Burnt House Hill (RainbowCaliber GX Story #0)

Chapter 1

1998

Jake

"That's a nice cloud," Jake thought, looking at the sky as he lay sprawled out on the pavement. 

A cumulonimbus. He had learned about them in science class. Usually it was the cloud to rain on your parade. Not like there was a parade in Jake's case anyway.

"More like a giant middle finger from the universe," he thought.

His entire body hurt from being beat up by classmates, who had followed him a considerable distance from the school, where the school had no jurisdiction.

Jake sat up and felt the marks on his face. Some of them stained part of his fingers red.

He looked over the rest of his body, and saw that his hoodie and jeans were ripped. Scrapes were scattered on his hands and legs. Sighing, he got back up and began walking.

"It's gonna happen again," Jake thought. It was the same cycle over and over. Tomorrow would probably be the same, and the day after, and after, after-

"Jake!" a voice called from up the street. He looked up and saw his older sister Emi waving to him from the door.

"Hey, Emi," he said, walking up to her.

"How was school, and what happened to your face?" she asked, following him.

"Horrible. I got beat up on the way back," Jake answered, putting his backpack by their couch.

"I still don't understand why the school doesn't do anything," Emi said, moving her dark brown hair out of her face.

"I don't either but everyday will be the same until then," Jake said, sitting down.

"It'll get better. Trust me," Emi reassured him, patting his shoulder.

Jake gave a quick smile, then looked out the window. A moving van was being unloaded into the driving of a house a little ways down the street. The people unloading the van looked like toy soldiers, walking in the line into the garage.

"Are there people moving in across the street?" she asked.

"It looks like it," Jake answered, seeing a gray pickup truck pulling a trailer, which had a smaller light blue truck sitting on it. The two saw the truck drive up to the house they were watching. Two adults and a girl got out and walked up the driveway to the open garage.

"Oh, they have a kid. Maybe you could be friends with her," Emi offered.

"Maybe," Jake answered.

"Wanna go over there?" Emi asked.

Before Jake could say no, Emi grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door. He then found himself walking across the street to the house.

***

Miley

"And we're here!" Miley's dad announced, pulling into the driveway of their new house.

"It's beautiful," her mom marveled, looking up at their new home.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's unpack," her dad said, getting out of the truck.

Miley's mom started to do the same, but stopped to look at Miley. She was resting her head against the window, looking at the house with a frown on her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, grabbing her daughter's hand gently.

Miley shook her head and looked at her mother.