Path In The Woods

Chapter One

Rain began to fall as the sky darkened. Multiple buses left the building after school was over. The rain started coming down harder as River got onto his bus and sat alone near the back, where most of the seniors sit. River looked out the window and sighed as he watched the rain that was making a "tat tat tat" sound as each drop hit the glass. He faced in front of him and closed his eyes, sighing once more as he got his phone out of his backpack, only to put it away again after realizing he had nothing to do on his phone. Then came a "ssshhhhk" noise and rain. Lots of it. River quickly moved back to see one of the seniors, Jared Mekler, grinning slyly at him.

"What's the matter? Your name's River, right? What's the problem with a little water, hm?" Jared said with an idiotic smirk on his face.

"I.." River mumbled, trying avoid eye contact.

"'I'" Jared replied in a mocking tone, "you what, River?"

"I, don't have time for this, Mekler," Someone sitting in front of River had closed the window and moved over to Jared's seat, pointing a finger at him, she spoke again, "Why do you always pick on the helpless ones, Mekler?" She growled as she spoke, her grey eyes leaving no hint of fear, only annoyance.

Jared leaned back a bit as he furrowed his eyebrows, "Whatever Sam, I have to go anyways." Jared got up and covered his face with his hood as he grabbed his backpack and got off of the bus, glaring behind him at Sam and River. Sam moved to River's seat and wiped off the wet spot with her hoodie sleeve.

"You didn't have to do that..." River mumbled.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm just tired of those pricks messing with ya," Sam replied, leaning back in her seat and flipping her dark red hair out of her face. "I hate watchin' them do that crap to you while you can't do anything to stop it."

The bus got to River's stop, "I have to go now..." He said with a shy tone as he tried to step past Sam. He walked down bus aisle and off the steps onto the wet sidewalk. The bus drove away and River stood there, staring at the sidewalk for a bit, watching the raindrops fall and hit the ground. He then glanced at the driveway at his house. No cars. Sighing, he walked slowly towards the front door, stepping on the porch and into the house. He shut the door behind him, not caring about taking off his shoes or about the water dripping from his soaked clothes and hair. He dragged himself to the kitchen, seeing a yellow sticky note almost falling off the fridge door. He grabbed it off the fridge and read the delicate handwriting. "Won't be home til midnight, working late. There's leftovers in the fridge. Or have your father order pizza. -Xoxo Mom".

"..Dad isn't even home," River's nose scrunched up as he crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash and sighed. He went upstairs to his room and grabbed his wallet off his desk then went back downstairs and opened the front door. Then he saw his father's car pull into the driveway. He frantically shut the door and watched him through the living room window. His father stepped out of the car then walked to the passenger side, opening the door and helping a woman out. A woman that most definitely was not River's mother. River furrowed his eyebrows in disgust. River closed the curtains and aggressively opened the door and slammed it behind him, tears welling in his icy blue eyes as he tried to fight them back.

His father looked at him, "Son--"

"What the hell..." River choked out, his tears finally breaking through.

"River, I can explain-" His father tried to speak.

"No! Just stop! Why can't we be normal?! Why can't you just love mom..?" River broke down, his legs getting weak, tears flowing non-stop from his frost blue eyes. River clenched his fists and walked off the porch towards the sidewalk.