Rough Road Ahead (In Progress)

Chapter 2

            As a child I had gone to a Catholic school, I grew up wearing the same thing over and over again and although I was now attending a high school that allowed you to wear what you wished, I felt more at home without the freedom.

            I smiled at my reflection to see if I had anything in my teeth.  They were white and straight - I had braces when I was a child and had just taken them off last year on my sixteenth birthday.

            Suddenly the TV that was hung on the wall across from my bed turned on, causing me to jump from the sudden noise. My eyes shot around the room. Had I stepped on the remote? However the remote was safely across the room, resting on windowsill.

             It was the news, I recognized the handsome face of the man speaking and for a moment was mesmerized. CHCH was the only news channel I watched and that was all because of Todd Smith. He had a serious expression on his tanned face, "if you see these people call crime stoppers immediately!" He said, and then the picture changed to a sketch of two men, but before I had a chance to look at their faces the TV shut off. I squinted, looking at the remote that still sat untouched in the same place it had always been.

            My father honked the horn again and I heard the neighbors dog begin barking. Grabbing my pink suitcase off the bed I walked out the door, shutting it roughly behind me and doing an inventory of what I had chosen to bring before descending the wooden stairs. But for some reason I couldn't shake the words that had came from Todd Smith's mouth. They seemed so ominous, but maybe my judgment was clouded. After all, I was already weirded out by the fact that today was Friday the 13th.

            My mother was already in the trailer next to my father, a fake smile gracing her red lipstick covered mouth as I approached her. The door was open on the side and I crawled in. Max and Brad were still in the house, so I took a seat next to the window waiting for them.

            My eyes darted around the trailer and then out the window. For some reason I could feel someone's eyes on me, watching me. Analyzing me. Yet everyone had their eyes diverted from me. I shivered, feeling the hairs on my neck perk up, but suddenly the feeling disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived and my mind shifted to different things.

            The trailer was something we had bought on a whim a few years back, but had never had the chance to break it in. It was very commodious and looked more like a four star hotel on the inside than a trailer. It stopped just short of having chocolates on the pillows and that was mostly because the maid wasn't paid to do that.

            However, I was surprised to find that the maid had the week off while we were on our trip. That meant my mother would be cooking our three meals a day, and I couldn't remember the last time she had touched a stove.

            The trailer was mostly open concept, one long room with a washroom off the side and a bedroom on the adjacent wall. There was a fully stocked kitchen with a washing machine, a fridge and beautiful marble counters with ancient oak cabinets. The washroom had a tub that was decked out with jets equivalent to that of an up-style hot tube and a small white sink. There was also a large bunk bed in the bedroom, the upper bunk smaller than the bottom. The living room had a TV that was the size of a full wall with a lazy-boy recliner and a pull-out sofa made of elephant skin imported from Africa. 

            Max walked out of the house a minute later, tugging along behind him a suitcase twice his size presumably filled with video games. He was clad in his usual blue jeans and a graphic tee. Climbing in he took the seat beside me with a coy smile, his headphones protruding from his ears. I didn't even attempt to make conversation, seeing the uninterested expression on his benevolent face.

            My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out, hoping to numb the painfully awkward silence that filled the trailer like smoke, consuming all of us in its blanket. It was Sam. I smiled, quickly reading over his text:

            'I'm almost there!'

            Smiling I moved my fingers over the screen of my iPhone texting back, 'good, we are about to leave.' With a happy face at the end of the text.

            My phone buzzed again, 'xoxoxox be there soon.'

            My body and mind relaxed for a moment; maybe this week wasn't going to be as bad as I thought. If Sam was here, I would be able to get through it. He made me strong, and he always stood up for me. This was a good thing because a full week with my brother would be filled with nothing but arguments and resentment.

            Sam and I had gotten together in my junior year of high school and have been together since then. He always had my back, and I liked to think I always had his. But he did have a short temper, so our relationship was not without its flaws, but his good qualities easily outshined his bad. He was quiet, maybe a little bit of a nerd, but I liked that about him. It meant he was going somewhere in his life and I wanted someone I could look up to, strive to be like. He was that kind of person.

            Brad exited the house, a sour expression marring his face. He carried his suitcase out over his left shoulder, walking without looking at any of us that were already in the trailer. He took the Lazy-Boy recliner, leaning it all the way back and putting on his sunglasses. "Good morning." My mother cheered, but I knew she didn't expect an answer - he was giving her the silent treatment. How childish of him.

            Sam ran up scaring me as he jumped into the trailer with a huge, heavy looking black backpack strapped on. "Sorry I'm late." He smiled, kissing me on the lips as he sat down, throwing his bag onto the floor with a thump that shook the trailer.

            "It's ok, Sammy." My mother smiled.

            "Look who's here," Brad said, sitting up in the recliner and taking off his glasses, "lover boy, here to save the damsel in distress - how romantic."

            Rolling my eyes I slouched my shoulders into the sofa - Sam wasn't one for fighting, but I knew Brad was going to pick away at his sweet, innocent exterior until he snapped. I didn't want it to get to that, but I knew it was inevitable.

            Welcome to the family.

                                   

                                                                 ****