by Kayley Shaye
Two months ago, the Rebels patched over us, the Warriors. Now we’re all known as the Rebels. We had no other chapters, just us. One independent bigger club.
Jesse decided that since their clubhouse was older, we would just tear it down and build onto ours. To my utter surprise, everyone agreed and there were no complaints.
When all of us came together, we made a club of fifty-two. The largest club I knew of personally in the state of Florida.
That would bring us to the present. We were currently in the middle of renovating the clubhouse and adding a few more bathrooms and rooms.
Talon and Trigger now rented a house on the edge of town, which gave us more room in itself. I’d also heard a few more guys talking about getting their own places right near the clubhouse.
The place was starting to look great, save for the entire left side of the clubhouse. It was torn down in order to expand. It rained last week, and let me tell you, it wasn’t a pretty sight.
If the schedule went according to plan, the renovations would be done in three months. When that would happen, the former Rebels would move in and tear down their old clubhouse.
We had so much potential now. More deals, better business. Less “we can’t, we don’t have enough people.” No, that had all changed. We had exactly what we needed, exactly who we needed to make this club more of a success.
Callie still ran her bakery, which had been renovated after the fire. She visited every other week and gained the respect of almost anyone who met her. Did I mention she would make me red velvet cake every time she came over?
As for my mom, she recently moved to California to live with my aunt who was also a widow. I missed her dearly. The move was hard on her, but we both knew she’d be better off there.
Living in the house where her husband was killed was doing nothing but reminding her of it every time she walked outside. I called her twice a week to make sure she was okay.
For me, things were so much better than I could have ever imagined. I thought I’d never be happy with who I was or what I’d done, but I had reached that happiness in these last ten months.
I was becoming the person I always imagined myself as a little kid. Do you realize how amazing that is? I believe it’s the best feeling in the world.
“Do you remember when you told me none of this was possible?” I asked Jesse who was on the couch beside me. “When you said too much damage was done between you and Ryder?”
“Yes. I was wrong.” Jesse put his hand on my leg and smiled.
Silently, I nodded and listened to the sound of hammers and tiles being ripped up from the floor in the other room. “It happened. Everything I wanted.”
“Everything we wanted,” Jesse corrected me. I grinned and leaned into him.
“What if there was . . . something else?” I tried to test the waters, see if he would catch on. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t.
Jesse raised his eyebrows. “Like what, sweetheart?”
There was something I had been keeping from him since last week, not because I was afraid of his response but because I wanted to wait for the right moment. That moment was now. “Jesse,” I spoke. “How do you feel about kids?”
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Prologue
I looked at my reflection with dull eyes while drops of water were dripping from my hair. The steam from the shower was fogging the mirror, but I could still see myself through it. I sometimes thought that maybe, just maybe, one day I would see a different person with happiness and confidence.
I looked in the mirror to see my flaws that I have grown to accept. The flaws everyone used against me, but why should I care?
Yes, I could be a better person. I could walk to school every day with so much confidence that would bring everyone to their knees.
But why haven’t I done that yet? Why did I keep on staring at myself every morning as if it would make things better or make a difference for everyone to like me?
My chubby cheeks and fat belly were one of the reasons why nobody liked me. I was the chipmunk of the whole middle school. I would walk around while everyone called me names, emphasizing why I stood out so much.
It had been like this since elementary school. Probably because I was not much of an active person. I would usually stay home all day and watch TV. I didn’t like most things except eating. I mean, who wouldn’t? It helped ease the stress. My dad owned a pizza shop that was quite known in our little town of Strawberry Forest in California.
Yes, I knew it was a weird name. Our town was known for growing strawberries in the old days that covered our land like a forest.
I used to go to his pizza place every Friday just to have a bite of heaven, which was probably another reason why I became chubby.
I wrapped the towel tighter around my body as I let my short, straight hair fall down to my shoulders.
I really needed to let it grow.
Walking out of the bathroom, I then headed to my closet. I grabbed a pair of baggy jeans and my favorite sweatshirt that my mom bought me on my twelfth birthday. My fashion sense was another thing I needed to fix.
But should I really care about what everyone would think of how I dress?
I put the clothes on, let my wet hair fall down naturally, and climbed down the stairs to smell the scent of my mom’s amazing pancakes. I inhaled it happily and skipped towards the kitchen to see my dad sitting down, reading a book while my mom works at the stove.
My dad was the first to notice me and gave me a smile as he put his book down. He then motioned me to come over.
“Good morning, pumpkin,” my dad said, catching my mom’s attention. She put the pancake she had on the pan into a plate and turned the stove off. She wiped her hands on the towel next to her and turned to look at me.
“Good morning, mom and dad,” I said as I kissed each of them on the cheek. I then grabbed the chair next to my dad and sat down, licking my lips as I stared at the plate in front of me with hungry eyes.
“Is my little girl excited to finish school today?” my mom asked.
Who wouldn’t be? School was a living hell because of the constant bullying from none other than Tyl—
No! I promised myself I would never bring up his name as long as I’m alive!
Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a bit. Could you blame me when everyone constantly picked on me just because of how I looked, especially if it was only because one person started it?
“Mom, I’m not a little girl anymore.” I groaned playfully as I cut a little piece of my pancake and shoved it in my mouth. The delicious taste in my mouth made me want to moan.
My mom took a seat in front of me and smiled as she pinched my cheek.
“Oh, but you’ll always be my little girl,” she said, attracting my father’s attention. He put his book down again and glared at my mom.
“Hey, that’s my line,” he said.
I rolled my eyes at them, knowing what they were about to start.
My mom leaned against the table as she put her fist under her chin and smiled teasingly.
“Well, I stole it. Whatcha going to do about it?” She teased.
“Why, you!” my dad said.
That was my cue to look away. I ate my breakfast quickly before it got cold. It was obvious that I preferred to watch the pancakes over my parents smooching.
I ignored my parents’ little playful argument which would lead to a make out season right here in front of me because trust me, it would always make me want to gag. I finished my plate and placed it in the sink. I turned around and found my parents eating each other’s faces.
Ew, couldn’t they get a room?
“Mom.” I whined.
“Dad!” I said a bit louder and heard a knock at the front door.
“I’ll get it,” I muttered and headed to the door. I looked through the peephole and smiled when I saw who it was. I opened it and jumped
into my best friend’s arms as I ruffled his hair and messed it up.
I pulled away and smiled seeing Matt’s annoyed face. He was probably the only reason I wake up every morning to go to school. He was practically my rock who was always there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on, and defended me from all the bullying.
It wasn’t like he could stop it in general, but his presence would help me cope with it.
We met somewhere in elementary school and clicked instantly. Matt was like the big brother I never had, supporting me through both the ups and the downs.
“What?” I asked with a smirk. He glared at me and pointed at his hair.
“Really? It takes me forever to fix this.” He whined as he tried to fix his hair. Sometimes, I thought he cared about his looks more than I cared about mine.
I grinned and shrugged my shoulders.
“Oh, don’t be such a grouch! It’s the last day of school, lighten up,” I said, punching his shoulder. He gave me a small smile and nodded his head.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yeah, just give me a second,” I said and ran back into the kitchen. “Mom, dad, I’m leaving.” They smiled and engulfed me a big hug and wished me good luck.
My parents knew that I was being picked on, but they didn’t really know that I was being bullied every single day by Ty—
No! Not again.
As I was saying, I thought it was best that they didn’t know for them not to worry. Besides, they have already reported it to the principal countless times, but nothing happened. It just wouldn’t stop.
I went to the front door where Matt was waiting and closed it behind me. The chill of the morning hit my face as the breeze quickened. It was still early, about seven something, but classes wouldn’t start until eight.
I was actually excited to finish this day without problems. Matt and I walked to the school which wasn’t too far away and talked about summer.
Time went by quickly and the next thing I knew, I was in front of the place I hated the most. I started walking down the hall with Matt at my side as I tried to ignore everyone including the snickers made by some girls hanging by their lockers. As long as I wouldn’t bump into him today, I would be fine.
When the bell rang, I sprinted out of my seventh period class and down the hall to head to the school gates at the edge of the school’s parking lot. I would usually head towards that direction to meet Matt and walk home together afterwards. Surprisingly, this day just went by simply. I mean, I got called with names a few times, but there was nothing new. I guess everyone was too busy to go home from school and begin their summer vacation, so I wasn’t their priority today.
Matt and I usually took our lunch together, and as I went between my classes, I would hide in the mass of children who were bumping into each other to avoid being spotted by my enemy.
Luck was on my side for not seeing him today. I stepped out of the door at the end of the hallway, walked to the parking lot, and looked around for Matt but couldn’t see him. I assumed that I was early so I waited under a tree that was planted on the side of the gate. After all, it wasn’t the first time he was late.
Suddenly, my vision blurred as something cold hit my head. I squealed in surprise and wrapped my arms around me. When I opened my eyes, I heard laughter echoing through the air and found myself soaking wet.
I wiped the water blurring my vision and looked up in the branches to see two boys, holding empty buckets and laughing their butts off. I was embarrassed, and I felt tears run through my cheeks, but I held them back.
Why would they do this to me? All I wanted was to go home and forget about the worst seven hours of my life that I had to repeat five times a week. All I wanted was to have a normal life like everyone else.
I pushed those thoughts away and was about to shout at the boys when someone else called my name. Shivers ran down my spine as I feared what I was about to face.
Taking a deep breath, I looked upon the face that I hated the most―the one who made my life a living hell.
Tyler Grey was holding something in his hand which I thought a water balloon.
“Just a little reminder of me throughout your summer,” he said with a smirk, and threw the balloon at me before I could even move.
Paint. It was paint.
The boys up in the tree climbed down and walked over to Tyler. They were barely able to contain themselves from laughing and gave him a pat on the back. It was then that I could no longer control the tears in my eyes from running down my cheeks. I saw Tyler’s eyes glaring at me, and clenched my fists as I watched them walk away with taunting smiles as if they had just won the lottery.
I took a shaky breath as the tears blurred my vision. My day spiraled from ten all the way to a zero because of him. I was freaking wet and my favorite grey sweatshirt now turned pink. I fell to the ground as I sobbed with my knees on my chest and hid my head.
I heard Matt call out from a distance, but I didn’t pay attention. My mind was clogged and overflowing with hateful thoughts toward Tyler Grey.
My eyes were blinded from any light that I could have seen. My ears were plugged with his words. He got what he wanted; I was never going to forget him this summer. His face would forever haunt my mind.
Chapter 1
I stepped out of the taxi and paid the driver his tip. My long, tan legs resembled like hotdogs that were being heated under the bright, shining sun. I pulled the sunglasses away from my eyes and rested them on my head, looking around the place I used to call home where I lived many years ago.
Once I was completely alone in the quiet, familiar streets, I made my way to the house, and could instantly tell that not much had changed. The grass was as green as ever, and the birds were flying from branch to branch. It was as if I had never left. Although, it did look like it needed some dusting and a few plants in the front yard. But other than that, everything was fine.
I had argued with myself countless times about whether to buy a new house or just come back to this place. My childhood wasn’t quite the best, but I would always choose my heart’s desire. It wanted to go back home―to the place where I was raised.
I decided to come back to this small town everyone called Strawberry Forest. Was going back to the same house that hold good yet disturbing memories a good idea? Would I enjoy my life here? Or would I just end up regretting my decision?
I walked to the front door and stared at it for what seemed to be hours but were only seconds. Was I ready to face the past? Coming back here after so many years could be a good thing. I may had been away for so long, but it wasn’t enough to help me erase and forget the dreadful memories of what this house and town gave me. Nevertheless, I couldn’t exactly stop now. I was here for a reason, and that was to stop running away. I had to face reality.
I looked around to see that the house next to us was a bit different than I remembered. Its paint was in a different color and had a different vibe radiating from it. The decorations were of a different taste than that of the previous owner.
New neighbors perhaps?
I finally gathered all the courage that I had and grabbed the keys in my pocket. I opened the door and it creaked as I opened it slowly. Dust flew in the air as the house had not been touched for years. I took a step into the house, and looked around to see memories of the past flood my mind.
The interior and furniture were untouched. I didn’t want anything removed when I moved away. I didn’t even let my grandma sell it, knowing that I would be back one day.
I closed the door and realized that I would need help in cleaning this place; I didn’t think I could do it alone. I grabbed my phone from my bag to send my best friend a text message on my arrival, telling him that I would be expecting his presence in a couple of minutes. I rubbed my eyes to prevent the tears from falling. I was done running away and was going to start a new life now that I had returned. A life that would make my parents proud.
***
Three years ago
He also blamed himself for being late. In his mind, if he was there sooner then maybe he could have prevented it. I disagreed and told him that it was fine. My life had been like this for years so I was pretty used to it.
After saying our ‘goodbyes’ a couple of blocks away, I stood right outside the front door, too afraid to face my parents. What would they say if they saw me like this? They would definitely freak out.
What would I tell them?
I could just lie and say that it was a goodbye prank from a couple of friends. Or, that there was this activity in school where we fought with water balloons. But of course, that would be such a lame lie, and they would not believe me. They knew me too well, and would be suspicious of the pink paint that stained all over my sweatshirt.
I decided to just tell them the truth and get it over with.
I rang the doorbell, waiting for the door to open. Moments passed as I stared at the door and rang the doorbell again, assuming they may have just not heard the first attempt. I waited another minute or two until I figured out no one was going to open the door. I rolled my eyes and guessed that my parents were probably up in their room making out because this wasn’t the first time they’ve been getting it on while I waited outside.
Sighing, I grabbed the pot that had a plant in it and dug for the emergency key to open the door. I walked in to see no one. I took the risk of going upstairs to my parents’ room and was surprised to hear nothing and thought that maybe they have fallen asleep.
Pft, come on. Who sleeps at this time?
I knocked on the door and waited for an answer, but nothing happened. I knocked again but this time, I opened the door to stare at nothing. There was no one in the room. It was completely empty as if it haven’t been touched since I had left for school.
