"Stephanie Lynn Nicks!"
The teen blonde cringed as her mothers voice pierced through the house, hitting her ears all the way upstairs in her bedroom. She clapped her hands over her journal, clenching her eyes shut; trying to recount all the things she could have done to warrant her mothers tone.
"Yeah?" She called out sheepishly, holding her breath and opening an eye as she awaited the accusation.
"Get your ass down here!"
'Oh fuck' the young girl mentally swore, slamming her journal shut and standing up from her chair in a huff. She took her time going down the curved staircase, mentally recounting current events in her head. They'd just moved (again) to Palo Alto , California, the adjustment a bit rough for her with it being so sudden. She stopped at the mirror for time, giving herself a look over. Her long blonde hair hung wavy down her back, her brown eyes full of question yet a little bit of fear. She dragged herself down the stairs, meeting her mothers scornful eyes .
"Anything you have to tell me Stephanie?"Barbara Nicks was a no nonsense woman, and she already knew what she was angry with her daughter for, it was a mind game.
"It's Stevie." The young blonde pursed her lips, her eyebrows furrowing at the mention of her birth name. She knew her mother only used it if she were in trouble. Fuck . "And I know you already know something so you might as well go ahead and punish me."
"I'm giving you a chance to be mature, and tell me the truth."
"Stevie mature? As if, she's the biggest dummy I know!" Christopher Nicks popped his two sense in, hoping down the stair case having heard his mother yell earlier. He had a smug look on his face , his hands folded behind his back as he watched his Older sister get in trouble.
"Shut up Chris." Stevie snarled at her brother, her hand on her hip as she sneered at him. Chris stuck his tongue out in retort, Stevie closing her eyes.
"Don't talk to each other that way." Barbara warned. "You wanna tell me what you did today?"
"I went to school." Stevie shrugged it off, but not able to meet her mothers stare.
"Really?' Stevie nodded , examining her nails. "Because your principal called today, asking why you weren't in attendance and unaccounted for, the third time this week."
Stevie mentally cringed,but stayed strong, meeting her mothers glance.
"I'm sure they got me mixed up with someone else, the lady In the office is like a hundred years old."
"God damnit Stephanie!" Barbara snapped the kitchen towel she was holding towards her daughters shoulder, Stevie flinching back. "You've been here not even a week and you have no shows at school already? What the hell?"
"Mom I don't like it there!"
" You haven't even given it a chance! Barbara looked at her daughter in exasperation, shaking her head."it's only the first week! You have to allow yourself time to adjust."
"I'm not going to adjust! I hate it here. I never wanted to move in the first place. I miss my friends!"
"Stevie, you know it's not a choice with your fathers job. " Barbara tried to reason with her resilient daughter , feeling a head ache pierce her frontal lobe. Since they'd moved her daughter had refused to accept the change, being a pain the entire move. "Can you for once just be easy to talk to?"
Stevie arched an eyebrow, her lips pursing. "Are you saying I'm difficult?"
"I'm saying your stubborn, and any more absences and you're bound to get suspended. We don't want that on your record, you'll never get into a good college."
"Mom I don't want to go to college, I want to be a rock star! You know this!"
"As long as your living under my roof, you'll have an education. Once you're eighteen and moved out, feel free to rock around the world."
Stevie huffed, knowing her mother wasn't taking her seriously; but she could in no way met the older woman's intense glare, her eyes shifting to the yellow rosed wallpaper. A family photo of her, her father, brother and mother hung on the wall behind Barbara's head , the kind of photo you'd display on an office desk. Stevie rolled her eyes. It was all phony.
"Mom I hate that school! Everyone stares at me, and I don't know anyone."
"Honey," Barbara pushed her daughters hair behind her shoulders, patting her cheek. "It's because you're new , eventually the newness will wear off and you'll be just like everyone else." Stevie rolled her eyes, Barbara piercing her lips, gripping the young girls shoulders. "No more skipping school."
"It's lame. And so is being like everyone else."
"So is being a drop out, I mean it Stephanie one more call from your school and you're in deep trouble. Do you hear me young lady?"
Stevie shrugged her mother off and turned around in a huff, stomping up the stairs. "I hate it here!" She yelled down the stairs. Barbara winced as the door slammed behind her teenage daughter , deciding to let it go. She got her message across. She started towards the kitchen before doubling back and hollering up the stairs. "Don't forget, you and Chris have a young life meeting tonight! You need to be ready by six!"
She was met with a thud on the floor in response, shaking her head in exasperation. 'What am I going to do with that girl?'
Upstairs Stevie flopped down on her bed, hiding her head in her crossed arms. She flipped on to her back, huffing exaggeratedly. She looked around her room, most of her things still in boxes. She wasn't new to change, or to moving about. But the last move was sudden, and she had finally allowed herself to get comfortable in their last residence. Making friends, finding a boyfriend , she was making her print in the world. Then her dad got transferred again, ripping her from the only normalcy she'd felt. She knew it was a good job offer, the money was well and her parents could afford the nice two story they had just moved in to. She looked at the boxes that surrounded her, not bothering to unpack them. Wether from lack of motivation or lack of hope, she left them alone. Out of a moment of frustration she kicked at one of the boxes, realizing it wasn't one of her best moments when she heard something break. "God damn it."
...
The black suv rolled up to the church parking lot, Chris and Stevie peering out the window to see a group of teenagers filing in. Stevie looked on in boredom, Chris sharing her discontent.
"This looks janky as shit." Chris swore, Jess Nicks slamming on the breaks a little, both of his children jerking forward in the back seat. It was a tactic he used often, wether to scare them or use it as a warning.
"Language Christopher." Jess gripped the steering wheel. Glancing at his son through the rear view mirror.
"Daddy please don't make us go." Stevie pouted her lower lip, flashing her eyes towards her father. It was a trick that usually worked, Jess not daring to look at his daughter.
"You're mom said you have to, I don't make the rules."
"Oh come on dad!" Christopher for once, agreed with his sister. "I don't want to sit around with a bunch of squares!"
"You'll probably meet some nice kids! Give it a try!" Jess tried to be optimistic for his kids, glancing at the watch on his wrist. "Hurry up now, I don't want to be late for my club meeting."
Stevie huffed for what seemed like the 100th time that day, getting out of the car without saying goodbye to her father. Christopher scrambled out behind her, not wanting to be left alone. "Stevie wait up!"
He ran up to his sister, easing his pace once he caught up to her. He watched her looking around, nearly spinning in circles. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for a way out of here."
Christopher looked to, spotting what seemed to be an empty building tugging his sister towards it. He flashed her the joint he had stashed in his pocket, grinning devishly. "Wanna get stoned?"
"Duh." She was much more eager to follow him this time, not paying attention as they veered away from the crowd. She was nearly knocked down from someone shoving in to her, quickly catching her balance. "Hey watch where you're goi-" she cut herself off catching sight of the stranger who'd bumped in to her, a lump getting caught in her throat. "Going." She finished, finally meeting the piercing blue eyes that met hers.
"Shit I'm sorry." The boy apologized, looking embarrassed. "I wasn't paying attention." He smiled at her sheepishly, Stevie stopped dead in her tracks. He was the most handsome guy she'd ever seen, fumbling for words. Before she could say anything she felt Christopher tugging her arm, breaking her trance.
"Stevie come on!"
She listened to her brother, letting him drag her towards their potential smoking zone, turning her head over her shoulder to get another glance of the stranger. He was starring back at her with a smile, her cheeks becoming flushed. She whipped her head back, ducking behind the building with Christopher, trying to ignore the warm feeling she felt enveloping her. Chris sparked up the joint, Stevie quickly taking her hit as he passed it to her. Her head now began to feel fuzzy, but still not able to forget the boys steel blue eyes.
"How long do you think this time?" Christopher asked her, snapping her out of her little day dream.
"What?" Stevie asked, coming back to reality and looking at her little brother.
"How long do you think we'll be here ?"
She knew what he was refraining to, moving from house to house, or city to city; state to state, it was the norm for them every since they were little with their fathers railroad job. It required a lot of travel, Stevie and Christopher having to had jump from place to place since their early years.
"Two months, maybe three." She took the joint from Christopher, puffing on it. She didn't discuss the topic more, not having much to say. She was still reeling from the most recent move. It was sudden , and unexpected, their parents had promised it was gonna be the last move. They were wrong. They were always wrong.
Having smoked the joint whole, Christopher tossed it and stomped it out with his sneaker. Their eyes were red and smiles now on their face. "Alright." He encouraged his sister. "Let's do this shit."
