The Family Secret - Woodland DeMars Fanfic

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   "I need to record a video with a couple people, would you like to be in it?" Roze asked. I knew she wanted me to say yes, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I shook my head. "No, sorry. I don't do well infront of a camera anymore." I stated. I looked down and my eyes went wide for a second. "Anymore? Did something happen?" Roze questioned. The butterflies in my stomach were bitter with envy that I had slipped up. "No, no, I just meant I don't have the talent I used to is all." I recovered. Roze nodded and grabbed my hand, an action I don't let many do anymore, and she led me downstairs to an open room with fake grass as the floor. At the end of the room was someone going through a plastic tote, throwing things and looking for something. Roze led me to that side of the room and started talking to him.
"Hey, Woods. What are you looking for?" She asked, looking into the box. I looked as well, it was filled with a bunch of spare metal parts, wires, and electrical components. Woods didn't look up and continued searching. I looked at him for a minute up close, his hair was black, he wore a black shirt and skinny jeans, with black converse. His voice brought me out of thought, it was raspy but clear at the same time, bold and sexy. "There's a grounding plate, from the last time we broke through a wall around here, I don't know what it was for but it'll fit perfectly on the machine I'm fixing." He explained briskly, trying not to waste time talking. "I know it's in here." He persisted. His face seemed a little red, and wet like he was sweating, he looks like he's working himself too much. Because of this I stepped in to help him.
I started looking through the tub with him, and started pulling things from the corners and bottom to the top.
Woods had stopped searching and looked at me. I didn't see his expression because I was focused on finding the grounding plate for him. "It's alright, you don't have to help, you might not know what it looks-" Woods was cut off by me pulling out a 2 in by 2 in metal grounding plate.
"Aha! Here ya go." I exclaimed and held it out to him. "Girls can be tech buffs too ya know." I stated with a smile. Woods slowly took the metal plate from me and smiled. "Thank you..." He dragged on as to ask my name. I stood up and reached my hand down to him, he took it and stood up. I shook his hand and answered. "Lily, it's nice to meet you, Woods." I said.
I don't know why I was acting so upbeat for the first time in 4 years. It was like the aura of this man has enticed my confidence.
"Lily." I heard to my right, Roze nudged my shoulder slightly and I flinched away briskly. She pulled her hand back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She laughed. I smiled to her painfully, internally reliving the night that changed my life forever. "Are you coming?" She asked. I looked back at her. My emotions trying dearly to take over. "Where?" I asked. She giggled. "To shoot the video, you don't have to be in it, but you can watch and be our audience." She begged. "Although it would be cool if you were in the video." Woods added. I looked at him only to see the top of his head. His face was pointed to the floor, and I could kinda see a smile in his cheeks. While his actions and words were adorable, inside I could barely hold my emotions in. I started shaking, I'd twitch here and there, and I knew I needed to leave. "I would love to, but I think I'm gonna take a walk." I stated, my voice slightly shaken. Woods was looking at me now, and from the corner of my eye I think he noticed somethings wrong. "You sure? You don't really know the area that well." Roze pleaded. I shook my head. "I'll just go around the block, I won't stray far. Besides, you're my ride home." I explained. She nodded and her and Woods went to a room upstairs. Sam and Hannah went with them.
Once I knew there was no one in the lobby but Sierra, I walked briskly down the hall to the exit. Passing the stairs Sierra heard me coming. "We're you headed Lily?" She asked. "Just for a walk." I said. I slowed down to talk but didn't stop. I left the building and took a left to find somewhere to just sit and calm down. I walked along the office complex walls looking for a tree or a bush to crawl in. My entire body was riddled with anxiety and fear. I could barely focus on one thing at a time, my eyes were rapidly looking around as tears fell from cheeks.
I gave up looking for a plant to hide in and just fell to my ass behind the complex, my back slamming the concrete wall, I could feel the brush burn already. Once I was on the ground there was nothing holding me back from unleashing my emotions as quietly as possible. I sobbed, and pulled my hair. My makeup and hair was ruined and I knew it.
I tried breathing slower but nothing helped. My body was tingling from hyperventilating, I tried so hard to hold still. I felt like I wasn't supposed to survive, that I had no right to live if they weren't still here. I'd take anything to change that day. Suddenly my breathing slowed and my eyes stared to the blue sky, I felt peace. Then everything went white.

"Dads driving, everyone get to the car, we're gonna be late!" My mother yelled throughout the house. I grabbed my purse and listened to my two younger brothers, Issac, and Dylan, race each other to the car. Issac was 6, Dylan was 9, and I was 17. The oldest of the Daikos children. I looked at myself in the mirror, makeup perfect, my hair up into a braided ponytail, and I was happy. I walked out of my room and closed the door. My mother and father walk past me in the hall to the door to the garage. I followed behind them, and got into the left side passenger door and sat in the middle of my brothers. I noticed the garage door was already opened. My brothers must have done it excited to get to the reunion. My parents got in and turned on the car. Everyone buckled up.
Only 5 minutes into the ride, the car started to overheat, we were moving on a downhill slope and my father lost control of the car. We must have hit at least 70 or 80 by the time we reached the end of the hill, the car started to drift into the left lane. I tucked my head into my knees as we saw another car in our path. I felt like I was spinning.
CRASH!
The smell of gas and smoke filled my lungs. It was still daylight so I could see everyone. To my right, Issac lay lifeless against the passenger door, the window had broken and he stood no chance. The blood coming from his head made me sick. I look away from Issac only to see Dylan gasping for air. I tried to sit up but I couldn't move, something had me trapped. I watched as my little brother suffocated, and I was helpless. Then, I felt a nudge on my shoulder. "Lila." With tear filled eyes and a stiff neck, I looked up as best I could. The sight broke my heart forever, it was my mother. Her head was split open on her left side, blood and brain leaking out. She fell and went silent.

"Lily, what happened?" A voice pulled me out of my trance. My breathing kicked back up and I screamed, still reliving the moment my mother died. "Woods I found her!" I looked over slowly to see who it was. The face I was met with was Roze's. "Okay, it's okay, breath slowly for me." She soothed. She knelt down beside me. I was very dazed and out of it. Roze put her hand to my forehead. "You're burning up. We gotta get you inside." She worried. My breathing slowed quickly and I felt sick. I heard footsteps and looked over to see Woods running towards us. "What happened?" He also asked. "I don't know, but she doesn't look too good. She's really warm we need to get her into the air conditioning." Roze explained. Woods nodded and knelt down. His right arm went under my shoulders, and his left arm hooked my legs to pull me to his chest and stand up. They walked back around the building. "Wow she's hot." Woods exclaimed. Roze laughed. "You mean her temperature right?" Woods turned it down immediately. I moved my head slightly and looked around, we were at the door to the office. Roze used her key fob and woods brought me to the couch. The cold air felt amazing compared to the 100 degree California weather. I started becoming less dazed quickly. Woods didn't leave my side for the half hour it took for me to finally speak again. He sat in the chair next to the couch, he brought me a cold water and a bag of chips. Once I was cooled off I sat up and wiped my face of mascara best I could, but I probably only made it worse.
"Don't worry, no ones got a camera on you." Woods joked. I pulled my ratty black hair to the right side of my head. "I'm sorry." I told him. He looked up from his phone and put it away. "What for?" He asked confused. I clear my throat. "For being a wreck the day we meet. I've never been good at first impressions." I explained. He only smiled and move to the cushion next to me. "Don't be sorry about the repercussions of your trauma. Ever." He stated softly, his chocolate brown eyes gazing back to me. I looked away quickly and smiled. My face filled with heat and I knew I was blushing. He chuckled softly as Roze came around the corner.
"I brought makeup wipes and a hairbrush." She held out a purple package of makeup wipes and a blue brush. I reached for them and thanked her. "I'm gonna use the bathroom mirror." I told them, and walked down the hall to the girls bathroom.