14 years - Axl Rose x OC

17

--June 30th, 1977

Following the mind-blowing concert that Lita and Bill went to, the turn of the summer was welcomed. In late June, Lita Monroe waited and waited for more news pertaining to the loss of her father's job. Her own job had even changed in the last week or two: from working afterschool at the elementary school program with Bill's younger brother to doing summer field trips into Indianapolis or up to Lake Michigan. She chaperoned groups, including some of the children from church, around the city, keeping them active during the summer.

Walking down her street in the opposite direction of her house, Lita made her way home after a long day at the school. She could feel the build-up since her father revealed their situation. Neither of Lita's parents had found out about the concert, Christopher suspected something, but she had to continue to be in their Good Graces just in case a bomb dropped on her life, a new revelation from her father.

Now she stood about a hundred feet from her house and she could see an unfamiliar car outside the home. It was a large truck, spacious from the outside, and it stood out against the average, suburban-looking home. It was so unlike Lafayette, something you wouldn't see unless you went into the inner-city. What was it doing outside her home?

Heading past the truck, Lita eyed it curiously as she shuffled past. Her suede skirt loosened around her waist as Lita breathed in a heavy sigh when she saw the U Haul logo plastered on the side of the large truck. She couldn't see it before, but now her fear was prevalent.

She made it to the wooden door, unlocked already, and saw her mother pacing the living room as she entered. "What's going on?" Lita asked, there was a large box near the floor lamp, and her mother continued adding books from the wall's shelf into the box.

"Oh! You're home already. We weren't sure when you'd be home." Mom responded. "I grabbed you a few boxes, and you still have some time to pack."

"Mom, what do you mean?"

Here, Lita's father came down the creaking steps. In his arms was a plastic bin of laundry, a box of detergent on top. He smiled at her before noticing Lita's confusion. "Hi, baby." He kissed her cheek. "What's going on, Dad?"

"Well, you know how a few weeks ago I lost my job, right?" Lita nodded. "I ended up going back to them. I had to plead, but it was worth it. Management told me they couldn't keep me here, but if I wanted the job enough, they'd give me a better position at the branch out near Seattle. I accepted, of course, so we have to head out there by the 4rth."

"What about Chris? He has a life here too. And didn't you consider that I like it here? I have friends, dad, good ones. I don't want to leave."

Her father shook his head. "Your brother will join us later." Lita just stood there, her parents moving about around her, no brother in sight.

"Well I don't want to go to Seattle!"

"Lita, we're not going to Seattle, we're going near there though. Also, I don't care if you have friends here, they're not important compared to the money we need, I need, to support our family."

Lita's voice cracked as she listened to him. She knew they'd had to leave, but...to Washington! It didn't feel real. Lita's mother handed her a box as she passed her, the books weighing down her hands as she also held her purse. "Place that box near the U Haul, will you, Lita?"

"U-uhm...yeah, ok." Lita walked back outside toward the truck in her driveway. It stood in front of her, looming, and it frightened Lita. She wasn't truly scared of a truck of all things, more so the implications of it. What it meant.

Making it to the U Haul's back, Lita placed it next to other taped-up boxes. She hadn't noticed those before. A big, black marker labeled the three or four medium boxes: 'Mom's antiques' on one; 'basement' on the second; 'office' on the third; 'Chris's Room' on the last; and this one she held was 'Books.'