"Cheer up." My moms words ring through my ears. We just got out of a heated argument about me not wanting to go to my uncles house for the summer.
"He's your only real living family member." She reminds me and I nod. I can't argue with her, she ends up winning.
He was supposed to adopt me, but he is driven by his job, he's actually married to his work. He has no time for children. He wanted to, but work first as he puts it. I don't blame him, everything happened so fast. He was young then, besides I'm glad he didn't adopt me, I would have never been part of the Walker family.
Drew isn't here to back me up on my claims like he is every summer, this summer is different. Drew has gone off to college and I'm left to fend for myself. They're his parents, not mine.
"I don't understand why I have to visit him." I mutter to myself, but my mom hears me. Her soft rosy cheeks are a brighter red, becoming more irritated with me by the second. Her dirty blonde hair all over the place as she helps me pack, her bun coming loose.
I always admire the beauty of my mom, we look nothing a like and the stares we would get during our shopping trips together, were some of the worst.
"I just told you why." She says, her voice rising, but she controls her self and her voice softens.
"I'm almost eighteen. Can't I make my own decisions?" I start up the argument again.
"Maeve....Listen to your mother." I hear my dads stern voice from the hallway.
My mom gives me a pointed look, as my dad comes to her rescue. I roll my eyes and dramatically throw myself on my bed.
"You love your uncle." My dad says, walking into my room and seeing the piles of clothes on the floor. His eyes widen at the mess and laughs when he sees my mom struggling to close the suitcase.
"Your dad is right. You love you're uncle, you don't ever stop talking about him. Something is bothering you." She says. Great, thanks a lot dad. My dad is right, I love my uncle.
My dad is by my mom in seconds, and takes over with the overly packed suitcase. My mom breaths out, and claps her hands together. She walks over to me, sitting beside me. She stares at me, her blue eyes holding a sparkle.
"Baby, you can always talk to me. To us." Her gentle voice proclaims.
"Ester, are you packed?" My dad asks and my mom rolls her eyes.
"In case you forgot, Steve, I packed for the both of us." She says and my dad nods, ignoring her attitude.
"So, tell me. What's bothering you?" She turns her attention back to me.
"Is it a girl thing? I can totally kick out your father. Steve leave." She says to my dad and he fixes his glasses and runs his hands over his face. My dad lifts his hands up in surrender and walks out.
"It's not a girl thing mom." I say.
"Oh, good." My dad says and walks back into the room. He always listens in even if it's a girl thing. Sometimes he gives advice from outside the door.
They both sit and stare as they wait for me to continue.
"It's nothing." I breath out. Obviously it's something but I'm not about to tell them that the same kids every summer have been mean to me.
Ignore them, that's what my parents would say.
"It's something..." my mom says and her words linger, making me want to pour my souls out to them. She squeezes my hand. "Well, if you're not ready now, it's a long seven hour drive. Plus we are staying for the weekend. So you have until then." She says. I see a hint of frustration, and I feel bad. I don't always confide in them. I mostly confide in Drew, but he isn't here.
"Fine. It's Drew. I'm going to miss him. Before he was just five hours away and now he's going to be further." I say, lie ....half lie. I am going to miss Drew, but he's having fun in college to be an engineer.
"Drew is taking a weekend off to see you, for your birthday." She smiles.
"We all are." Dad cuts in and I nod.
I look around my room. Clothes on the floor, my walls filled with all the comics I made up. And another wall filled with flower art, I've been working on. Papers and paints are scattered all over my desk.
I'm going to miss my bed....
"Let me pack up the snacks, and we're heading out." My mom says, and she walks out of the room. My dad lingers as I try to find my white vans.
"When you're ready, you can tell me the real reason." My dad whispers, making sure my mom doesn't hear.
I smile, and hug him.
"Sorry..." I say and he laughs.
"Your shoes are in the laundry room." He says and walks out.
"Make sure you wear that floral summery dress I got you." My mom shouts from the kitchen. "Don't forget your jean jacket, it gets cold at night." She continues and I roll my eyes.
Shoes, jacket, I know I'm missing something.
In the summer my hair gets ten times curlier and always in my face. As soon as I step outside the humidity hits me. Ugh, summer.
Everyone is packed and in the car, I get in and the A.C is blasting.
"Forget anything?" Dad says and looks at me through the rear view mirror.
"Nope, don't think so." I say and mindlessly put my seatbelt on. My dad backs out of the driveway and once we are a block away I gasp.
"Stop. I forgot my art bag." I say and both my parents laugh.
"Here." My mom says and hands me my art book, where I draw and sketch.
"My bag?" I question and she lifts up the small satchel where I hold my art supplies.
"Thank you." I say and she shakes her head.
It's about seven in the morning and if there is no traffic we will make it to Maine in no time.
I plug my ear phones in and fall right to sleep.
I hear doors opening and I open my eyes. No one is in the front seat and I sit up. All doors are opened and my dad pops his head in.
"Oh good, you're awake." He says and takes a bag out of the trunk.
I watch as my dad walks off and I wipe the drool from my face. I get out of the car as see my mom with Uncle Whittaker or Whit for short. They're both laughing.
I would describe my uncle as a Santa clause except he is way thinner, has no white beard and is taller. His hair is a dark brown, turning gray and he wears glasses and he just looks like a scientist, but not an evil one.
The outside is just as I remember. Large old Victorian mansion, upgraded and kept clean. All the houses in this neighborhood are huge.
"Well if it isn't Maura." My uncle calls out with a bright smile.
Maura is my moms name, his sister. Every time he sees me, he says we could have been twins.
"You look just like your mom." Whit says and I smile. I never get tired of hearing that.
"Hi Whit." I say and give him a hug. My mom looks between the both of us, a sad smile graces her lips.
"She's beautiful isn't she." She says with aww and I roll my eyes.
"Oh, stop." I tell her and I walk inside.
The place smells like I remember it, cedar wood, mixed with apples. My uncle never married, but he loves to cook.
I rush up to my room, everything still in place. My summer drawings I leave and continue the next year. My dad already brought my suitcases and pillows and they're placed on the bed. Whit let me design my room. My room is simple, everything white and a lot of fresh green plants hanging and on my desk.
My parents don't know that since I was little Whit has been teaching me French and I'm pretty much fluent. He teaches me a lot. He hates me being idle so he becomes my teacher half the day, then let's me wander and paint and read once he's done with lecture.
I've never gone to a high school, my parents would hire home instructors and that's how I learned a lot. Never had many friends.
Drew on the other hand, he went to high school because he begged our parents to let him try it. They hesitantly agreed so his friends were mine, but mostly his.
I didn't care at all about going to school or not, as long as I could spend every waking moment drawing I was fine.
I grab my pencils and my book and walk back downstairs.
"I'll be out back." I say to no one in particular.
"Put sunscreen on and mosquito spray." My mom demands, but I don't listen.
The houses in the neighborhood are weird. No fences no walls, anyone could walk in and out of the backyards as anyone pleases. Every two houses share one large piece of land. So my uncles backyard is shared with his neighbor. You can tell which side is ours and which is there's.
My uncle has a small tool shed way out in the back and a picnic bench near the other house, but still on his property.
I walk towards the bench and sit down, thinking of a few things to draw.
I start landscaping the woods behind the house.
"Whoa. You're talented.." I hear a girls voice and I jump startled and immediately close my art book.
I look up to see a girl with brown eyes, and dyed black hair. She looks like she's trying to be goth but underneath all that she seemed like she was an undercover cheerleader.
"I'm Charlotte, Char for short." She says and she extends her arm and I shake.
"Hello." I say and look around. Who is this girl? "I'm Opal."
She continues talking about my art but I don't hear any of it, all I can think of is who the hell this girl could be. Her long hair is in a pony tail, and she keeps talking.
Okay maybe she's harmless?
"Come on." She says and I snap out of my thoughts. "They love having people over for dinner and lunch." She says. She puts her hand out for me to take and I look back at the back porch of my uncles house. She's going to kidnap me, she's bigger than me she can definitely take me down. "The guys will be excited they love meeting new people."
That doesn't sound creepy at all.
"Guys?" I question.
"Yea, Jospeh, Daniel, and Sawyer..." She says. When I give her a confused look her hand fly's to her hips, "You don't know them?" She questions and I shake my head no.
"You'll meet them, we all like to sneak back here and just hang out. Just watch out for Avery, she sneaks out further if she has to. Avery has dibs on Sawyer."
I try keeping up with her story, she stares at me, scrutinizing me. "You might like Evan if you're into older men. Or Jospeh he's cute, but way too young for me. I think he's seventeen."
"How old are you?" I question.
"Nineteen." She says with a smile.
"I'm seventeen almost eighteen in a few days."
"Avery just turned eighteen. Sawyer is the oldest of our friend group, he's twenty. Then there's Daniel who is the same age as me and the Jospeh." She says bitting her lip.
I nod, still lost with all of this information.
"Did I mention that I love you're drawing. I wish I could draw but my mom...." She continues talking all the way until we get to the house we're eating at.
We enter in through the back porch and the smell of fresh lemon hits me. The house is cleaner than Whits. We enter into a living room, white leather sofas, gleaming wood floor, spotless carpet. I almost feel like I'm committing a crime stepping in here with my shoes.
"How are you Charlotte, joining us for dinner?" An older women's voice chirps behind us, we both turn and there standing before us is an elegant lady, her hair done up in a slick bun. Her cocktail dress wrinkle free and her face with a touch of make up enhancing her features. Her green eyes pop from the color of her dress.
She notices me and her smile grows,
"Hello, haven't seen you before."
"I'm Opal..." I say and she shakes my hand.
"Lily. Will you be joining us for dinner as well?" She asks and Charlotte cuts in.
"Is that okay? I saw her sitting by the bench."
"You know Mr. Whittaker?" Lily asks and I nod. I guess everyone knows the bench.
"He's my uncle." I say.
"He's our family friend. Well if you're staying then no idle hands. Follow me." She says.
Charlotte makes the excuse of looking for Avery and I follow Lily to the kitchen.
"You can help me cut some fruit." Lily says.
She grabs a bowl of fruit from the fridge and hands me a sharp knife.
"I'll be back, just need to change really quick." She says and I nod.
I've never cut fruit in my life, especially watermelon. My dad usually cut the fruit.
"Fruit duty?" I hear someone say, then a low whistle. "What did you do to deserve such a punishment?"
I spin around and see a guy way taller than me standing by the entrance of the large kitchen. He's slender, has dark brown hair that's short from the side and is wavy on top. He looks exactly like Lily. She must be his mom. He has hazel colored eyes, that are light in the sun.
"I'm Jospeh, and you?" He walks over to me and grabs a piece of fruit. I jump back and the knife clatters on the counter.
"Opal." I say and he puts his finger to his lips, gesturing me to whisper. He has me cornered against the counter, his smile is friendly, and I have to admit he's cute but friendly and cute can be deceiving.
"We're not allowed in here before dinner." He whispers and listens to see if his mom is coming but all is quiet.
He commands me to stay and he slowly backs into a walk in pantry, I hear him rummaging through stuff and I eventually peak my head in.
He's packing his pockets with a bunch of snacks.
"There's an open box. Just take those." I point and he shakes his head.
"Thanks, but that won't be enough. Right, Sawyer?" He says and looks back over his shoulder. He sneaks two beer cans into his pocket and grabs a new box of snacks.
Who is he talking to?
I follow his line of sight and look over my shoulder. I let out a yelp, surprised to see another guy standing behind me. He's way taller than Jospeh. His shoulders are as wide as the pantry door. He looks older than Jospeh, definitely brothers. Tall dudes eyes are a darker green, exactly like his mothers and his hair is a mop of dark black curls.
"Woah, didn't see you there." I say and accidentally back up into him. He ignores me and reaches over me and helps Jospeh with the snacks. He starts walking way, but Joseph catches the back of his brothers shirt.
"Manners aren't his thing." Jospeh says to me. "Anyway, this is my brother Sawyer...Sawyer,Opal and Opal, Sawyer."
"Hey.." I squeak, intimidated by his dark presence.
I was right, they're brothers.
"We done?" Sawyer asks, with an eye roll, he's definitely annoyed.
Jospeh shoos him away, and he rolls his eyes too.
"Just a quick welcome, my house is your house." He says. Sawyer snorts and we both look over to him, and he only gives a raised eyebrow.
"Sawyer?" I hear a girls voice echo through the kitchen.
"I knew I heard you guys raiding the kitchen. Your mom is going to kill you guys." I see her fingers opening the pantry door ... "You and Jospeh are always hungry."
She spots me first as soon as she opens the door, her eyes narrow.
"Avery?" Sawyer mumbles. Her face heats up, she looks a little angry.
"Yeah?" She answers Sawyer.
"Shut the hell up." Sawyer whispers, pointing to the stair way his mom might be coming through.
Avery starts apologizing and that's when I make my way out of the pantry. I ignore them and finish cutting up the fruit.
"Almost done?" I hear lily ask. She's changed into a YMCA t-shirt and jean shorts and has sneakers on.
"Yea..." I say smiling at her. "They're a little choppy." I say, my face tinging red.
"That's fine dear, you've cut them perfectly." She says and I know she's just being nice. "Nancy will take over from here." She says and I nod.
Who is Nancy?
I get slightly lost through the long hallways, but eventually find my way back to the back living room entrance way thing.
Where did I leave my art book? I check the entrance way, remembering I laid it down there, but don't find anything.
What the hell?
I hear giggling coming from the other room and I see Avery and Charlotte looking through all my drawings.
"Hey..." I say and quickly grab it from them.
"You're so innocent looking, but you draw some dark shit." Avery says, her short straight blond hair flies to her face as she laughs. Her brown eyes look at me, mock behind them. She fixes the small ring piercing she has on her nose and she looks at Char, and they both laugh.
I stand there feeling humiliated and I turn around and run, and bump into Jospeh,
"Hey where are you going? Dinner is almost served!" He shouts as I race out fo the house.
My parents and Whit are laughing as they're walking toward me. Whit is holding a tray of something and my parents look dressed up.
My mom sees the worry on my face first,
"What's wrong?" She asks and I hide my drawing book. I shake my head no and walk pass them.
"We're having dinner with the Pierce family, wash up. We will wait for you." My dad says and they stand there.
That's why they're like this, they're walking to their house. I rush inside and hide my book, do some breathing exercises and splash my face with water. I run into the guest bedroom, and look for my moms perfume. I spritz myself a few times.
The better I smell the more confident I am.
I rush back outside and everyone is still waiting for me.
Whit gives me a suspicious look and I know he knows something is wrong.
We enter again through the same doors and I breath out.
They're going to think I ran to my parents for help....
"Opal, there you are.." Lily says. I feel my parents staring at me with questioning looks.
"Sorry I ran off, needed fresh air." I lie and she nods.
"Welcome, I'm glad you guys could make it....Mr. Whittaker.." She smiles at my family, hugging all of them.
"You have such a beautiful home." My mom gushes.
"Come, I'll give you a tour." Lily says and she takes my mom with her.
"Whit, old friend." A mans voice booms. We all turn to see, Lily's husband. He's dressed in a suit, his curls neatly combed. He looks handsome for an old dude.
"Ahh, if it isn't Jack." Whit laughs and shakes his hand. My dad shakes his hand as well.
"This is my niece and her father." Whit introduces and I extend my hand out.
"Nice to meet you. I hear dinner is good today." He says and we follow him to a large dinning area.
There are more seats than people and I have no idea where to sit.
Jospeh, Avery, and Char are already sitting at the end of the table. And my mom and Lily are at the other end.
I sit next to Char and she smiles at me. Sawyer saunters in and sits across from me.
Char and Avery are having their own private conversation, barley audible so I can't join them. I look down at my plate of food. Steak and backed potato, with baked vegetables. I watch as Sawyer plows down his food, not talking.
Daniel I guess is a no show....
"So where are you from?" Jospeh asks, he's playing host, or trying to be courteous.
"New York." I say
"What high school?" He continues with questions.
"I've never been to a real school." I admit out loud and I hear a snicker coming from Avery.
"Explains why you draw creepy shit." She says, exposing me to everyone.
"You draw? That's cool..." Jospeh says and I know he's just being polite. Be nice to the new girl. Eventually everyone will forget about me.
"You want to be an artist?" Jospeh continues.
"Yea, hopefully get into an art school." I smile.
"Good luck getting into art school." Avery says.
"Really? Art school. I'm sure you'd get in." He says and I look up at Sawyer. His fork is stopped mid way from his mouth and I see his lip twitch into a slight smirk. Almost as if he's thinking I'm some weird girl with no friends...
"When you see her work, you'll understand." Avery keeps going.
Jospeh glares at her,
"Stop being such a bitch, Avery." Sawyer snaps.
Avery's cheeks heat, she sits there frozen, her mouth opened slightly. Humiliation at its finest. Sawyer goes back to eating. I try holding in a smile.
"I didn't mean she's terrible. I mean maybe you can teach Char how to draw. It's cool." Avery's words tumble out. "Char wishes she can be an artist.."
"That was a secret.." Char says, embarrassed. Her parents think it's wrong to have art as a major.
"And it begins." Sawyer grumbles.
Char and Avery get into a small argument, and Avery goes back to throwing small apologies. I catch Sawyer through all the chaos grabbing more food.
I glance around, all this commotion, no one will notice if I slip away. My parents are slightly drunk as they laugh through out dinner.
I look at the hallway near me and I know that's my exit. Whit catches me eyeing the exits and my face drops, shoot. He winks and I mouth a thank you.
I make my way back home and rush to my room. I lie in bed, this is going to be such a long summer.
And my parents are going to kill me for leaving dinner without saying goodbye. Bring on the lecture about manners.
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Hey guys! Chapter one is complete.
Tell me what you guys think 😆
Ahh I'm excited for this book!!!!!! 😭