The Summer of 1974

Chapter 1 ~Alone Again

June 26, 1974, somewhere in West Virginia, USA

His legs were vibrating with pain and his feet were moving the petals of bike faster than they ever had before. The wind was combing through his hair and his heart was hammering in his chest as he leaned his body lower on the bars.

He just kept getting faster and faster...

"Robert?"

And faster...

"Robert!"

"Huh?"

His mom sighed.

"I said, you're going."

"No, I'm not"

"Yes, you are" she gave him a look. The two had been arguing for the past twenty minutes until Robert dazed off and out of the conversation.

"Why do I have to go. Why am I even a part of it."

"Robert, we talked 'bout this." Her eyes were tired from having to explain the same thing to Robert over and over again; and her southern drawl was starting to come out more with uncontained annoyance.

"Why can't you just call the camp and tell them I came down with smallpox or something." He mumbled, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"If I did that your father would be furious. With not just me, but you to." She was trying to make him understand.

He knew how his father would react if he didn't go. But recently he has just stopped caring what his dad thought.

He was so done with this conversation.

He looked out the kitchen window longingly. It was early in the summer and all he wanted to do was go outside and ride his bike. His grandparents gave the bike to him for his birthday four days ago.

"Rob, I'm not going to argue about this with you because you are going. I'll pack your bag for camp, and you can just go play outside. Maybe the neighbor will be out there, and you can play with him."

He gave his mom a disgusted look when she mentioned the neighbor kid. The dislike he had for that kid was very strong.

"Fine whatever."

He stomped out of the kitchen, going to the garage to grab his bike, and heard his mother sigh behind him.

His parents, well his dad mainly, were making him go to boy scout camp in a couple days with the rest of his troop. His dad is making him go in hopes of "reforming" him and turning him into a "real man." His mom is supporting him going because she thinks that he will be able to make friends at camp.

Pshh as if Robert needs friends.

More like the friends need him.

He hopped on his bike and rode down the street, letting the wind tousle his hair and pound against his ears, blocking out the thoughts of camp.

He rode his bike towards the new record store. His older brother gave him some money earlier in the day to go and buy 'Alone Again' by Gilbert O'Sullivan because he was too lazy to go and do it himself.

A while back his big brother got a cassette player for his birthday and ever since then he became obsessed with buying cassette tapes to add to his ever-growing collection.

After a short couple of minutes Robert arrived at the shop and chained his bike up to a nearby pole. He walked through the door causing a bell to chime and headed towards the section where he knew the song would be.

A couple of minutes later, Robert paid for the cassette and made his way back towards his bike. He put the cassette in his jacket's zipper pocket and decided to ride his bike around the small town for a bit before making his way back home.

"Where have you been? I've been calling for you to get me a beer for the past 10 minutes."

"Relax dad I was just buying Charles a new cassette cause he asked me to. Don't be mad at me, be mad at him." He hung up his coat and looked around the corner to where his dad's voice was and saw him sprawled out on the couch watching tv with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"Yeah whatever, next time tell me or I'll beat your ass." his dad said jokingly and went back to watching what was on the television.

Robert rolled his eyes and made his way back to his room, quickly looking into his brother's room to see if he was home yet. He noticed that his brother wasn't home yet, so he went into his room, threw his jacket onto his desk chair and flopped face first into his bed.

He lifted his head slightly and saw that in the corner of the room his bag for camp was already packed and ready to go. He groaned shoving his face into his pillow.

___

"Robert get your ass to the table, dinner is ready." His father yelled.

"Coming, coming jeez" he mumbled into the bed.

After many failed attempts at making himself look like he wasn't just asleep for four hours he decidedly gave up and walked out to the small dining room.

"Took you long enough" his father said before shoving the food into his mouth.

Robert took a seat at his normal spot and looked next to him to see that his brother still wasn't there.

"Where's Charles?" he asked, looking at his mother.

Before she could open her mouth to answer his father interrupted, "Probably doing drugs or some shit."

"I think he's out with his girlfriend." His mom said teasingly ignoring what her husband said.

"He has a girlfriend?" Robert looked between his parents confused.

"He says they're not dating but you should see the way his face turns red when talking about her." She gushes.

"He didn't tell me about her." Robert grumbled.

"Charlie didn't tell me either I caught him on the phone talking to her. Gosh I've never seen him like that before."

Robert was about to say something in reply when his father interrupted him, "Can ya'll just shut the hell up and eat your food." 

___

Dinner was awkward to say the least. Usually, Charles would make conversation to fill in the silence.

But of course, he wasn't there. And there was no way Robert was going to try and make any more polite dinner conversation.

Robert helped his mom clean up dishes after dinner, kissed her goodnight, and then made his way back to his room.

After brushing his teeth and taking a quick shower he buried himself under his covers.

He was about to drift off to sleep when he heard movement from the room across from his. He figured It was his brother finally deciding to come home.

He decided that he would give Charlie the cassette tape in the morning.

Charlie never got that cassette tape.

And Robert didn't know how much trouble It would end up causing. 

~~~~~~~~

So how was the first chapter?

Please tell me honestly because when I say I want constructive criticism I mean it. Give it to me brutally. I'll probably cry but don't let that stop you. I want to make this as good as possible, not only for myself conscience, but for whoever decides to read this.

Also, if you found it a bit bland and boring, then trust me, I know it is. It's going to start picking up a bit. I just needed this chapter to get things rolling and introduce the characters. 

But anyways if anyone is actually reading this, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day/night. <3