Home With You (Zed Necrodopolis AU)

Sushi Rolls & Green Haired Trolls

Auden

"...I'm sorry I know I was asleep for a long ass time but did we die?" My eyes fell on the various pastel colored buildings around us. A sign with Seabrook in large letters caught my eye. Written underneath it only made me more unsettled. A perfectly planned community.

"Auden isn't it sooooo cute!" Jen, my soon to be step-mom squealed as she turned back to me to give my knee a squeeze. "Your going to love it here! I can just feel it."

For Jen and my fathers sake I faked a smile, I was going to hate it here. As I leaned back in my seat I caught my father looking at me in the rear view mirror, mouthing the words thank you.

We've come a long way.. but as much as Jen wants to believe that we're going to be this picture perfect family just because we're living in this cookie cutter town. She's sadly mistaken.

We're broken, my dad and I.. and it's not the kind you can fix.

"Here we are gang, home."

Jen was out of the Range Rover and opening the door to the pastel pink house in record time.

"You know Auden I'm really proud of you for handling—-"
"—-Pink? Our house is fucking pink!" My dad, Jeff sighed, shaking his head as he turned towards the house.
"It was either this or that god awful yellow like that one over there.." Across the street sat a house identical to ours with a for sale sign in the yard. The yellow was actually awful.. "Believe it or not property here is extremely hard to purchase..."
"What is it about this ridiculous town that has Jen so wound up?" I muttered, grabbing one of my suitcases from the trunk of the car as my dad grabbed Jen's suitcase.
"You know, she's not the only one that wanted to come here."
"Yeah remind me again why you were so eager to uproot me as I was approaching my final year of high school?" My dad's jaw clenched, his eyes warning me to cut the sarcasm. The only problem? I was his child, I got this attitude solely from him and we were both stubborn.

"Your mom and I grew up here.." The handle of my suitcase slipped from my grasp and toppled over. "...and you decide to just drop this on me now?"

"I figured it might help you appreciate it more." Jeff shrugged before continuing on his way into the house as if he hadn't just verbally gut checked me.
"Such a dick."

"Auden language!" Jen scolded me as she flew passed me, the moving van pulling up right on cue.

Once inside the house I was thankful but also taken back by the crisp white walls and black hardwood floors. Nothing like the pastel colors on the outside...
I was about to begin the journey up the staircase but luckily Jen caught me before I lugged my suitcase up.

"Oh sweetie your rooms down here.."
"Uhhh what?" Jen laughed, signaling me to follow her. Past the living room and guest bathroom across from the laundry room was a door. 
"It was suppose to be like a den or but we figured you could turn it into your own space.. even has a master bathroom."
"No way.. wait really this is mine?"
"We needed something to entice you to come home on breaks from college.." Jen's lip quivered but in true Jen fashion she quickly hid any trace of sadness.

"We need to get a moving, we have that dinner at six with your fathers friends dear."

"...Again who's putting these plans together?" I shout as I make my way down the few steps into the cool den that was now all mine. "Like we're suppose to unpack and have dinner ready in ...5 hours?"