Fallen

1 | Hayden

Hayden - not edited

I walk out of the grocery store with everything I need to make my parents an amazing dinner. Tonight is their anniversary and I want to make it as special as I can.

"Hey Mom," I say as she picks up the home phone. "Can you set the oven to 350 degrees please?"

I can almost imagine my mother smiling on the other end of the line, "Okay, but can you give me a hint on what you're making?"

"Nope," I say as I load the car.

"Okay I will-" She doesn't finish. I hear my mother gasp. "What are you doing here?" She wasn't talking to me anymore.

"Mom?" I feel myself to begin to panic. "Mom, what's happening?" My mother drops the phone and then there's a scream. I quickly load the rest of the groceries into my car and start the engine. I have to get home.

I drive to my house as fast as I can and race to the door. Then I throw it open like it is nothing and run inside. I burst into tears as I race to my mothers side.

"Mom, Mom are you okay?" I notice the gunshot wound in her stomach and begin to put pressure on it to try and stop the bleeding.

"Forget me," she murmurs lightly, "your father." Was there a chance the shooter hadn't known about him? He was upstairs in his office working, he was supposed to work late tonight.

"I- I can't leave you," I sob.

"I love you," my mother murmurs before I hear her exhale her last breath. I wipe away my tears and race to my father. But when I get up there I see that it's too late for him as well.

I fall to my knees, staring at my blood covered hands. What had just happened?

The police told me that they would fill me in on everything they could find but for now the case was open, someone murdered my parents.

Not a day later I find myself pulling up to a house that belonged to my Aunt Olivia, who I never have even met. I couldn't help but wonder how this was going to go down.

My parents avoided the town of Eastern Point. We lived a few miles outside the border, the nearest shopping mall was a good thirty to forty minutes away, in the other direction. My parents also homeschooled me, since the nearest school was in town. You could say I didn't get out much.

As I reluctantly approach the house, I don't even have to make it up the first step before the door was thrown open and who I assumed was my aunt comes running out and greets me with a hug.

"Oh my goodness," she exclaims after releasing me. "I can't believe how much you look like your mother." I feel myself smile slightly at the memory. People told me that a lot, except they usually make a comment about my hair.  I can't say the same with Olivia and my father, however.  Olivia has auburn hair that falls down into beautiful long curls, while my father's hair was a light brown.  She also was much shorter than him, standing maybe around 5 feet 3 inches, while he was a towering 6 feet 2 inches.  I can see the similarity in their eyes, though.  And that was all that mattered.

Olivia takes my bag and leads me inside. "Your room will be the second room to your right," she says setting my bag down on the stairs. "Make yourself comfortable.  The kids should be home soon and then I can introduce you to the the whole family." My aunt hugs me one last time before allowing me to go upstairs.

I try to take in every little detail of the house. As I make my way up the stairs I notice that Olivia had hung up pictures on the wall. In each picture there were two young children with very similar features. There was a girl with curly flaming red hair and light hazel eyes, who sat next to her brother, a boy with short light brown hair and the same hazel eyes, on a bench. Olivia's kids didn't look that old. They look around nine and seven in this picture. Maybe it would be fun. I always thought I would like children.

I walk into the second room on the right to find two beds in there. One against the left wall and other against the right. The one on the right seemed out of place. It was plain with some folded blankets on top, while the other bed had a floral patterned comforter on it. I figure the plain bed was mine. I throw my bag under the bed and just lay down. I was already exhausted and this day had just began. I drift away into my thoughts as I stare up into the ceiling. It almost felt like I was home, but I still knew I wasn't.

I was drawn out of my thoughts by Olivia calling me down to the kitchen.  Reluctantly, I get up and make my way down the stairs. As I round the corner, I am caught off guard by what I see, two teenage kids staring at me.

Olivia shares a grin between the three of us, "Hayden, I would like you to meet Mia and Ryder." I examine my new cousins with curiosity. They look like older versions of the kids in the picture I saw; Mia looks around sixteen, my age, and her hair looked more of a auburn now, like her mother. Her brother, Ryder, looks about fifteen with the same characteristics as the kid in the picture.

"Hi," I hear myself say. Ryder sends me a slight smile and a wave, while Mia keeps her steady, hard gaze. It was starting to make me uncomfortable.

"As I assume you have figured it out, you and Mia will be roommates." Olivia kept her grin. Her daughter sends a look of surprise at Olivia.

"Mom," she gasps. I guess Olivia didn't tell her.

"Come on, M," my aunt sighs.

Mia makes a bitter face, "Fine, but I have to go. I promised Ashton that I would meet him downtown."

"Why don't you take Hayden with you?"

Mia raises her eyebrow at her mother's comment. "I don't think that is the best idea."

To be honest I didn't know rather to be hurt or angry. I mean we are family, aren't family supposed to love each other? But then I remember my parents and how Olivia is my father's sister and how we never visited them once. Maybe family was more complicated than I thought.

Olivia sighs after Mia leaves and storms out of the room, leaving just Ryder and I.

"Ignore my sister," he said catching me off guard. "She can be a real bitch sometimes, but she just wants what is best for everyone."

"Thanks," I say.

"You are coming to school tomorrow right?" Ryder asks curiously, "Eastern Point High?"

I nod.

"What grade are you in?"

"I'm a junior."

He frowns slightly, "Well, I'm a sophomore so we probably won't have any classes together. If we had I was going to say that you could hang out with me. Usually I just hang out with Mia's friends but I understand that it will probably be tough for you tomorrow."

I smile, "Thanks. I'll sit with you at lunch."

He smiles back, "Awesome!"

Ryder and I spend the rest of the night getting to know each other. I learn that he just found out about me yesterday and that Olivia barely talked about my father. This surprised me, if they didn't like each other than why was she so willing to welcome me into her home? I went to bed before Mia got home and fell asleep to the many questions circling my brain.