Authors: Chelsea Ballinger
Chapter 1
“Spark”
Donovan
I
hate this bullshit.
I
know
dad’s probably pissed that I left my
phone at home, but I need this time to myself. After everything that happened why
the hell would he bring us back here? Granted, I don’t remember much about it. Actually,
I don’t remember a lot about it. When I was eight years old I was kidnapped. We
were living here in Eastbrook at the time for about a year. I
was
gone for three days and I killed a
guy. After that my family moved us back to the city. I was in therapy for a
year after that. My then therapist Dr. Reed concluded that I’m blocking the
memory out of my mind so I won’t face the cruel realization of knowing that I
killed someone. Basically, he said I was cured and my parents didn’t want me to
remember so they didn’t push it any further.
I just needed
to get out of the house. We’ve been here for a week and I’m already getting
anxiety from this town. I just want to sit on this beach, smoke, and tend to my
thoughts.
I really
missed this beach. When we were kids our parents brought us here all the time.
People always got scared when we came. I didn’t understand
then
, but the older I got I figured out the truth. My father
is a criminal. When you’re the son of a criminal, people treat you like a
criminal. My whole life it’s been that way. It sucks, but I
know
who I am and that my family is way
better than most of these uptight pricks. My dad’s an ass, but he’s a great
man. He loves his family and he’ll do anything to protect us.
Shit!
I’m almost done with my joint.
Anyway,
I hate knowing that I’m going to a new school where rich spoiled brats can
judge me and my family.
Christian
says it will be okay, but I
just
get tired
of the same crap all the time.
“Hey,
Edward.” I turn to
see
my sister,
Ella, with that smug look on her face. I hate it when she calls me that. She’s
always referencing me to that guy in those books she’s always reading. I turned
further to view Christian standing over me looking worried as usual.
“
Very
funny” I speak
with obvious sarcasm.
“Dads
pissed.”
No shit,
Sherlock. “What else is new?”
“Well,
except for the fact that you continue to mope around, nothing really.”
Christian says annoying me.
My mood
is
getting on everybody’s nerves and
I'm sorry for that, which is why I left the house. But in this family,
nobody leaves you alone. Well, at least it shows they care.
Christian
and Ella sit down on both sides of me.
“I don’t
know
. I guess
moving here.” I’m not trying to get in depth here.
“Okay
you’re going to have to get over it. I’m not that excited about living here
either, but we're going to have to make the best of it. At least we have
friends here.” My annoying sister is right.
We do
have people here. We have our cousin Jason and my best friend, Emile. He moved out
here a couple of months ago after getting busted for breaking into homes. Emile
is like a clepto. He comes from money, but he loves to steal because of the
rush. Rich people move to Eastbrook because it’s supposed to be a safe town. I
guess that is probably why my father moved us out here. So at least we’re going
to have back up. Not that we would need it. Most people are intimidated by
us. I’m fine with that, less idiots I have to fight.
“Listen,
I
know
it sucks sometimes being the kid of
Roman Pierce, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.” Christian is the
positive sibling. Regardless,
he's
right. In all
fairness we are blessed.
“I
know
this is cheesy, but as long as we got
each other, we'll be okay.” I glance at him to give me that simple nod he
always gives me to let me
know
everything is okay. The first time he gave me
that simple nod was when I returned home after the kidnapping. My brother’s my
best friend. If there
is
anyone I
know
that won't disappoint me,
it's him. He's my brother and I love him. I don’t tell him often, but
I do.
“Well,
can we leave now? I have to start getting dress.” We both roll our eyes at
Ella.
“Yeah, let me go face dad’s wrath.” We all stand up, wiping
the sand off us. I already
know
what dad is going to do. He’s
going to give me a strict
look
and say one simple sentence in a way like it's a
threat.
We start
heading towards Christian’s car. I love that car. It's a black 1965 ford
mustang and it's awesome. I want one
just
like it.
Christian is lucky he got his license first because if I had gotten mine, I
definitely would have begged mom and dad to get me that car. Also being the
golden boy works in Christian's favor. Good in school, good at sports, good at
almost everything. I'm good at school, but hate it. I
was
on the football team back at our old
high school. I got kicked off for punching the coach in the face. He kept screaming
at me for being late to a bunch of practices. I don’t take too well to
authority especially when they scream in my face with breath that smells like
raw fish. To be honest my dad made me quit. The coach
was
n’t going to
kick off the son of Roman Pierce, no matter what I did. I did a lot too, even
slept with both of his daughters. I did that for fun of course. They were
twins, how could I say no. I can have almost any girl I want, me and Christian.
Girls love bad boys. That’s what I am to people. Christian has numbers on him,
but he’s also
more of a romantic.
I mean I want romance, but not now. There are too many beautiful women in the
world. He wants to be a doctor too. Can you believe that? The son of Roman
Pierce a doctor! Well if any of us can be a doctor, it’s definitely Christian.
Along
with being smart, Christian
is
also
right. As long as we got each other, we will be okay. My family
is
all that I need, but I still fear that
returning here is going to bring nothing but problems. Especially since
that jackass State’s Attorney lives here.
Claudia
I’m so
getting tired of this bullshit.
Every
guy that tries to date me always ends up either an idiot or someone I simply
have no connection with. The current contestant right now is Eric Anderson, the
son of the United States Attorney of the Southern District of New York. My
father always brags to me about him. I could care less. Eric is nice, but at
the same time an ass. He thinks he’s God’s gift to mankind or something. All he
talks about is his father’s accomplishments and how he met President Bush once.
Who cares? Call me when you meet Obama.
Eric Anderson
is not the ideal guy I want to date. I want excitement. I want a guy that makes
me feel overwhelmed, scared, and amazing at the same time. That’s what my mom
said love is like. She said my dad made her feel that way. She always told me
about how they first met and how he swept her off her feet. She didn’t care too
much for him at first, but he won her over.
Maybe
Eric will
do that?
Nah.
He is
out of the game, I can already tell. I mean he is cute, very cute, but there
just
isn’t any chemistry. There isn’t that
spark my mom always told me about. That
butterfly
fluttering in your stomach
feeling
you get when you meet someone or when
you realize you have feelings for that good friend. I watch too much teen
drama, I know.
This
really makes me miss my mom. I could really use her boy wisdom for tonight. Its
Naomi Winthrop's birthday party and Eric is going to be there. I’m going to
have to try to avoid him for the most part. I hope Jade isn’t too drunk to help
me with that.
“Claudia?”
I turn around to
see
Julia, my step mom, at my door.
Julia
got married to my dad a year ago. She’s cool and I love her like a friend.
She’s never pushed to become my mom or anything,
just
my friend. Julia loves my dad, but I
think he only married her for his reputation seeing he is an Assistant State’s Attorney.
My dad has always cared about appearances. He cares what people think of him
and his family.
“I ironed your dress for you.” Julia hung up my white short
sundress over my closet door.
“Thanks,
Jules.”
“So are
you excited for tonight? It’s the last one before school starts.” Julia came to
my bed and sat next to me, as I sat Indian style holding on to my teddy, Mr.
Griff. Where I got that name from, I have no idea. My mom gave me this bear
when I
was
little and she said I always called it
Griff for some reason.
“Yeah, it
should be
very
entertaining.” I say without
excitement.
“You
don’t sound too excited.”
“No,
it’s not that. It’s
just
that Eric Anderson
is going to be there.”
“I
thought you two
were
hitting it off?”
“I
thought so too, but there isn’t any spark, you
know
?”
She
smiles at me. “Yeah, I do. If there isn’t any connection than
maybe
you should
just
be friends.”
“Or
you should wait for him to sweep you
off your feet like I did your mother.” I
glance
around
Julia to
see
my dad standing there in his blue suit
and gray tie with his hands in his pockets.
“Dad, I
don’t think this is the same as you and mom.” I say as he walks in.
“You
never
know
unless you try. Take a chance, seize
the day, anything could happen.”
My
father is clearly rooting for Eric, but he is right. I need to take a
chance, that’s what my mom always told me.
We’re
interrupted by my father’s cell phone. He reaches in his jacket pocket and
pulls it out. He
gives
his worried
face
to the sight of whoever it is on the
caller ID.
“Listen,
I have to take this, but have a good night sweetie. Hello?” My dad answers the
phone and leaves.
That’s
my dad. He keeps the city safe my mom
always said.
“Your
father is right, Claudia. You should take a chance. Now it doesn’t have to be
Eric, but you never
know
you might
meet someone tonight.” As Julia leaves, I
watch
her long,
silky, blonde, ponytail wave with her walk.
Maybe
they’re right
.
Maybe
Eric will sweep me off my feet?
Or it’s possible I will meet somebody new. Who knows what this
night may bring. I’ve always loved that about life, me and my mom. We loved the
unexpected.
Donovan
I walk
into my new house with my brother and sister. I’m hoping that if I walk fast
enough my father won’t stop me.
“Donovan!”
I jerk at the sound of my father’s voice coming out of his office. I turn
around in the foyer towards his office and
notice
the family pictures my mom hung to
make it
feel
like home. I enter my father’s office
to
see
him sitting at his desk dangling his
pen between his fingers. He has his stress ball in the other. I don’t know why
my mom got him that. This man lives off stress.