Coming Home (A Chaos MC story)

Chapter 1

           "I can't believe you grew up in a beach town and never brought me here! You know how much I love being a beach bum." Aaron exclaimed as we walked down the dark street. "Aaron, I haven't been back here since I was 16, don't take it personally." I replied, we've had this conversation 3 times since we've landed at the San Diego airport and arrived at my newly purchased house 20 minutes away.

         "Ok, then explain this to me: if you haven't been home in 10 years, why did you suddenly buy an amazing ocean front property and drag me here?" he asks glancing over at me. '

          "1. I did not drag you here, I told you about my plans and you decided to come with me 2. I'm here because 1 of the 3 people that cared about me when I was here needs my help." I respond, continuing down the street. "Are  you going to explain what sort of help you'll be doing?" He asks for the 10th time. "Yes, I'll tell you what my friend needs as soon as we get to the bar." I answer.

          We continue for another few minutes before we are in front of an old, squat building that is in desperate need of a paint job. "This is where we're drinking tonight?" Aaron asks warily, looking over the dive bar. 

          Fat Angel  is a staple in Imperial Beach, it's been owned and operated by Mike Ricks for over 30 years and he hasn't done a thing to improve t since he opened the doors. "Shut up Aaron, Angel's holds a special place in my heart and we're here to surprise a friend of mine." I tell him while pushing him through the door. 

         We step into a large, dimly lit room. I watch Aaron take in his surroundings and look around myself; there are wide planked wood floors that are so scuffed, i doubt there's any intact floor remaining, the air is slightly smokey from the group of men standing at the pool tables. The rest of the room is filled with a variety of high and low top tables filled with bikers and the women that hang around them and a small stage up against the left wall. I glance toward the bar seeing it less full and spot the man I'm looking for.

         I pull Aaron's arm and drag him across the room as we zig-zag through the tables and grab a couple of stools near the middle of the bar. Mike, the man I'm here to see, hasn't noticed us yet so I settle in and wait. "I think we might be a little overdressed." Aaron whispers in my ear, looking at all the bikers at the tables. 

          I turn and see the men of Chaos MC and their hang arounds and see them all wearing almost the same thing. The men are all clad in jeans, motorcycle boots, a t shirt, and their cuts which proudly show their colors. The women are a little more scantily clad, most wearing a mini skirt and a tube/halter top, all of which a size or two too small for them. After taking them in, I look at us. I had chosen dark wash skinny jeans and a fitted white t shirt with my fantastic dark brown leather jacket and brown suede booties, while Aaron  is wearing a deep grey suede jacket with a navy shirt and jeans. "You might be right, but we both look pretty damn good tonight." I answer, pushing my long braid off my shoulder.

         Suddenly Mike turns around and spots me, his eyes going wide with surprise as he takes me in. "What the hell are you doing here?" He shouts as he rounds the bar toward us. I stand and find myself in his arms. 

         Mike is an average sized man, standing at 6' and putting on a slight beer belly as he ages. I hug him tight before pulling away to answer. "I just bought a house down the way and since I'm in between shows at the moment, I thought I would come for a visit." I answer with a smile on my face. 

         "You haven't shown your face here in 10 years and all of sudden you're buying a house? What am I missing here?" he asks with a confused look on his face. I sigh, and hug him again before sitting on  the stool.

           "How about you grab us some drinks and I'll tell both of you." I ask looking at him. Mike nods his head and goes back around the bar, already grabbing what he needs to make my usual, a whiskey sour. "What'll your boyfriend be drinking?" Mike asks without looking at Aaron as he mixes my drink.

         His question has Aaron bursting out a sharp laugh as he answers, "I'm not her boyfriend, she lacks the plumbing I enjoy and I'll have what ever stout you have on tap." Aaron turns to me saying,"He looks familiar, have I met him before?"  

         "No, you've never actually met him but he's been to a couple of Tony awards with me before so you've probably seen him." I answer taking the first sip of my drink. He nods in response and turns to wait for his beer.

        After Mike places Aaron's beer in front of him, he turns to me and pins me with a look, "Alright missy, spill." I  feel like a child being scolded as I start.

          "The Head Start shelter is in trouble. I guess they're having a problem with funding and they're in danger of being shut down." I tell Mike as he looks at me with a sad look on his face. 

         "I don't understand, what is Head Start and why do you care so much that it could be shut down?" Aaron asks me sipping his beer. I take a second to gather myself, I've never told him (or anyone for that matter) about life before moving to New York. All he knows is that I had a rough childhood and emancipated from my parents at 16. After a long sigh, I turn to him and explain.

         "Head Start is a shelter for runaways and homeless children. It's the place I spent most of time after I ran away when I was 8. My parents were major drug addicts. I remember having to walk over a mile when I was little to get home from school because my parents were to high to remember to get me. I was constantly hungry because they would spend what little money we had on drugs and alcohol. When I was 8, I over heard them talking about giving me to men for money. Even at that age, I knew what that meant so I ran away."
         

           I take a long sip before continuing my story, "For the first 7 months I lived exclusively on the streets. I was to afraid to trust any adults, so scared that they would turn out like my parents. After awhile I found this place, I could always get leftover food out of the dumpster and there's an overhang out back that I could pull one of the large boxes under to sleep in at night. One night Mike was taking out the trash and caught me trying to find food for dinner. I tried to run away but he caught me and brought me inside. I was terrified out of my mind that he would hurt me or make me go back to my parents. But he didn't, he made me some hot food, gave me a glass of milk and sat down with me."

           At this point I look up and see Mike staring at me with a somber look in his eyes. I reach out for his hand as I continue to tell Aaron about my childhood. "After asking me a bunch of questions with no answers, Mike gave up and found me a warm blanket for me to sleep with since I refused to stay with him. This went on for a couple of months before I slowly started to trust him and he told me about Head Start. He closed the bar early and took me my first time." I smile warmly up at the man who became a father to me.

           Turning back to Aaron, I tell him about how after my first night there, Mrs. Frizzle began convincing me to stay there more and more. In the end, I came to live there and Mike would pay me to sweep the floors and clean up every morning before school so I could buy clothes and other necessities. When I get to my time in high school and how I came to New York, both Aaron and Mike have tears in their eyes that they refuse to shed.

         "It's ok guys, everything turned out the way it was supposed to be. " I try to reassure both of them. Apparently it didn't work because Aaron has me enveloped in a bone crushing hug as he whispers, "No one as amazing as you deserves all of that. You're more amazing than I ever knew." It's my turn to get teary eyed as my best friend words fill me with love. I turn to Mike and see him in front of me, reaching for yet another bone crushing hug. I can't believe how lucky I am to have both of these men in my life.

          "Yo Mike! What are you doing hogging the new babe all to yourself?" I hear a voice from my past call out as I hear them coming closer. I step out of Mike's embrace to see familiar green eyes staring at me.

Authors note***
Hello all! I hope you have liked the first couple of chapters. This is my first story on Wattpad and I am extremely nervous about it, so please give me some feedback so I can improve! I promise not to do too many/too long authors note but I will if needed. Thank you in advance for all of your support, I look forward to seeing how this adventure goes.