Bright Spark | Miss Honey • MATILDA

Chapter One: The Prologue

Max's parents were barely seventeen when he was conceived in the backseat of a rusty old chevy outside a high school prom, and they married barely a couple months before his birth. It was due to this that Harry and Zinnia Wormwood struggled to maintain a relationship with their eldest son, as each felt they had lost a potentially shining future due to the unexpected pregnancy - and by default - Max.

Which is why he was so surprised that his parents decided to have another child, when he was 17 years of age, considering their shared dislike for children, especially their own offspring. His father had lost interest in Max the moment he confronted his father about Wormwood Motors less than legal business dealings. A son with a moral compass who didn't hesitate to call out his father, was not a son worth having, at least according to Harry. Zinnia on the other hand was so distracted by trying to please her criminal husband, whilst spending her free time frittering away their money on bingo and avoiding her responsibilities, that any chance of a bond with her eldest son had been squandered years ago.

Having worked part time at a local mechanic's garage ever since he had turned fourteen, a shop that was both honest and fair to their customers and a complete opposite of his father's business, Max has managed to save a healthy sum of his own. Something that came in handy once he broke from his family, and left for university. His not so loving parents were all too glad to see the back of him.

He had been a little reluctant to leave his parents and family home, knowing how poorly a job they had done at raising him, but even at his younger brothers very young age it had quickly become clear just how alike his parents Michael was, a bully, even at his local playgroup. Even if he was a cruel bully, at the very least he wouldn't be neglected by Harry and Zinnia. They clearly had a fondness for the younger boy.

A life away from his toxic family treated him well and he continued to work as a mechanic to support his English studies at university, taking on the odd DIY and handyman jobs as they came up. One of the first things on his To Do list had been to petition the local civil court in order to officially change his surname. Receiving his new social security card and drivers license had felt like a weight of his shoulders. Max Smith. Simple, straightforward, and oh so different from the rotten name of Wormwood.

But it was soon after the publication of his first book, a couple of years post graduating, that his life took another sudden turn. Max had been on the phone, catching up with an old school friend of his, Jerome, when the other man suddenly blurted out some news that caused Max's stomach to churn.

"Hey, man, I don't know if you knew, but ah, well, I know you've kinda been avoiding the whole place an' all, and it had been like, what... nearly five years or something? But um, well," Jerome danced around his words awkwardly. "Look... Have you spoken to your 'rents lately?"

"No, I can tell you now that I don't have any plans to," Max narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Why? Has something happened, J?"

"Aw man, look, ah, it seems like your Ma is pregnant again." Jerome sounded sympathetic, whether for Max or the unborn child, it wasn't clear. "Her and your Dad, along with that irritating little turd have been terrorizing the neighbourhood kids again, and your Ma, well, if she ain't pregnant, she must've eaten a beach ball or some shit."

And at that moment, Max felt his heart drop. Fucking fuck fuckity fuck.

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