Hawkins, Indiana is just some small town that nobody knows where to pin on a map. It's a small, close-knit town where nothing ever happens, and when it does, it's the only event of the year. Rebecca Newby lives in that town, and luckily enough - or...
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"This place I found is amazing, kiddo. It's not that far from where our old house was, and there's an extra room that you can use however you want." Bob Newby, Rebecca's father, said as he drove. Beck nodded, barely listening. Her mind was elsewhere. Moving wasn't the topic occupying her mind at all - well, if she kept spiraling, she might end up there. What she was really focused on was how much change had just whirled past her, and now was the time to adjust. Adjusting was overwhelmingly nerve-wracking. "You think you'll wanna use it for movies? We could get a cool projector. It'll be like a whole theater, just for you and your friends."
If she had been paying attention at all, Beck would know that her dad was just trying to make this move less scary and more exciting, but that'd be nearly impossible, considering her world had been flipped on its head. Not even music, something Beck was quite the enthusiast about, could cheer her up. She barely heard Stevie Nicks' voice pouring through the radio. Stand Back was probably one of her top songs this year, but she was too focused on the fact that she felt like her life had been ripped in half.
"Rebecca, before I make my final decision, is there anything you want to say? Where would you like to go?" the judge asked. Rebecca took in a deep breath, looking between the two sides of the room. She had listened to argument after argument over the course of the past few weeks, and what was worse, this was now a legal issue. She felt guilty making a decision - not because she didn't know what to choose. It was quite the opposite, actually. She felt guilty because she had made a decision years ago, before this was even a question that needed to be asked.
She scanned the room. Not many people were there besides her parents, their lawyers, the judge, and herself. An uncle and grandfather had shown up in support for the teen girl. After all, sitting through a courtroom setting for almost three days straight could be strenuous on a child. Rebecca forced herself to take a deep breath once she felt the burning start behind her eyes. She didn't want to cry, even if she knew nobody would blame her for making a decision. She had seen everything discussed in the courtroom with her own eyes. She had witnessed the arguments, processed the problems, and had been used as a point of leverage. It was time for this to stop.
"...I want to stay with my dad." she said, her voice breaking at the end. One side of the room was brought with relief - Bob let out a heavy sigh, wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. Sandra, on the other hand, let her jaw drop as she glared daggers at her daughter. Rebecca couldn't bring herself to look her mother in the eyes. She covered her mouth with her sleeve and tried to withhold the emotions threatening to spill out, but a sob escaped her, along with a tear from each eye.
"It's been decided, then. Rebecca Newby's custody resides with her father, Robert Newby. That is my final word." the judge said, and with that, hit his gavel at the podium. The caretaker who had been brought in by child services dismissed Rebecca from where she had been kept during each trial, and the teen girl hurried to her father's side. Bob grabbed her by the forearm and pulled her into his arms for the tightest hug Rebecca had ever received from him, feeling him press a light kiss of endearment to the top of her head.
