Scars

1. Fresh Starts

“Oh come on Billie! It’ll be fun I promise,” Janice said enthusiastically as she slapped her niece’s knee.

“Says the woman who has done nothing but travel for the past six years. Having a stable home sounds great for you,” Billie spat bitterly. It sounded great to Billie as well, but she knew this wasn’t going to be it. She hadn’t had a stable home for four years.

“I know this isn’t what you want. But you’re still a minor, and it’s your parents’ decision. And they have decided that you need to get out of California.”

“Then why not send me back to Grandma and Grandpa?” she snapped. Janice sighed and gripped the steering wheel tightly. The flesh over her knuckles turned white.

“This will be a fresh start for both of us.” Billie rolled her eyes and stared out the window at the pines that were growing thicker the closer they got to this tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Her body shivered and she pulled her jacket closer around her. She had gotten used to the warm California air over the past four years. Montana was just freezing compared to that.

“It is fucking freezing up here,” Billie hissed under her breath as she turned the heat all the way up.

“It’ll take some getting used to,” Janice told her. She glanced at her aunt. It had been a long time since she had seen her, nearly three years. She came to visit them after they moved to California. Crow’s feet spread out from her eyes and gray hair streaked the auburn color. She was her only aunt, the only one that was ever kind to her anyways. She suddenly felt guilty for being so short with her their entire trip up here. Janice was patient but Billie could tell she was starting to wear thin on her. It wasn’t her fault that her parents decided to rip her away from everything she knew and loved, for the second time in her short sixteen years.

“I guess it will,” Billie agreed with a smile. Janice glanced at her from the corner of her eye and warmed. She loosened her grip on the steering wheel and the tension melted from her body. They rounded a big curve and the town came into view. It was God-awful tiny. There was one main street, with absolutely no stop lights. Billie was almost certain she was going to go insane from boredom. Auntie Elm’s sewing, a diner, and few small artesian shops. There was not a mechanic or car shop in sight. She was going to have to order parts and have them shipped.

Fucking perfect.

She turned to look at the trailer being hauled behind the pickup. She had fought long and hard with her parents to let her take it to work on. Janice agreed with her that was the only reason she had it. Janice told them that it would help keep her out of trouble if she had something to occupy herself with. They couldn’t argue that. Billie found it kind of telling that everything they owned, the both of them, fit in the flat bed of the pickup. Neither of them was one for keeping things apparently.

“It’s made it this far, I think it’s okay,” Janice said. Billie realized she was still turned around looking at the car.

“I just worry,” Billie said as she turned back toward the front. They had already exited the downtown area of the town and were heading for their house. Janice jumped as the GPS told her to take the gradual left. Ten more minutes and they were turning down a long dirt driveway. Billie leaned forward along with Janice as the house came into view. The pickup came to a stop and they stared up at the monstrosity in front of them.

“Something you aren’t telling me?” Billie said as she tried to bring her jaw up from the floor.

“What?” Janice asked looking at her.

“We housing a football team?”

“Oh ha ha,” Janice said as she turned the truck off. She gestured for Billie to get out of the truck. They both grabbed boxes and headed toward the door.