The Underground bad boy

Prologue

Lea POV

Looking back, my life has always been like a carefully scripted story, each chapter neatly following the one before. Even as a child, I was that girl who colored within the lines, who dotted every "i" with a smiley face." Some might call it being uptight, but I preferred the term "meticulous."

Growing up in Willowbrook Nebraska, a small town where everyone knew everyone else's business, my days were as structured as the ticking of a clock. From the moment the sun peered through my window, I had a plan. Breakfast, school, homework, piano practice, and bedtime stories – my life was a symphony of routines.

I still remember the bright yellow backpack I'd wear, almost as big as I was back then. Every morning, I'd stand at the bus stop, a little bundle of sunshine, my neatly packed lunchbox in hand. Even on weekends, while other kids played freely, I found joy on my own – building advanced LEGO structures or solving puzzles that made adults scratch their heads.

My parents, both hardworking and devoted, have always been proud of me . Their support and encouragement in everything I did only fueled my desire to excel. I would spend hours practicing the piano, making sure every note was perfect, just as it was on the sheet music. Even during playdates, I'd find myself organizing toys into neat rows and making sure no one spilled juice on the carpet.

As I grew older, my commitment to order and structure only deepened. My classmates' binders might have been chaotic piles of papers, but mine was color-coded and tabbed, and for my added touch a picture of "One direction".

I remember one time in elementary school I was six and wasn't the coolest.The school bell rang, signaling the end of yet another day at Willowbrook Elementary. The hallway became a crowd of chattering kids, laughter bouncing off the walls. I stood by my locker, my nose buried in a thick book. The cover of "The Solar System Adventure" was one of my favorite books. Space has always interested me.

"Hey, Lea! Miss Brainiac!" The voice was sharp, cutting through the buzz of conversation. I looked up to see a group of older kids, My heart sank, but I managed a small smile. "Hi there."

One of the boys, Alex, stepped forward, his grin mischievous. "Guess what, guys? Lea here knows the whole multiplication table. She's probably already calculated how many steps it takes to cross this hallway."

The others laughed, their amusement infectious. My cheeks burn, but I didn't want to show how much their words hurt.

"Come on, Lea, dazzle us with some advanced algebra!" Another boy, Jake, chimed in.

I held my books tight. "I don't mind algebra, but this book is about space, not math."

"Of course, the bookworm's correcting us," one of the girls mocked, and the laughter grew louder.

Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. I  was used to being different, but it didn't mean I wanted to be reminded. 

Nolan pov 

I was just a kid, innocent and hopeful, when I found myself in world of a toxic family dynamic that left scars that still hurt.

My parents' love was a battleground, where every word they exchanged was a weapon aimed at each other's hearts but my heart hurt just as much. 

Growing up, I became the unwilling referee in their war. I'd hide in my room, desperate to drown out their shouts with heavy metal blaring in my ears. But the words, the insults, they went through the walls like poison. 

I'd often wonder if I was the reason for their fights, if my existence even matter to them or if my sister and I are just a tool for them.I still remember all the times I had to distract my sister Lily from hearing they're screams. I still remember this night when I was ten and Lily was five.The shouts from the living room had escalated, filling the house with an atmosphere of tension and anger. I clenched my jaw, my fists tightening at my sides ready to fight someone. My sister was sitting on her bed, with the look of fear on her face.

"We should do something," I say desperately trying to get her distracted 

She nodded, her gaze flickering towards the window as if looking for an escape. I walked over to her, crouching down to her level. "How about we build a puzzle? You always liked those."

Lily's fingers twisted the hem of her shirt, her uncertainty palpable. "But what if they keep yelling?"

I offered a small smile, doing my best to reassure her. "We'll turn up the music, like we did last time. Remember how it helped drown out their voices?"

Lily nodded, a hesitant smile tugging at her lips. "Okay."

Together, we get a puzzle from her shelf and spread its pieces across the floor. I grabbed the radio and started playing some music.

As we worked on the puzzle, I could still hear their raised voices in the background, like a distant thunderstorm. But the music acted as a buffer, as we took turns playing our favorite songs.Lily's focus on the puzzle was intense, her brow furrowed in concentration. I watched her, worried.

"We'll get through this, Lily," I murmured, my voice a whisper meant only for her ears.

She looked up at me, her eyes holding a mixture of uncertainty and hope. "Promise?"

I reached out and ruffled her hair gently, a reassuring smile on my lips. "Promise."

But that was a long time ago things change including me.