Living by the River

Chapter 2: What One Wants

Hey Guys, so I might change my tense in this next chapter because it seems slightly easier to understand the story if I do it in a past tense but let me know if I shouldn't, it would still technically be a POV though, so just for this chapter it will be slightly different but if you guys don't like it I'll revert back, let me know in the comments and leave any feedback if you would like. :D

Enjoy the show!!

Quick warning: mention of blood

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Rayn Pov-

Scanning, beeping, bagging. This was the very definition of boredom, it's same process over and over, I wish self-service was a thing at the shop because this is just torture.

I was looking out the window, I realised it had started to rain again and to this I was feeling lucky because I'm in a shop surrounded by Autumn and Winter gear but I quickly remembered that I 'despised' the rain, emphasis on that word.

It seemed to be slatting down and people were either running to get to the dry areas like bus stops or had an umbrella. I don't hate it because it gets my clothes wet or I can catch colds from it, I hate it because all my worst memories were in the rain.

|3 MONTHS AGO|

It was a Monday afternoon and it was raining. I was fighting with my brother 15 minutes before school was going to start.

I had 10 minutes.

"Why can't you understand what is good for you?!"

He was yelling at me viciously, I tried paying no mind to it and continued to pack my things for school.

I had 8 minutes.

"Mom and dad don't want this! They want you to decide for yourself how to live your future, don't feel like it's some obligation to take over for them!"

I'm upset to say the least, how can he question my decision if it is what I want!? The shop is mine to take over when Chaiya leaves for College, there was no way he could go to Germany to study and run a small shop near the Canadian border to America.

It's my responsibility and he should understand that.

"Chaiya, you're going to College, in Germany nonetheless, why can't you trust this is what I want?"

I had 6 minutes.

"Mom and Dad can handle the shop on their own just fine, this isn't me being rude, I'm telling you for a fact, instead why don't you find an interest or a hobby which you find fun? Swimming maybe? Or writing? Please just have a go before deciding this is your only option.."

I had 5 minutes.

I can tell he's hurt, but I'm not going to back down from this and my brother sure as heck isn't going to change my mind!

"You wouldn't understand, you chose you what your path was and I've tried myself to understand what I want but this, for you, unfortunately, is my conclusion and I'm sticking to it!"

"Goddammit Rayn, can't you show a little obedience, I have your best interests in mind and you know we wouldn't even be in this position if you hadn't proven to Mom and Dad that you are incapable of doing anything remotely responsible, stop trying to earn their forgiveness and show yourself, that a little attention to your dreams, isn't going to kill you, don't be a major screw up and ruin what you could have!"

Then I had 3 minutes

In one breath. I thought he understood how I felt, how can he ask me to be selfish, when I don't deserve that?

I felt tears threatening to build up, I turned away, forgetting my bag and ran out the door as fast as I could breathe. I bit my lip trying to steady my emotions but clearly running away wasn't helping, neither was the rain which was now bucketing like it was the last time it was ever going to happen for the next decade.

I heard Chaiya follow after me shouting my name, giving me more of a reason to speed up. I hate it when people say something without thinking and immediately regret it after saying it, just think if people were more mindful, then I wouldn't be crying and then if I weren't crying I wouldn't be running and If I weren't running then-

"RAYN!"

....

I had 1 minute before school and my brother wasn't moving, not even a flinch. The person I trusted the most was just laying on cold, wet tarmac in the middle of our street, bleeding and barely breathing.

All I had was a grazed knee from being pushed out the way. I didn't move, I didn't scurry to get my phone and call an ambulance, I even stopped crying. I just sat there and watched him, I went...blank.

A few moments later I heard my Mom come out, screaming and crying, regular reactions, right? It was slightly blurry after that but I saw her hold on to him and the man in the car jumped out of his driver's seat and pulled his phone out, my assumption being to call for help.

I have no idea what I was doing for the next 23 hours after that, I didn't go to school that's for sure and I know I didn't go back home, what I can't remember however was if I cried or not, I had every reason too but for some reason I feel like I didn't until a few days later.

My parents thought it was a shock which made some sense to me I suppose but that's why they decided homeschooling was best for me now, they couldn't handle another accident and honestly, neither could I.

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Lucky you guys!

Updating on a day which isn't even Friday, so I have turned back to my original plan to instead update weekly which now means it can be any day of the week hence why I'm giving you chapter 2 on a Tuesday ;)

So this is just a filler/background chapter I think, I'm going to fit in Rayn's background pretty early on in the series because I kinda want things to make more sense when I talk about things in future chapters that way there won't be so much confusion but aside from rayn the rest of the characters development will come naturally and whenever there are fitting moments for that bit of the story. This will also be mainly third person or Rayn Pov but that isn't definite. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!

word count: 1087 words