italic is past and the rest is the story in the present. Enjoy ;-)
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Chapter 5
Ross' POV
This is it now. I'm gonna tell Rebecca now what I did in the past. What I caused. The reason why I got kicked out and lost everything. She's sitting across of me, cross-legged with her mug of lemon tea in her hand, while she's looking at me with an eager expression on her face. I take a deep breath.
Ross: Okay. I'm gonna tell you now, what happened in my past. The reason why my whole family hates me now. You're the first person not related to me I'm telling this. Not even Carla knows this and you have to promise me that you won't say anything to anybody else. Do you understand?
She nods.
Ross: Okay. ... But I have to warn you. What I did is terrible. I hate myself for this, so I can totally understand if you want me out of your apartment and life afterwards. Forever. ... Are you sure you're ready for this?
She just nods again.
Ross: Okay. Here it goes. It all happened like a month ago. I was at the beach with my siblings and Ellington. We had a blast. It was the most awesome day of my life. ...
Riker: Alright folks. We're here. Grab your bags and towels! This is gonna be the most awesome day of our life. The most awesome sibling day ever!
We all cheer and throw our hands in the air because of our excitement. Then we grab our seven things and get out of the car. I can already smell the salty breeze coming from the ocean. I can't wait to shred some waves. My siblings, Ellington and I brought our surfboard. Now we try to bring all our things to the beach to find a nice and cozy place. Before we run into the ocean, Rydel wants us to help her to set up the umbrellas and beach towels. We all groan, but luckily we're done after 5 minutes. We all look at Rydel with hopeful eyes. She just rolls her eyes and smiles.
Rydel: Just go and have fun you doofs!
All: YES!!!
We all grab our surfboards and run towards the ocean. Just as out feet are in the water we jump on our surfboards and paddle into the waves. We're surfing for like 30 minutes till Riker, Rocky and Ellington get tired.
Ratliff: Okay, I'm gonna take a break.
Rocky: Yeah, me too. I'm super hungry.
Ryland: but I don't wanna get out of the water yet.
Riker: But I don't want you out in the waves on your own. Call me an overprotective brother, but something bad could happen. Believe it or not. I'm not just overprotective over Rydel, also over you guys.
Ryland: Please Riker???
Ross: Maybe I can join Ryland? I'm not tired either. And we're gonna look out for each other. Right little bro?
I place my arm around his shoulders and squeeze them a little.
Ryland: Sure. So? Riker?
Riker hesitates for a second, but when he sees our big puppy dog eyes, I know he can't say no. he sighs.
Riker: Alright fine. But not to long. We also want to play some beach volleyball later and for that we need you guys fit end energetic.
Ross+Ryland: YES!
We high five each other, before we run back into the ocean.
Rebecca looks at me with a confused look on her face.
Rebecca: But I don't get it. It sounds like you were having such a good time. Why do they hate you now?
Ross: Wait. This isn't the end yet. Then something bad happened. We were just back into the water, when we started goofing around. That was a bad idea.
Ross: Come one Ry.
Ryland swims towards me and we start a splash fight. We're laughing our heads off. This is the most awesome day I've ever had with my family. Plus, I also wanted to spend some quality time with my only younger brother. When he swims in front of me I put my hands on his shoulders to dunk him under water. After a few seconds he comes back up and we both laugh. I do it some more times, but after the 4th dunk Ryland doesn't come back up. I look around in the water and look for my brother. Nothing. Where could he be? I look around a little more, then I swim back to the shore to get help. I run to my siblings.
Ross: GUYS! Ryland's gone!
All: WHAT?!
Riker: What do you mean "gone"?
Ross: Well, we were goofing around and dunking each other under water, but then he suddenly didn't come up again.
Rocky: We have to go find him.
We're about to go back to the water, when we hear loud noises coming from the shore. People are building a circle around something. Or someone. I can't see the face of the person laying lifeless on the sand, but I can see the swim trunks. They're red. Red swim trunks. Ryland wore red swim trunks. My eyes wide and tears start building.
Ross: No no no no no! Please no!
I run towards the water and fall onto my knees next to my brother. He's lying on his back with a lifeguard next to him trying to resuscitate him, but he doesn't move. My tears start streaming down my cheeks as I look at my lifeless younger sibling.
Ross: R-ry. P-please don't l-le-ave us. I'm s-so s-sorry.
Minutes later my siblings and Ratliff are also standing around us, crying their eyes out, till the ambulance arrives and bring Ryland to the hospital. We're all sitting in the waiting room; our parents already arrived; now we're just waiting for the doctor to come and to tell us that everything is okay. Hopefully.
After 30 minutes the doctor finally arrives. I jump up from my chair and look at the doctor with hopeful eyes, but after I see his frown on his face all of my hope is gone. He sighs before he start speaking.
Doctor: I'm pretty sure you're here for Ryland Lynch.
Stormie: Yes. How is he?
Doctor: I'm really sorry, but Ryland sadly didn't make it. He swallowed too much water and we couldn't pump it out of his lungs. I'm really sorry for your loss.
Mom and Rydel break down onto the floor crying, till my dad and Ellington take them into their arms and hug them tightly and now also the tears find their way down our cheeks. I look to the ground. It's my fault. It's all my fault.
After 10 minutes we all calmed down a little bit, but that doesn't mean that we're not crying anymore.
Stormie: How could this happen? He was able to swim, he was able to dive. What happened?
I've never heard mom raise her voice like that, especially not in a hospital. She quiets down after she realized that she screamed and looks at her hands in her lap. Then Riker turns to me.
Riker: Ross, you were there. Tell us what happened? What were you guys doing?
Okay, that's it. I'm gonna tell them now and then my family hates me.
Ross: ... We ... we were goofing around in the water and I was dunking him under water and I think one time I dunked him under water too much and he must have gotten stuck somewhere. I'm sorry.
They all stare at me with wide eyes and mouths open. I look ashamed at my hands, but then I hear footsteps coming towards me. Then a hard slap on my cheek and I can already feel my cheek getting dark red. I look up and there's Rocky with an angry expression on his face and his fists clenched. His breathing is heavy and he looks like he's gonna kill someone. Probably me.
Rocky: DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!! YOU CAUSED THE DEATH OF OUR YOUNGEST BROTHER!!! HOW COULD YOU??? I HATE YOU ROSS!!! I DON'T WANT TO CALL YOU A BROTHER ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE A FAMILY AFTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!!
If Riker wouldn't have held Rocky back by his arms, he would probably sitting on top of my now and punching the living hell out of me, till I'm dead. Riker is about to bring Rocky outside to the car to drive him home, but before he's gone, he turns around to me one more time. He sighs, shakes his head and shows me his disappointment towards me. He also hates me. Rydel and Ellington follow him. Ellington sends me a death glare, while holding Rydel and Rydel just shows her red puffy eyes and tear stained face with mascara stains. When she looks at me she just cries more. Mom and dad are about to follow them. Mom turns to me and raises her hand to slap me one more time. I already squeeze my eye and wait for the pain, but it never comes. I slowly open my eyes and see my mom, still holding up her hand, with tears streaming down her face. Then she drops the hand.
Stormie: ... It's no use.
Then she's gone. I look at my dad with a hurt expression on my face, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't care. He just stares at me.
Mark: Ross, I know you didn't mean for this to happen, but you caused it and I can never ever forgive you for that. I don't want you around anymore. I'm sorry, but I can't call you my son anymore.
He shows me one more disappointed glare, then he's also gone. Within minutes I just lost everything I ever possessed. But I can't reverse it. It happened and I can't change it anymore. I sit down in one of the chairs in the hallway and put my face into my hands. This is it. I lost everything.
When I finished my story Rebecca just stares at me with a shocked expression, while her hand is over her mouth. Her eyes are watery and any minute she could start crying.
Rebecca: That's awful.
Ross: I can totally understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me anymore. I'll leave.
I'm about to stand up, but Rebecca places her hands on my shoulders and push me back down.
Rebecca: You! Stay! You're not gonna be walking for the next time because of your rib. And ... just because of something bad that happened in the past, doesn't mean I also hate you now. Why should I hate you now?
Ross: ... I basically killed my own brother.
Rebecca: But I know it wasn't your fault. It was an accident, but like you said. It happened, but I'm not gonna leave you now. I'll stay by your side.
I smile at her. She's literally the best. Everybody would kick me out now like my family, but she understands me.
Rebecca: And since you told me such an important piece of your past, I'm also gonna tell you something that I've never told anybody else before. The reason why my parents abandoned me.
I look at her surprised. I didn't know she was also abandoned. I thought she was just a 19-year old, who wanted to be free from her parents and live her own life, but I guess I was wrong.
Rebecca: It all happened a year ago. I was-.
But she gets interrupted by heavy knocks on the door. She looks at me and I shrug my shoulders. She stands up and goes to the door to open it. When she does that, I can already see her eyes wide and I can hear a heavy raspy male voice yelling at her, but she's surely yelling back.
Rebecca: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!
?: I COULD ASK YOU THE SAME THING! I MEAN, AFTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE YOU'RE STILL ALIVE?
Rebecca: WHY ARE YOU KEEP FOLLOWING ME? I ALREADY SAID I'M SORRY!
?: SORRY WON'T BRING JENNIFER BACK! AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!
Rebecca: DID YOU JUST COME TO BLAME ME AGAIN? IF SO, THEN YOU CAN GO AGAIN BECAUSE I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO!
Ross: Rebecca, are you okay?
Rebecca: Yeah, I'm fine Ross.
?: WHO'S THAT?! ARE YOU ALREADY F*CKING ANOTHER GUY?!
Rebecca: THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!
And with that she slams the door into the man's face, but he continues yelling.
?: REMEMBER PRINCESS. THIS ISN'T THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE! I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE GONNA LOOSE THIS PLACE! BE READY AND WATCH YOUR BACK!
Then the footsteps become quieter and he's gone. Rebecca leans her head against the wooden door and I can hear silent sobs escaping her mouth. Her tears fall onto the carpet and disappear. She slowly turns around and slides down onto the ground, afterwards she pulls her knees up to her chest and then she buries her face into her knees. I hate seeing her like this, so I stand up and slowly go over to her. I try to suppress the groans because of the pain that comes from my rib and I slowly pull her up into my chest. She wraps her arms around my waist, while I hold her tightly with my arms around her shoulders. I can already feel my shirt getting wet because of Rebecca's tears, but I don't care. I run my fingers through her hair to calm her down and her sobs become quieter from minute to minute. I kiss her head softly.
Ross: Shh, everything is going to be okay. I don't know who this was, but I'll make sure, that he will not disturb us anymore. I'm gonna make sure of it. You don't have to be afraid. I'll always stay by your side. You never walk alone.
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*relieved* THat was a long chapter.
what do you thiink of Ross' past? sad, i know right? i cried while
who do you think was at the door?
Next chapter is Rebecca's story. I'm already writing it, so I'm posting it very soon.
xoxo
Love you all