Chapter 1
"Spencer Massey," my name is called from the podium. I'm shocked with enthusiasm as I sat up from my chair and head towards the stage stairs on the right. I felt all eyes to my back as my gown ruffle all around as I walked. I looked nearly identical to everyone who is sitting in chairs on the gymnasium floor. I heard my cheer squad calling from the bleachers and I felt a blush crept up cheeks as I climbed the stage stairs. I walked across the stage to see Miss Skeer smiling at me. She had been the one to called my name and as been my biggest fan the last four years. I look up at my cheer squad, my family. My mom, little brother, my uncle Cho and childhood friend Kate stood up yahoo at me and calling my name. It crushes me a little knowing my dad isn't there. I knew he isn't up there. Deep down he is the one I wanted to be there rooting for me the most.
I blink away the overwhelmed emotion of the moment and I adjust the microphone down to my short stature. "Well, we did it, " I fist pump into the air to start off my speech.
Most people had left the gymnasium to take pictures. My family won't be taking part in such traditions. There are only a few handfuls of photos of my family around the house for special moments. The constant praises and colorful flowers in my arms make me forget such normal traditions. "I don't understand why such a big commotion for graduating college, "said my mom eyeing all the decorations and the school's flags pinned around the gymnasium. Mom had been homeschool like most of the people I know who I grew up with. College wasn't even thought of concern.
Mom's messy curly dark brown hair is back in a messy bun. Her bun makes it hard to tell how long her hair truly is. Her hair pinned back does show off her lean face and a round chin. She doesn't own a single thing of makeup. Her rosy cheeks and full lips can make any college girl envy of her looks. It's easy to see where I get my looks including her brown eyes. Her toned arms and slender torso makes all the other mom's here jealous. Mom did have some great genes even if they weren't all human.
"Ma'am it's normal for such things like the flowers and signs," Kate respectfully replied to my mom. I mouth thank you to her. I know she had been the one to think of cheering my name, the sign that spelled out my name, and the lovely flowers. She is a breath of fresh air of feeling normal among my class peers. "Can we get some pictures before we head home," she said suggesting to exit the bleacher area. Kate is every human male's, ideal woman. She has big breasts and a narrow waist. Her muscle legs show how activity she really is. Her doll face and soft jaw made her best model poster babe. Her big noise might work against her though and she didn't care much for looks as she came dress in plain navy dress and flats. Dressing up didn't happen much for my family.
"Is it really call for such things. We proud of you, Spencer, but isn't this all little too much," my mom muttered.
"Let, the girl have her moment Amie," my uncle patted my mom's shoulder. "This is a big moment for her. Let us for once follow the normal traditions as everyone else and get some pictures." Uncle Chao is a beast of a man. Some of his animalistic traits shine through into his human appearance. He's one of the tallest men I know. He lacks hair on top of his hair, but his full beard made up for it. He had chipped tooth from an old fight. He had a long torso and long arms to go along with his height. No skin of his arms is left uncovered with all the arrange of animal tattoos.
"I don't know," my mom muttered in the hallway as we all line up trying look like other families taking pictures. Usually, everyone stood around the graduate as their graduate is being honored. The person with the most authority stands in the meddle. My mom and brother are in the middle. I put my uncle beside my mom and I stood by my brother. Kate stood on the other side of me as my school friend Rebbecca took our picture.
"SMile," she said esthetically as my mom or uncle didn't smile at all. They look as they were getting their mugshots. It didn't matter to me because these moments are rare for my family to be here supporting me. I will forever cherish this photo. I thank Rebbecca and congregated her. She offers an invitation to a party my dormitory is throwing for the graduates. I decline for the first time in years to an invite. I am heading home for the first time in seven years. I'm determined to have one more year with my family before I moved away. However, they thought I'm permitting moving back to the area so they can keep an eye on me.
"Can I get a few more photos," I asked knowing this chance may not happening again in a long time. My brother and Kate offer one more with me. I'm determined to add these moments to my scrab book from college. If only my fifteen-year-old stuff could see me now. She would have avoided that horrible mistake.
I drove over with my family to the airport to see the safety see them off. My uncle Cho blurted off dad jokes as mom argues with the machine to get their tickets. My brother hugged me goodbye and I see over his shoulder a few girls eyeing his behind. A girl would have to be blind not see how attractive my brother is. He adores it when he's at home. "Take care, Spence. Everyone is excited you are finally coming home. Dad wishes he could have been here, but you know how he is," he said sympathetically. He understands the strict tradition of our family. My dad couldn't leave home for something that trivial like my college graduation. He needed more at home. Sam is closer to my height then he is to dad's height. Sam is on the shorter size for our kind. His tan skin had been blessed by the sun goddess. He has a strong jaw and our mother's ears that stick out. He's built like football players; Muscle torso and thick legs. He has a tattoo on his stomach to hide an old scar he refuses to tell me about. He says it's a great drinking story and changes the story every time. His blue eyes were only similar to dad's.
"Thanks, I'll see you in a few days. Are you picking me up at the airport," I asked confirming with our plans.
"As long there are no problems at home. I'll be there to pick up my big sis," he snickers and let me go.
"I hate all this noise. It makes me nuts," my mom said fluster grabbing the tickets. She gave me a quick side hug. "Come home soon, hun so we can stop traveling through these noises places," mom said resting her hand on her head as if she as a headache. My stomach dropped knowing she didn't really think I am gonna leave home again. I nodded and mumble bye. Cho hugged me and they headed off. Kate is staying behind to help me pack seven years of my life to be shipped home.
"Are sure all this can be shipped," Kate ask me as we stuff eight large boxes. My dormitory room is bare except for the pre-damage furniture the college provided. The room looked unrecognizable now it is stripped bare of all my decorating. I pinterested the hell out of this room with decals, DIY curtains and wall decorations. Want couldn't be shipped home in a box had to be put up in Craiglist. At home, I couldn't have a lot of stuff either because all my belongings had to stay in one room since I'm concerned single. A couple of months ago, I broke up my two-year relationship because I couldn't let him know about my family and my life before high school.
"Yes, I will driving home, if it doesn't," I said not wishing part with only stuff in the world that is mine. At home, most things are shared and divided among everyone. I tapped the last box and push over to the mini fortress of boxes by the door waiting to go down to the van we are renting. I zipped up my two large suitcases. Anything I couldn't depart with went into the suitcases. One suitcase is filled with gifts from past friends, scrapbooks and picture frames I couldn't trust to be mailed home. I'm shipping a huge part of my wardrobe home in boxes just make more room in my sentimental things.
"You know this is a lot of stuff. The rooms in single dorms aren't that big. They fit a twin bed and a wardrobe. It's nearly half the size of this room."Kate said eyeing the room's size. I looked around the room trying remember my old bedroom. I hadn't seen it in years and thought it was the same size of this room, but couldn't be too sure.
"Why are you referring to the single dorms? I'm moving back into my old room, "I asked Kate.
"Are you? I just thought because you're older than eighteen and most older single folks moved into the single dorms. I've moved in there a few years ago and here I had been excited to live close to my best friend again," she gave a fake pout.
"The single dorm can't be that far from the main house," I said thinking of the layout of the land. I use to know how much time it took to walk one place to another. My memory starting to get fuzzy of such details of my home.
"They build new ones and knock down the old ones. All the family homes have been moved closer to the...main house, "she said repeating how I refer to my parent's home. "They redid the lounge and food courters. The recreational area has been moved around some and single folks..." she stalled not knowing how to refer the single people of our home. We couldn't use everyday terminology outside the territory not even in private settings. I grew using words as folks, home, and broad word for family to describe my home to my friends outside the territory. Using any other term now feels odd to use because I lived on outside, so long I dreaded having to move back. I left home as I felt I was leaving prison and the outside world gave me the freedom I craved. I grew up fearing I wouldn't be able to convince my parents I will be moving away in a year away from the territory permanently. If I couldn't convince them, I would be moving out on bad terms. I'm only going back because I miss my dad. I've only seen him twice in seven years and I needed to be with him a little longer before I completely tear myself from my home forever.
"I know dad said everyone is excited for me to come home, but what should I really excepted," interrupted her train of thought.
She pauses looked at me wearily. "They are excited to see you. A lot of them don't know what except especially since you've been away for so long. Those people aren't like they were their teen years. Those things won't happen again. You'll be lucky to see any of them because a lot of them do patrol runs or having families of their own. They're too caught up with their own things to even think about doing anything bad to you. It's better now, Spence. You're dad work with the younger wolves to keep others from going through what happened to you. It will be better and we are all glad for our princess to come home," she smiled using the nickname I loved and hated at different points in my life.
This is going to be a short story. Looking to create new stories then constantly drilled into editing my old stories. This story is a breath of fresh air for me.