Lost | Marko

Chapter \\ Welcome Back

   Finally. I made my arrival known as I parked my bike next to my grandpa's jeep, revving the engine nosily. I swung my leg over the side just as the door swung opened, there my family walk out one by one, their eyes falling on me. My grandfather smiles casually, giving my a cordial wave.

"Hey. Oh, would you look at that!" He lags in his excitement, a soft backhand to Michael's shoulder as he and the others stared at me flabbergasted. Sammy snapped himself from it as Mikey was being slapped, beaming wide as he runs to me with arms wide opened.

"Jess! You're really here! I can't- Mom, Mike, it's Jess!" I smile warmly to my youngest brother, bracing myself for his impactful hug. I laughed out, wrapping my arms around him tightly before twirling us around.

"How's my little man doing? Taking care of mom, alright?" I asked him while sending a smile over to mom. This causing a stunned smile to appear on her face.

"Yeah, yeah, duh! Oh, I missed you so much! We have so much to catch up on-! I can't believe you're back." He rambles overzealous, trying to keep the tears that lined his eyes back.

"Welcome back, Jess." I turned back to Mike with a grin.

"Thanks Mikey." My mom stared at me with her arms out stretched.

"Awe, honey, your back. Oh, I missed my baby so much." Mom cries next to me, wrapping me in a deep hug. I hug her back awkwardly, not likening one bit being called a baby, even if it was directed as hers.

"Thanks, mom." I pull back this time to see my grandpa nearing, wrapping an arm around him as he does to me.

"Why don't we show you to your new room?" He suggest warmly.

   I take a puff off my cigarette, eyes scrunched to avoid the smoke as I bent to empty the last of my stuff from the box. All my clothes were in my dresser that was next to my door, my bed made and ready for use.

"Hey, Jess? Uh, me and Michael are gonna go to the boardwalk for a bit, you wanna come?" I pull the cigarette back as Sammy sends me and invite, his head poking in from the doorway.

"Sorry Sammy, I got something to take care of in a bit, next time, okay bud?" I offer. He smiles in return, suspiciously making his way towards me. I eyed him skeptically, waiting to see what it was he had planned. He takes me by surprise, doing the unthinkable by grabbing the cigarette from my lips.

"SAMMY!" I dashed after him all the way down stairs, and out the front door.

"Hey, hey, hey! Not so loud! And Samuel was that a cigarette in your hand?!" Mom yells after us, lecturing him for holding onto my cancer stick. Her lecturing reminded me that I was only half dressed, tiny shorts and a tank as I chased down my littlest brother. The sky was darkening so, at least I didn't have to worry about to many people seeing.

"You just wait, Sammy! You're wasting it! Oh, you're so dead!" He only laughs as he waves it around goadingly, an extra skip in his step.

Marko's POV

"Hey, David!?" Paul called out to the bleach blond that led the group. He hums to his question, his eyes scanning down below him observantly.

"You see that down there? Looks like dinner." He smirks. We turn in his direction, though most of us were already aware of the two below us, running and screaming out profanities. We silently agree, swooping down to the tall grass stocks they were nearing, knowing we'd get the jump on them there. Not that we really needed to, could just use brute force if wanted, but what's the point without a little scare? It was easy to guess they were related, just by the way they acted.