the littered free ground, the paint that wasn't chipped at all from the poles, and no rust to be spotted.

This playground did not look deserted, it appeared freshly new and unused by children.

Why didn't anyone play here?

I walked towards the long mental slide, skimming my finger over it as I searched for any other kid here that I could possibly play with. Moving to the other side of the playground, mumbled voices floated to my ears.