Ruin // Nate Jacobs

new town same shit

When Alice Morgan first moved to East Highland she expected the same from this town as all the others. Her mom was a drunk, constantly finding new boyfriends who she was 'deeply in love with' causing Alice and her little brother Luca to move all around the state. Her mom could be the nicest person you ever met and the worst at the drop of a hat. She took all of her frustrations out on Alice. Alice had the scars to prove it. 

This move to East Highland would be the same as the others. Her mom would say she was deeply in love with a new man, they would move and eventually she would fuck it up and they would have to move again. She thought this time it wouldn't be different. But she was wrong. 

Alice had always been smart not just in school but in life. She didn't want to fall down the same path as her mother and always tried to set a good example for her brother. Some days she felt as if she was his mother. From the day he was born, Alice knew that she had someone else to look after. It had always been her against the world, her plan was to perform well in school and get the fuck away from her mom and her bullshit. But with Luca in the picture she knew that wasn't possible. 

Every time they moved it was same routine. She would start at a new school make friends and find herself heartbroken when she had to leave. She hoped this time would be different, it was too exhausting for her to even think about friends or boyfriends. But she knew that wasn't possible, she needed something or someone outside of this house to keep her sane. The only thing she had on her mind when she arrived in East Highland was Luca and saving him for the shit she went through. 

Alice arrived in East Highland with a small suitcase and her brother in her arms. Her first task she made for herself was to find a job. After walking around for about an hour she found a small diner right off the highway. The help wanted sign gave her a sense of hope. 

She got the job easily and started to make her way back home. Looking around East Highland it looked the same as every other city she moved to. Fresh cut lawns and beautiful houses, happy looking families were walking around the neighborhood and she found herself longing for that connection in her life. 

Shaking those thoughts Alice started to walk back to her neighborhood, surprisingly her mom found a boyfriend with a nice house in a good neighborhood. She walked into her temporary home and was greeted with Luca rushing to her. 

"Alice I missed you", she looked down at her 5 year old brother and smiled. Rubbing his back she held him close, "I missed you too buddy." The perfect moment was ruined by her mom walking into the room with smudged mascara and a cigarette. 

"Don't be rude Alice and come meet Mark." Sighing she placed Luca on the ground and said, "I'll be right back buddy." 

Mark was not what she expected him to be. Her mom usually attracted older men with beer bellies and bad hygiene. She was shocked when she saw a man close to her moms age wearing a nice button down shirt with well kept hair. She stared at him until he looked up from his newspaper and smiled at her. She felt an immediate sense of comfort when he smiled, something she was not used to. Most of her moms boyfriends made her uncomfortable but she felt herself relax meeting his gaze. 

"Alice its so nice to finally meet you, I'm Mark," he said reaching out a hand for her to shake. She faltered a bit but shook his hand eventually. "It's nice to meet you too." 

The three of them sat in the living room her mom finishing her cigarette and staring at Alice. "You know Alice is a straight A student," her mom said fishing out another cigarette. "Oh really? Thats amazing, have you thought about what schools you want to attend?" he asked. "Yeah, I was going to apply to USC." She felt herself blushing she wasn't used to the attention being on her. 

Her mother usually paid her no attention, but today her mother seemed proud to call Alice her daughter. "She could probably get into to Harvard with how smart she is," Her mom said staring at Mark. "Have you thought about applying to Ivy Leagues Alice?" Alice had thought about it, but  the thought of Luca being left with her mother while she was across the country was not something she would do. "Not really, I want to stay close to home so I can be around Luca." 

"Well I hope your college applications go well," he smiled. "I noticed you only had one suitcase, would you like to go shopping before you start school," changing the subject. Alice was shocked, usually her moms boyfriends wouldn't even talk to her let own spend money on her. "Oh no I can't ask you to spend money on me." He only smiled and shook his head, "Nonsense we can leave right now." 

After walking around the mall with her family for hours, she help the slightest bit of hope for this new chapter. Maybe this time it would be different.