CHAPTER ONE
Everyone comes from some where, a place they call their home or where they came from.
Others may leave where they are from, many actually stay.
In my case, my little town called Pine Wood in the most boring state in the US, South Carolina, people usually stay in this small town of 457 and live their same boring lives day after day.
My Momma once said that she should have left this place a long time ago, and that's what she did when I was ten years old. She left, and she never looked back. But she had given me one piece of advice before she left my Daddy and my sister Ryanne, "Don't make a life in PineWood baby girl. One you get the chance, leave this God forsaken town."
She then kissed me on my head and left, and I haven't heard from her in four years. But that piece of advice stuck in my head these past 7 years she's been gone.
And once I graduate, that is exactly what I plan to do. Leave.
~~
"Momma- please don't go."
"I have to baby girl...this place is not for me. Maybe once I get on my feet, I will take you away from here." Momma promised as she looked at me. But even then I knew she never would send for me.
So I watched her leave after she kissed me on my head.
"Momma!" I yelled but her frail figure vanished from my vision as all I could remember was her moist hazel green eyes looking back at me as she left my life forever.
And then my vision turned into blackness.-
"Addison Rae! Mommy and Daddy said to get up now!" My bratty little sister, Mary-Faith shouted through the door.
My eyes flew open as I felt myself drenched in sweat from the nightmare I hated the most. I groaned as I looked at the clock and Mary pounded on my door again.
I sweat one day, that child will have it coming to her. I thought nastily as I threw a near by shoe at the door angrily to shut up my seven year old sister.
"I am up! Now stop pounding on my door before I do the same to you!" I bellowed as my voice sounded hoarse. Mary-Faith shouted something else but finally walked away as I sighed and climbed out of my bed slowly.
Today was my last first day of high school as I could not wait to get this year over with so I could finally leave this house, and this town. But the thought of still having a year left made me groan and slowly get ready for school.
I walked into my own bathroom as I saw how pale I looked into the mirror. I wasn't a huge fan of make-up but decided to use some to make me look less sick.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead as I stared at my reflection back into the mirror. Not one trace of my father looked back at me. I knew I was an exact replicate of my mother which made it harder sometimes to hide the pain of abandonment from myself.
Her same hazel eyes with a tint of light blue shine back at me. I had her ringlet rich honey brown hair that was a mess to brush or even do anything with. Like hers, it frizzed all the time, but my mother always had her hair done perfectly up or done.
But to me, my mother looked beautiful all the time and she was a beauty in everyone's eyes. On me, her looks that she gave me didn't look just right on myself. Sure I had her curly honey brown hair and hazel eyes. But where her skin was a tanned olive color, mine looked pale and ashy on some occasions that made me look sick. She was tall and curvy with curves in the right place via me who was medium sized and had the body of a stick. I never stood out where my mother always captured eyes with her presence.
And yet still, I look just like her, but as a weak version.
I applied the make-up and put my messy curly hair in a side braid before dressing in my regular plaid red and blue shirt with a white cammy and light blue jeans with slight holes. I knew my fashion sense wasn't all that, but hey my dad owned a farm, and I have spent my entire live on it. A girl gets used to plaid.
I put on my boots and then grabbed my old stained blue back pack that I have had since my freshmen year. It held memories of little reminders from my friends to doodles that were traced onto my faded blue back pack, and I loved it.
I rushed down the stairs to the smell of bacon and pancakes and sat my stuff down next to the front door. Mary-Faith was sitting in her chair as my step mother, Diana cutting up her pancakes for her.
She gave me a half smile as I shrugged in her direction and snuck some bacon off my little sister's plate. She stuck her tongue at me.
"Addie, you have to eat breakfast. Don't be picking off Mary-Faith's plate either, she needs all her food." Diana scolded as I only rolled my eyes.
Diana came into me and my sister, Ryanne's live when I was nine. She wasn't a horrible woman, or step mother, but she wasn't exactly easy to warm up to. She was always civil with me, but with her and my sister, Ryanne, it was always an on-going battle. I knew she didn't love me as I didn't love her, but we had a respectful relationship. Diana had always wanted her own child, and seven years ago when Mary-Faith entered our lives, that is the only one Diana paid attention to. Mary-Faith was a spoiled child and Diana indulged her a lot, and my father didn't even argue. I just didn't think he cared too much. He never wanted another child, but Diana did. But we both knew the only child he had any hope for was me.
My older sister Ryanne was nineteen and living out and in friends houses and occasionally she would come back to live here. But then Diana and her would go at it, and Ry would leave again. I knew she was a bad drinker and my father and I guessed she was on drugs. But we could be sure. All I knew is I missed my sister.
"Addie, can you drive Mary to school today? I have to start cooking a welcoming plate for the new neighbors." Diana said as I rolled my eyes. Diana Calloway was your regular small town house wife who involved in everything and held power in the town and was the poster wife for many. Recently because of my mom and my sister, the Calloway name was dragged through the mud, but my Dad always had respect from this town and blamed it all on my mom. But still, Diana helped my family name regain peace again. She was the southern house wife that climbed to get status, put her only child in every sport or activity, and was an obedient wife and my father made the money by owning a farm and worked in construction to pay the rest of the bills. Normal right?
But the new neighbor part peeked my interest.
"Sure. And new neighbors? That doesn't happen very often." I said as I ate a pancake and then threw my dish into the sink. Diana shrugged as she wiped her floured hands onto her white apron and pushed a lock of blond hair behind her ear.
"Yes. There is actually a lot of them. They moved into that huge house that was once a plantation mansion. You know the old peterson's place." She said as she caught my attention.
"But nobody has lived in that house in twenty years." I noted as I felt it was strange the new neighbors moved into the old Peterson place whose generation had died off long ago except for Martha Peterson who lived in a retirement home. Again Diana shrugged and pointed at the clock.
"I don't know, Addie. But they must have some money to buy that old house off that batty old Martha Peterson. Anyway, get off to school. And drive carefully with Mary-Faith in the car." She commanded as Mary jumped off her seat and hugged her mother tightly. Diana kissed her on the cheek and gave me a smile.
"Have a good first day." She wished as I only rolled my eyes.
Yeah right.
I took Mary-Faith's hand as I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door to my poor little 1995 ford Torres.
~~
"Mary I said sit down!" I yelled at her at the traffic for her school was insane. Mary didn't listen to me as she got up on her knees and peered out the window.
"There are two new people, Addie!" She yelled as this caught my attention and I dragged my little sisters arm to pull her back into her seat.
"What?" I asked as I pulled the car up ready to drop her off as Mary rolled her eyes.
"There are two new people in our school! I saw them go in. " She noted as Mary was pretty bright for her age. I grumbled at the traffic as I understood why it was traffic jammed.
The new people.
PineWood was a small town and nothing big ever happened in this place. So when new people moved in and to me it sounded like a huge family, I knew my town was in their full mode of curiosity and nosiness.
I sighed as that is all I would ever hear about. Sure, I find it cool that a family bought the Peterson house and they must have money and the fact that there would be some new people here finally when we haven't had someone 'move in ' in over five years. But it wasn't big news to me either.
After I dropped my sister off I drove six more minutes down the street to pull into PineWood High school. I groaned as I noticed the parking was almost full and when one under a shady tree caught my eyes I made it a target as I put my foot on the gas petal to rush to get it.
But I wasn't fast enough.
A rich looking black hummer skidded into the spot as I almost collided with its bumper. I angrily cursed and honked my horn at the stupid driver. Back doors opened first as four pairs of eyes stared at me. A girl with raven black hair, gorgeous high cheekbones, and eyes that looked like a hawk locked eyes with mine. She was frowning as I noticed her striking gold amber eyes. On the other side of the door, I saw a male grow a smirk as the same amber tinted eyes flashed my way as I only gawked at them. But the boy looked different with golden blond hair that matched perfectly with his bronzed face and tall exterior. Two more people exited out of the hummer. Another girl who was just as beautiful as the other one, but had the same golden hair as the other male. She looked like a foreign model with her high cheekbones like the other female and her tallness made me glower with envy.
But the one who caught my attention the most was the male who existed out of the diver's side. He was tall, mysterious, and handsome beyond that words. He brushed his messy styled slight curly black hair from his eyes as he turned to look at me. His amber eyes flashed as I saw a tint of blue in his exotic eyes. My stomach flipped as he watched me curiously waiting to see if I would get out of the car to confront them. But all I could do is stare at him. His bronze skin reflected off the sun that made him glow as if he needed any more attention. He was tall and a broad built. He wore a black shirt that framed his body perfectly.
And like the stupid person I am, I could only gawk. I didn't move until I heard a honk behind me of another car and my cheeks flashed red. The stunning male smirked slightly as I saw their crew turn their attention away from me and to the school as I slowed my car into a far away spot as I could still feel my cheeks burn.
Well, least I know who the new kids are..