Finally Breathing

~ Chapter 1 ~

A/N
These first 2 chapters have a trigger warning, so please skip them if you don't feel comfortable. I promise you that while my book may deal with a few dark topics, on the whole it's message is one of hope. If any of you ever need someone to talk to I'm here for you. Otherwise, enjoy x
flashback

Sky's POV

I'm sorry, I'm sorry" I cry as I burst through the ward to room 312, my soccer bag swinging round my neck, turf beads itching against my feet.

"I'm so, so sorry"

~~

"The look on Jess' face when you got your triple hat trick" Tegan sighed as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
"I KNOW RIGHT! Why is she even captain? We all know that me, you and Casey are the best and hottest kids here" I moaned as I slung my arms around their shoulders.
"Uh cause she's the scariest person EVER." Casey muttered, rolling her eyes.

I came back from practice hysterical from the days scrimmage. Case and I had destroyed the other team, passing around them with ease before watching it ripple in the back of the net. Coach was kind of mad considering she told us to take it easy, but she took it with light humour as she joined the other team to try and stop our endless attacks.

I picked up my phone, expecting to see calls from my parents asking me to explain why I was so late. My parents had spent all their lives ignoring my existence, which honestly suited me perfectly. However, it was always a problem when I didn't get home in time for my adoptive brothers soccer games, because I have to watch him as he loses the MLS. I rolled my eyes in annoyance, knowing that I'm going to be in big trouble when I get home.

I expected to be punished for the lateness, but not to the extent of 20+ missed calls. Not to mention the thousands of texts.

I open my phone with apprehension.
My face turns white as I read the first few.

"Sky?"

~~

Panting, I glimpse his wavy brown hair. Specked with blood and dirt, slicked with oil. A picture of death.

My head goes fuzzy as the many memories of us come flooding in. Us laughing as I slip the ball between his legs for the thousandth time that day.

"Skyyyy." he whines, "Stop showing me up! Captain of my high school team and my 12 year old sister can smash me in a one vs one." I laugh as I flick the ball over his head and smash it in the back of the net as it ripples with satisfaction. He two foots me and I grab his leg as we collapse onto the floor giggling. The days when we were happy.

"You BITCH!" SLAM. My head knocked sideways, blood flying across the room from the force of his blow. I feel as sharp pain in my foot as I feel something snap. Blood trickles down my face from a slap across the cheek.
"A- OW" I stumble back across the room.

"David. Stop."

He slowly turns to look at me, putrid anger in his eyes. "We needed you. And you chose soccer over this family. We give everything to you, and all you do is take." He takes one sweeping look up and down. "You will pay for this. I will be sure of it."

He wanders back across the room to my brother, his heart monitor flatlined.

My mind swirled as I sank to the floor. Ty was gone, and it was all my fault. Dad was right. I'm a bitch. A selfish, unworthy, undeserving bitch. I killed Ty.
"Fuck me." I whisper, "fuck me fuck me FUCK ME!"

My phone beeps.

Casey🤍😘
S, you okay? You looked pretty spooked. Call me when you can Xx

The beep must have been pretty loud, as I looked up to se his bald head an inch from my own, nasty smelling breath caking my sweaty forehead.

"Who's that."
"No one"
"Sky I'm warning you."

I sigh, staring across the room. My brother was gone. My companion. Adopted, but closer than blood could ever be. What was left to lose?

"Casey." I whisper back.

I watch as his face turned completely red. The scraps of father I knew left his face. He was never much of a caring man, but this was different. This felt like revenge.

He drags me out of his room, where the pale, lifeless body lay. Into a cleaning closet outside the hospital's reception desk. He shut the door, a dangerous look on my dad's face.

A few seconds. Then...
"STOP! Please I'm begging you." A pause.
"LEAVE ME ALONE DAD"