.HARD TIMES.

.TWO.

Play the song "When I Was Older" by: Billie E. :)

As the car came to stop, Max and the others jolted forward. The music stopped blaring and Max stumbled out, grabbing her skateboard with one hand. 

"I'm never riding in that car when you're driving." Billy lit a cigarette and smirked into the flame off his lighter. Eleanora walked over and stole his cancer stick, just to take a drag and stick it back in his hand. 

"You get used to the feeling of almost dying, though. So, over time you'll never fear death." She said with a smile toward her younger stepsister. Billy shoved his hands into his denim jacket pockets as they walked along the pier, Max skating by next to them. The sound of the ocean and strangers chatting on the walkway was the sound and smell of pure home. 

The smell of saltwater and hot sand will forever remind Eleanora of her home. In Billy's case, he remembered their mom, which was his home. 

"Damn, we sure got old.." She muttered to no one in particular, staring at the crashing waves. Billy was doing the same and sighed, letting out the smoke through his mouth and nose.

"I mean, remember when you surfed that massive 7 FOOT WAVE, B?" He only scoffed and flushed a light shade of rose while shoving his sister with his elbow.

"Shut up. I was like 12, it was huge compared to me at the time." She chuckled in response as Max sniggered quietly to herself. He only sent a glare both their ways, Eleanora patted her shoulder, stealing a drag in the process.

"Aw, but you were so--"

"Oh, I'm sorry, remember that day you crashed and burned SO HARD on a 5 foot wave?" She hit him hard in the shoulder as a remark.

"I was 11, and almost a head shorter. Plus, I had my footing wrong, so I fell halfway through and caught a mouth full of salt water. Nasty shit." Eleanora's face became crimson but she laughed at the memory.

"And a bump on your forehead." Billy got shoved in the other direction from his sister and he smirked, flicking the dead bud of the cancer stick in the trash they passed by. [Don't litter and don't throw cigarette buds out of your car windows, ESPECIALLY in California S.A winds, it will start a fast fire.]

Flashback- 

   "Mom, mom! I'll go out with B, we'll be fine!" 11 year-old Eleanora said to her mother, who looked frightened at the fact that the waves were huge compared to her two small preteens.

"Mom, we'll be okay! Don't worry!" 12 year-old Billy comforted his mother. She nodded, and the two kids just ran with their surf boards to the California ocean waves.

"Be careful!" She hollered after them and they shouted back a response consisting of, 'ok!' and 'got it!'. As the two kids raced each other to the waves, there small feet kicked wet sand behind them when they ran at the top speed they could. Their sibling rivalry was deadly when it came to surfing or any kind of sport. 

"Bet you can't get to the wave before me, E!" 

"You're on, B-- 

"Woah!" Max yelled as someone ran into her and knocked her into Eleanora, dismissing her walk down memory lane. The dude looked to be around Max's age and he looked scared for a second at the glances he caught of Billy and Elea. 

"Look up when you're walking dude, especially on a pier." Max said while getting back on her skateboard, the kid just nodded and kept walking faster away from the trio. Eleanora chuckled,

"You ok, kid?" 

"Yeah..should we head back or?" She glanced at her watch [9:07 pm] and sighed, looking at the sun hitting the ocean afterward.  

"We should head back, I know he said a few hours, but we also have a curfew. Y'know it's now 9:35 pm, not 10." A chill ran up her spine at the last time she missed curfew, which was strictly 10 pm, but the movie ended at 10:15 when Eleanora and her friends got out to see the time. Eleanora was so frightened when she pulled up to the house, to see only her father sitting on the porch, waiting. She didn't want that again.

"God knows he'll kill us anyway." Billy muttered, directing them back to the car. When back in the speedy vehicle, the Hargrove siblings started venting about this move, Max chipping in every once and a while. Eleanora was still shocked her the core of her being and didn't want to leave California, neither did Max or Billy. 

"What horseshit, he gave us this information when the house was already cleared! Like, WHAT THE ACTUALLY FUCK?! Why not just wait till we're dead to tell us!"  

"Why didn't he tell us?!" He whisper-yelled at Eleanora, she shrugged.

"Hell if I know! He'd know we wouldn't approve, no offense kid, but now we have no choice! It's his sick, twisted game of 'follow the leader', remember?" She whisper-yelled back, Max just looked so done right now, but took no offense to what she said. Billy just sat there, eyes dull and glassy at the thought of leaving California. 

"If I ever get the chance, I'll burn him and dance on his fucking ashes." Eleanora muttered and cracked her knuckles. Billy smiled at her for a second.

"You smiled. Huh." Max pointed out, puting her index finger at the mirror up front. Billy's expression changed and he look utterly unimpressed. Eleanora smirked,

"He'll do that. Don't push his buttons though." She told Max, while raising up her arm that was red from the burn he gave her earlier. He rolled his eyes,

"You were in my way, twerp."

"Oh geez, right, ya twit." Billy and Eleanora could almost see the lightning hate coming from their forehead's toward one another. Max got a full kick out of the Hargrove siblings bickering constantly, highlight of her day so far. The blue car pulled  up to their house and they all slowly got up, making their way to the door. Distant chatter of the parents could be heard from the kitchen and the three of them made a beeline to the living room.

Once they were successfully un-noticed, Eleanora crossed her legs to rest her elbow on it so she could put her cheek on her palm. Max already sat criss-cross and Billy sat with his knees up, balancing his arms on his knee caps. The siblings sighed in unison until Susan said, 

"Alright, that's wonderful!" Eleanora could hear her beaming and it kind of made her sick to her stomach, despite not having eaten anything. The adults emerged from the kitchen and were a little surprised to see the kids there. Neil looked down at his watch and smirked,

"Finally, you're not past curfew." He said pointing a finger at Eleanora, which caused her to flush red from embarrassment of being called out. Susan's eyes then lit up and she beckoned Max over to her, then the pair disappeared around the corner of the hallway.

Neil turned around and stared down his two children. Billy and Eleanora could both feel sweat gathering on their necks and palms, scared of what was to come from his mouth.

"Now, I know this is out of the blue,"

-CLEARLY, YOU JACKASS.

-THANKS, YOU OBSERVANT SHIT.

  "But, so help me, if any of you disobey, hurt Susan or, bring any of your hormonal shit into this family, on this move,  I won't hesitate to make you both learn a lesson, understand?"  Eleanora gulped as she looked at her father.

-"Yes, sir."

-"Yes, sir."

They both walked upstairs and went into their separate rooms. The doors closed and the two blood-siblings didn't speak until they [+Max] were all piled into separate cars and drove to Indiana. 

Frick, this is a mess. Any questions? Alert me of any grammar or spelling mistakes :/

Thanks for reading! Give feedback to me please! <3