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Chapter One: Nine hours to nowhere

Moving three states away from what someone had known as home wasn't something Shayna Henderson was expecting to happen her senior year, but here she was in her old pontiac heading back to a house she hadn't called home in almost ten years. There wasn't much to see between the states, mostly just empty fields and the occasional hill in the distance. She was lucky enough that her drive wouldn't be more than a day's travel, just a little over nine hours. Her music taste was questionable to her friends and family. Listening to Motley Crue, Metallica, and Poison wasn't exactly the kind of music someone her age would listen to. Sure she still listened to Madonna and the likes, but her main choice would be rock or metal music. Which is why she was currently blasting Dr.Feelgood going fifteen over the speed limit.

"He's the one they call Dr.Feelgood" She sings along with the music, banging her fingers against the wheel in time with the strums of the guitar, "He's the one to make ya feel alright." She had maybe an hour left of her drive before arriving at her mother's house. They weren't as close as her mother would have liked, but that's what happens when she only calls once a month and twice a month when her birthday rolls around. Shayna didn't dislike her mother by any means, but there wasn't much connection between the two. She was closer with her younger brother Dustin, the nerd was always so excited to speak to her when he called. He was the one who got her into playing Dungeons and Dragons, granted she had only been playing for the past two years so she was by no means as experienced as him or any of his friends. She was lucky she had found a group to play with back home. She enjoyed maining a rogue but she wasn't opposed to different classes, but spells always seem so complicated that she figured rogue, barbarian, and fighter were the easier classes. She couldn't wait to have a couple of sessions with Dustin, it would be so nice hanging out with him again. The last time they hung out was a family Thanksgiving that quickly turned awkward because their parents weren't expecting to have to make conversation with each other. Their parents didn't have a messy divorce, but they didn't remain friends or anything like that after it, so it was hard for them to talk to each other without one of the kids to help steer the conversation.

Speaking of her mother, she was standing on the porch when Shayna pulled up, she was still blasting her music when she put her car in park. Claudia gave her a disapproving look and shook her head, that was nothing new for Shayna though, it was about the one vividly clear thing she remembered her mother always doing. That and fussing over whichever cat she had at the time. Having turned down her music, Shayna decided that there was no avoiding talking to her mother, it was bound to happen, she just wished it wasn't after a nine hour car ride across more than 2 states.

"Sweetie! It's been so long since I've seen you last, you've grown so much!" Claudia practically screamed, she got off the porch and gave Shayna a hug, it was the first time they had seen each other in a few years. The last time was a few years ago at the before mentioned Thanksgiving. "I see you've dyed your hair, it's a lovely color, the red looks very natural. Although, that hair cut of yours" She paused for a minute before continuing her sentence, seeming to consider her words carefully before saying them outloud. "Well, I just wish you would have kept it long, you looked so beautiful with your long hair" She rolled her eyes, her hair was just above her shoulders with layers that came from when she first originally had her hair cut. She went in for what was technically a pixie cut just longer in the front than the back, unfortunately the stylist fucked that up. "Thanks mom, but I like where my hair is at now, if it grows out and I like it then maybe I'll keep it long, but as of right now I really enjoy the way I look. That includes the way I do my makeup." They had been standing by her drivers door, so Shayna leaned inside the window that she had left down and popped the trunk, hoping her mother would take the hint that she really wasn't in the mood to talk right now and that all she wanted to do was to get her stuff and start to settle in. She had already missed the first day of her senior year, which was bad enough, but now she got to be known as the new kid who had missed her first day.