The Bad Boy and Faith

Chapter 2: Running...

I liked to think my mom and I were well off, due to her executive position in her company and her investments in other businesses. Those types of things brought us enough money to survive and then some. It was easy for my mom to be relocated because when she wasn't drunk she prided herself on being good with money and she had constant money coming in. Our current home was located in Paducah, Kentucky, which I liked to think was a very small town. We all knew each other and everyone was "a friendly face", but everyone had a secret agenda.

We lived in the heavily populated area of Paducah near the fast-food chains, shopping centers, and low-end restaurants. We were surrounded by many other houses and our house sat on a street with about ten other houses. My school wasn't very far from where we stayed. The building sat in a large field surrounded by willow trees and shrubs. Along with the small forest, my school was also surrounded by massive fields for athleisure activities. Our school prided itself on the extensive football team we had.

Paducah, Kentucky aside, the place my mom was being relocated to was Seattle. I didn't know much about Seattle, but a good search brought up several things. The Wikipedia page explained how Seattle was surrounded by mountains, water, and evergreen forests. This particular information didn't produce any thoughts, but the fact that this town sounded extremely active. Maybe that's what I needed, the outdoors and physical activity.

My mom figured the best bet was to sell all of our things and to get a fresh start in Seattle. I didn't disagree with her, the only things we kept were our clothing, shoes, and electronics. Everything else, we sold, like our furniture, our TVs, and electrical appliances. It had been a few days since we packed our things and left for Seattle. My mom found a cozy house nestled in the middle of a cove and also accompanied by three other houses. The houses surrounding our houses possessed a quality ours lacked. Their houses seem to tower over ours in an intimidating and expensive way.

Each house appeared as if it were three stories, 30 yards apart, and surrounded by trees. You could tell they where houses other people dreamed of living in. Their houses almost towered over us in an intimidating yet mesmerizing way. Each house possessed spacious backyards with beautifully designed patios and pools. What confused me the most about the houses, where our own house among them. It didn't exactly fit the aesthetics of the other ones. It reminded me of something that didn't belong. Like a nerd in a group of popular kids or like one black rose among dozens of white ones. And I also didn't understand why our house was such a disappointment once you reached the end of the street. It was placed at the very end of the cove and any person making a wrong turn would eventually reach our house and be openly confused.

Our house was a little more modest and looked like a distant cousin of the others, with 2 stories, a sizable backyard and a beautifully tamed and mannered front yard with stones and bushes aligned on each side leading to the front door. The entrance consisted of double doors, with a small breakfast table on the porch. The porch was a wide-open space, big enough to place two beds and then some. Of course, the description of the house did it justice, but if one took a glance at the near mansions neighboring ours it would be considered trailer park trash.

It just didn't belong. Maybe it was a symbol for me and my mom.

I inhaled deeply and grabbed the only two bags I had and walked towards the entrance of the home observing it closely. The house may have once been a beauty or a rose grown on concrete, but time had withered its physical beauty. It was a contrast to the other homes that appeared as if they were regularly being maintained and maybe even remodeled by the owners. The paint appeared as if it had been through a bit of wear and tear, but that was just up close, from afar the house looked fine. I didn't mind this, in fact, I loved the rustic look, it gave the house more personality.

I waited patiently for my mother to unlock the door to finally catch a glimpse of our new home. I attempted to step over the threshold but failed miserably which resulted in my bags tumbling down inside the door. I huffed in annoyance and made sure I paid attention when I stepped this time and grabbed my sprawled bags and went further into the house.

At first, the decor of the house didn't strike me, it wasn't until I paid attention to the subtle hint of classic yet modern flow. First entering the home it leads to a large hall with high ceilings and dazzling beautiful chandeliers that reflected the sunlight in a mesmerising way. I would say this was my favorite room in the house but I had yet to see the other rooms. The light that shone upon the ceiling gave the room a sort of otherworldly vibe and I found myself loving it even more. I wonder what it looked like in the evening while the sun was setting.

I didn't consider the full decor of the hall, because what truly caught my attention was the chandelier. But to the side sat a table containing indoor plants and a tray for maybe keys or wallets. I moved further into the home, entering into the living room.

Which I considered average when compared to the dining room, specifically the chandelier. The living room color scheme consisted of modern colors, like black, grey, and beige. Maybe less modern and more neutral and basic. What I did like about it though was the touch of classical art that adorned the slightly worn walls. I couldn't exactly pinpoint what type of art it was or who painted it, I could say that it appeared to be expensive in nature and extremely old because of the painting style. I knew I at least learned something from Mrs. Andarsan.

There were also minor things that stood out to like the mini statuesque figures that lay on the mantle and on the side tables. It was a mix of basic and classic. I didn't know how I felt about the decor, but I did however like the fact that it gave the entire place character.

As I continued down the hall and up the stairs I came upon four doors, all down a long narrow hall. I didn't know which was which but I took a chance and went for the second one down the hall to my right. The door revealed an open spacious room with a single queen-sized bed in the middle on the back wall. Next to it sat a side table and a lamp. This room didn't exactly express any special qualities. It did, however, have a dresser and wardrobe. They were rich mahogany and looked almost brand new. They shined and gleamed under the sunlight coming in through the window.

But aside from those two treasures, the room was plain. It was quite spacious though. It also came equipped with a bathroom and a walk-in closet that I had intentions of using. I didn't consider myself a fashion guru, but I did sometimes like to dress nicely. There would be a spur of the moment when I found certain styles of shoes interesting, not just shoes but anything. Anything from graphic T's, lip gloss, or stuffed animals. I also loved makeup, but none of that matched up with my nonchalant demeanor, my ripped jeans, and my sometimes emo persona.

But I prided myself on being different. I thought it was okay that I loved a full face of makeup in a pair of ripped jeans and a graphic T.

I placed my bags on the bed and looked around more. Inspecting the basic interior the room possessed. I decided my best bet was to unpack my things and get a better view of the house and the neighborhood. I would be attending school in two days and wanted to at least get a feel for the neighborhood and my surroundings before getting acquainted with my school.

It was barely noon, and the sun was shining as bright as ever in the sky making it hard for me to nap after a long trip. I put my things away and gathered my robe to shower. It had been such a long morning and showering had completely slipped my mind.

After I showered and was fully clothed I decided to explore the backyard and any other rooms I hadn't seen. I finally came out of my room after two hours and could hear the rattling of my mom in her room and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I peaked into her open door and found her entire room in disarray. Her clothing was sprawled out across the floor and so were thousands of pairs of shoes. I stared at her in disbelief and confusion.

"Mom. What exactly are you DOING?" She looked up at me grinning. And smiles from her usually meant she had just enough to drink to make her tipsy but not blackout drunk. And if you're wondering where on that spectrum her ridicule started, then it would be at the very beginning of blackout drunk. Right before she passes out. "Have you been drinking today?" I sighed in frustration and stared at her helplessly.

"I don't think that's any of your business." Her smile and happy persona quickly faded and out came the monster of endless words and low blows. "As a matter of fact, why don't you go for a run? You really need it." She sneered. I could see that spark in her eye, that twinge of hate. I didn't know if it was hate for herself or me, maybe even both. It was like a switch that could be turned on or off at any minute.

One second she was someone I loved and adored. The next she was me, my greatest enemy, picking at all my flaws and insecurities. My cheeks flushed a deep red and I stormed out of her room in embarrassment. It wasn't that the insult hurt me, it just took me off guard. It was a walk in the park compared to the other things she would say.

After being humiliated by my mother I headed to the backyard. There wasn't anything special about our backyard aside from the one tree at the very back. It was huge though, a big vast open space and for a second I was okay. I walked further into the backyard and took a seat in the grass. The sun was still high in the sky and bright as ever, but the heat didn't bother me, I found it comforting. It didn't take long for the lulling sounds of nature to ease me into a nap. The wind blowing against the surrounding trees and the birds chirping in the distance was enough to put me to sleep in mere seconds.

***

A shriek.

That's what awoken me an hour later. Someone shrieking followed by loud laughter. It took me a second to realize where I was, but I remembered I fell asleep in the backyard, which is unusual but I guess I had been more exhausted than I thought.

I rose from my spot in the grass and glanced around looking for the source of the laughter and screaming.

It didn't take long to spot the lingering bodies in the backyard next door to ours. I hadn't realized that their yard was so visible to us. I could see from where I stood the blue reflects off the pool and the bodies surrounding it. I didn't know exactly what was happening, but I could only assume what was happening. Typical teenagers or college students throwing each other in pools and drinking non-stop.

"ASH! NO, GIVE IT BACK!" The voices got louder as I moved closer to the gate. A girl in only a towel, grinning gleefully whilst chasing after a man in only swim trunks. I was stunned at first because under her towel she wore nothing. The unknown male picked up his speed jumping over pool chairs and other random objects. She continued after him, ignoring the parting of her towel which exposed her bare hips.

It was bound to happen. A random stranger lurking at your gate, staring at you wouldn't go unnoticed. Especially me. It was kind of hard to miss. As the random male turned to boast about his super-speed he made direct eye contact with me and I froze in fear. I hadn't exactly registered the fact that I was being a creep. Nor did I register the fact that I was staring into a random stranger's backyard. And said a stranger had caught me.

There were so many things wrong with this situation.