Misconstructed

Chapter one

Tonight is exactly how I planned it. We got in, we got everything we wanted and got out. No one was hurt, no one was even around. No one, except the big cuddle bug of a dog named Wexler in their kitchen chewing on a steak that Mr. and Mises Kilpatrick left in the fridge.

"Saxton," Rex harshley calls for me, my foster brother. Rex and I have been in the system since we were kids. We've always had a hard life, but he just makes it that much easier to be around. I'll never tell him that though. I follow my brother's lead as I stuff my pockets full of what Mr. Kilpatrick calls 'chump change' but to me it's tens and twenties. I followed him to the back sliding doors from when we first entered. I had an in anyways, I had come over earlier today to help Mr. Kilpatrick mow his lawn. With that being said, it wasn't that difficult to unlock his back door after I had lied to him about it.

Closing the sliding door behind me, I take one more look at what we've accomplished. The house is dark. Nobody is home, considering I know they're out with my foster parents at a movie right now. Some rom com, blah. Not for me in any way. I've already emptied the box of savings into my pockets, ready to leave my heist days behind me as this is our last hit.

The three of us have been all over the news paper. "Do you really think we should stop this?" Danny asks me, to which I almost slap him and I'm sure Rex almost did the same thing. I told him that I'm done after this one, no ifs ands or buts. This house, the Kilpatricks, has been our biggest and what we've been planning for, for months. The Kilpatricks have been a friend of the "family" for decades. They're also gullible.

Sure, You would think that as a teenager things are easy compared to when you become an adult. I assure you though, that's not the care here. My family isn't my family. My best friend is my brother, though we aren't blood. My girlfriend isn't my girlfriend. And I have no idea who I am as a person.

I've started making that my excuse for doing this. I'm a criminal, everyone else in my real family is, so why not me? None of us has triggered any sort of alarm. Trust me, we wouldn't be here right now if there had. In and out, that's what we call our little 'operations', because that's what happens. We get in, and we get out. I think our fastest breakin was 5 minutes. Danny did an amazing job of sweeping the place for us beforehand too.

"Hey, remember what I told you." Danny smacks me on the arm before walking off. "Not a freaking word." He whispers

"Shut the hell up, man." I whisper to him, knowing he won't do a damn thing. Daniel hasn't always been the best friend and he's definitely not the nicest guy. I guess that's why he does this though, I guess that's why we all do it; to feel something. None of us are truly bad kids, I know that. But what else do we have to do in this small suburb? "Let's go home man," I whisper to Rex, just wanting to leave and be in my own bed already as we stand outside in the shadows from the Kilpatricks now.

I don't know what it is either, it's not the rush. I don't care about that, but it's the fact that I could feel something. Right then, in there, that's the most I felt. Before or after never really matters.

I mean, all was going well this morning. I woke up without sweating, which is almost constant these days for some reason. I made it to school on time with my brother and the whole day seemed to go by pretty smoothly. I can't help but ponder why though. Most of my days are horrible and there's nothing anyone can do to fix them, I've tried. I suffer with depression, anxiety and to top it all off, I'm an 'angry little shit'. That's almost the first thing someone says when they meet me. I don't blame them though, they're right.

Like today, one example would be Tyler Anderson. He's always giving me a hard time no matter what, but today? Nothing. He just walked by me in the halls, in class, like I was nothing. Then, before this job, nothing at home. Usually, Barb, my foster mom, would always be on me about school or colleges but today wasn't the case. Maybe I finally mean nothing to these people.

Letting the smoke from the joint I had just lit in my mouth, I inhale. Taking each and every step with stride, I let the smoke pass by me, not caring if a cop rolls by me at this very moment. "Saxton, are you there?" I'm ripped away from my thoughts, shaking my head as I blink my way back to reality, I can't help but make "What?" the first words out of my mouth.

"I asked you what you're thinking about. You're so out of tune with yourself today, I'm starting to worry." That's because I'm not used to having a nice night's sleep only to be followed by a peaceful day. He waits for my answer, taking each step with pride.

"Nothing." I tell him, not letting him in on my true thoughts. Since the summer ended, l life has seemed to ride by faster than I'd like to for my senior year of high school. I don't even want to go to college but everybody wants me to choose. As if it matters to me. I never cared for college. Sure, the parties would be nice, but ever since I was fourteen I've been to a party at least once every two weeks. Hell, my friend Trevor has one every week at his house since his parents are never home.

Shrugging my shoulders as I bring my index and middle finger to the joint in my mouth, I take it to exhale a huge cloud of smoke. I bring the back of my wrist to Rex's arm, letting him know to take a hit or be left out; most of the time he takes it from me, like now. With my bottom lip in between my teeth. I give my brother a quick glance and notice that he's exhaling the smoke that he's ingested from my joint.

Rex and I have our moments, like when everyone says we look alike. Our facial structures and how we walk. I see it too, but I do my best to ignore it. He's been my foster brother for the past seven years, so I just assume it's the fact that we've grown up together. Although he's a year older, he was held back a grade because of all the moving around he did going from house to house until he ended up in ours.

The system we were put in told us that he was a horrible child and the only reason he calmed down was because I was there. Not sure why that would matter but okay. He's the only person in this world that I'm closest to and I know the same goes for him when it comes to me. We lock eyes for a split second while the smoke passes by us.

My room is on the ground floor, making it easy to sneak away when I, in fact, need to just get away from here or just life in general or I can pretend to be someone that I'm not. We stand outside my window in the shadows where I pray no one sees us. If they see us, they'll for sure tell Barb and then we'll be dead. "Ready?" I whisper to him, getting impatient to get inside.

"Wait a second, talk to me for a second." He tells me as I reach for my window. Taking my hands away from the windowsill, he continues in a whisper, exhaling smoke, "You and Sam, what's going on with that?" Sam. The most beautiful girl Rex or I have ever laid eyes on. I know why he's asking, and I know I have no chance, but would she really go for him?

Sam is a girl in our group that that was friends with Maddie first. She was friends with Dustin, who I met when Tyler Anderson tried sticking my head in a locker. Dustin is the second or third person I know that would help me in a fight, second is Maddie. She and I have a. . . special bond, so I already know she would fight with and for me. "What do you mean?" I ask him nonchalantly.

"I mean, what's going on with you two."

"Nothing." I tell him in monotone. "She moved away and I haven't talked to her since." He raises an eyebrow while inhaling the joint, taking a slight pause to see my reaction. "I told you, nothing, now drop it." I demand in a harsh whisper. He continues to eye me, trying to intimidate a legit answer out of me, I assume, which never works.

Finally, nodding his head, he drops the joint from his two fingers and steps on it, making sure it doesn't light again while on the ground. "Let's get to bed," he tells me, allowing me to finally end this night in peace.