The DeSantas

Episode One | Looking over a Hill

30 degrees is perfect weather this time of year in LA. Well, maybe for the young rich ones. The ones who can watch the sun rise from their large beach house while their mother fries bacon. The ones that hardly worry about school. The ones that are thankful but clueless. The ones like Madelyn, Cody and Angel. 

Liz slaved away over the hot stove, her forehead almost as greasy as the bacon she fried in the pan for her three stubborn teens. The woman was thirty four years old and alone with one pair of fifteen year old twins and a fourteen year old girl; Madelyn, Cody and Angel. Although they are the beacon of her life, she couldn't help but feel lost. She wanted something, maybe something not as dull as this.

Angel and Madelyn were both up early as usual, wearing their trending outfits, perfect examples of picture-stamped LA girls. Liz peered over at them from the kitchen counter, pleased with the fact both of them were ready for school. A small grin painted on her face as she picked up her metal tongs to take the bacon of the pan. The smell of bacon took her back to the summer of 2006.

A 17 year old Liz danced through her mind. She sat on the leather couch in her boyfriend's parents' living room, the sweat off her thighs acting like glue, sticking her to the couch. Her soon to be mother-in-law frying bacon, just like she does now almost everyday. Liz's boyfriend's arm was wrapped firmly around her shoulders, making Liz feel more at ease with herself. He loved her, and that's all that mattered in the end.

"Mom," Madelyn brashly said, picking up two plates of bacon off the counter, "Cody's still asleep, I'd wake him up." Madelyn carried the plates over to the dining table, where Angel waited, her eyes locked on the glistening bacon. Liz slowly nodded, still in a bit of a daze due to the sudden flashback she had. For a moment, she felt out of her body. At least Madelyn always kept her right.

After three unanswered knocks, Liz forced her way into Cody's room, finding him still in bed, ignoring her. Liz scoffed, strutting over to the side of his bed. She grabbed his shoulders and began to shake him— it was the only was he was gonna wake up. "Cody, wake up. Come on." Liz groaned, fed up with the cycle she repeated every day. Cody's eyes slowly blinked open along with his mouth which made a couple mumbling sounds. Cody could easily sleep for a week if no one woke him up; the boy slept as if he was an overworked business man, which her very much is not.

Liz watched arms crossed as Cody tugged at his covers, pulling them up more. "No..." He mumbled, turning his back to her. Liz let out a well deserved sigh. She couldn't be bothered with this at 6am. In one swift movement, she yanked his covers off him, making Cody a witness to actual daylight. Cody let out a groan as if his mother was the problem. Liz rolled her eyes before walking closer to his bed. Arms folded, she told him what was gonna happen. "I expect you to be ready by seven." She stated before leaving his room.

Liz had to admit that she didn't fully trust Cody. Not because of the sleeping in, but due to the fact that he has been caught doing many different things he shouldn't be. Wherever it be having a joint in hand or getting caught with a knife, it all contributes to the fact she can't trust him. Cody wants to be cool and Liz can tell that, but she knows under all these different attempts of trying to seem hip, he was a sensitive lad.

Liz watched out the window as the rain washed the sunlight away taking the smell of bacon with it. Cody thumped down the stairs, wearing what he wears everyday. Some sort of high brand sports shorts and a puffer jacket, the top half white and the bottom half black. Cody was like a walking talking advertisement, all his clothes stamped with different sports brands — somedays it's The North Face, others it's Nike. Or maybe, it's both.

Liz couldn't help but let out a grimace; her son looked like a douche. He looked like one of those teens you'd see on the news for robbing a bike off an innocent old man or threatening a woman just trying to walk home from work. She just got on with it, grabbing her car keys and lead her kids outside to her turquoise jeep.