Unexpected (Published and edited edition)-SAMPLE

Chapter Two: Jake

I have always been a morning person. I was getting dressed and ready about half an hour before my alarm was even due to go off. I could already hear the sound of the shower down the hall. Mom was going to be out of the bathroom at any moment which will give me enough time to take a shower and clean up all the extra dirt on my skin from work the day before.

I'm a morning person but I'm not a big fan of school. My group of friends and I usually play basketball at the park or hang out at the local diner when we're all free. I get ignored at school most of the time even when I have my friends around me. People just push us out of the way. But I don't consider us outcast or victims of bullying. I mean, it's just high school and most people liked us.

The water from the shower finally turned off. I grabbed my clothes and left my room just as my mom was walking out of the bathroom.

"Hey, sweetie," Mom greeted me as she dried her hair. "You're up early."

I shrugged. "Early bird gets the worm."

"You're a teenage boy. You need your rest."

"I understand, Mom," I said and walked over, giving her a kiss on the cheek before heading into the bathroom. Some students at school labeled me as a Momma's Boy. If loving your mother who has clothed and fed you your whole life and you showing her how grateful you are for that makes you a Momma's Boy, then I am exultant.

"Jake," Mom stopped me and I turned back around to her. "Paul told you that he'll be going to Denver for business in a few weeks, right."

I nodded. "Yeah. He told me last night before he left for the meeting." Paul is my step-dad who also happens to be the sheriff of our county's police department. He's a great guy but he works a lot to help out since we don't have as much money as we would like to. He tries often to work on some of his cases from home so he's not like an absent father. I work in a car repair shop to help earn some money for my mom and Paul. I'd do anything to help them out.

"That's good," Mom said. "I'll go start breakfast and then I'll drive you to school."

"Thanks, Mom, but I'm thinking of just riding my skateboard to school with Robbie. It's no trouble."

She smiled at me. "I know. But I like spending the extra time with you."

"Me too, Mom." I leaned over and gave her a hug. I pulled back a couple seconds later when I noticed my shirt was wet. Mom laughed at my reaction as I did the same. "See you in a bit," I said and closed the bathroom door behind me.

I felt so relieved when I stripped out of my clothes. They were the same ones I wore to work the day before and they made me feel disgusting.

The warm water running down my skin felt so good on the cuts and bruises I get at work and school. I felt safe here under the warm water.

***

I heard the murmurs of my mom talking to my baby half-sister, who was only a few months old, coming through the kitchen. I love the sight of my baby sister in the morning. She smiles every time she sees me and basically gets excited and jumpy whenever Paul got home.

Across the table sat my younger half-brother, Cody. He's nine-years-old and another non-planned child. He was the aftermath of my mom's abusive ex-boyfriend. The kid's father left after our mom announced she was pregnant. I still remember him walking straight out of the house and driving off on his motorbike, never to be seen again. I think I heard at one point that he was arrested for drugs or something like that. My brother and I are both happy that our mom found Paul. We finally had a dad and we got a baby sister out of the deal. Cody is a really happy child. He goofs around a lot and always makes us laugh. He's pretty much the life of the family.