My Life With The Willingham Players (Under construction)

Prologue

Hey, reader! Okay, so I'm a new writer, so don't judge me for being lame, 'cause I don't exactly know what I'm doing. I know this is totally cliche, but I love cliches, so if you want - proceed to the story. Votes and comments are always welcome! Please tell me your opinions, I'll appreciate every one of them :)

It was a sunny day at my parents' funeral, unlike the mood that was all above us. Oh, the irony. 

That's actually all I wanted to remember. I just stood there awkwardly, trying to force a few tears, because I kept getting accusing glances from my unknown relatives. Most of them I saw for the first time. Everyone around me was crying, even the persons I thought my parents never even met. I let out a bitter laugh. Here I am, standing at my parents’ funeral, trying to be a perfect daughter, bawling my eyes out but it was too hard for me to do it.

I’m sorry. I should probably say a few words about myself. My name’s Amelia Stanford and I’m seventeen. I live in a small town that no one has ever heard of, and I’m glad because of that. I’m not really one of those persons who would like to live in big cities. I liked how everyone in this town knew everyone (even though I’m more antisocial, so I don’t count), and how there was no secrets here.

And that’s exactly why I wanted to run away from this funeral. I couldn’t stand the pitiful looks the rest of the town would give me every time I would walk on the street. I wasn’t exactly taking a break in school when I found out my parents were dead, but I was receiving those looks I dreaded the most. Don’t judge me for continuing my life normally…Well, as normal as I could. I just needed something that would keep my mind busy.

I couldn’t make myself think about my parents. After all, I was against them going on that cruise. But what angered me the most about it was that the other couple that was with them got away safely. My parents drowned as the yacht sank. They found their bodies at the bottom of the bay trapped inside the yacht. They didn’t let me see them for the last time. But, maybe it was better that way.  They were, after all, under the water for a day, I don’t know much of biology, or anatomy for that matter, but I knew that their bodies would most likely be deformed. I didn’t exactly want to ruin my memory of them.

As my parents’ chests were placed in the already dug holes in the ground, I threw a red rose on top of each chest. I tried my best to cry once again, but I felt the tears wouldn't come. I smiled bitterly, turning around. I pushed through the crowd of people mourning over my parents’ death. I took my black purse, digging through it, until my finger found just the thing I’ve been searching for. I felt coolness on my fingers as I pulled out a pled, silver bottle, filled with whiskey, I think. I quickly ran away from the people who wanted to condole to me. I hid behind furthest tomb stone I found and sat on the soft grass. I was just about to bring the bottle to my mouth, when it was rudely snatched away from my grasp. I looked up, glaring at the intruder.

“Aren’t you underage? You shouldn’t be drinking”, a tall boy said.

By the sound of his voice I noticed he was about my age. Nevertheless I wasn’t able to see his face, because the sun shone brightly into his back, making his face look like a dark blur. He crouched, sitting next to me, his back leaning on the cold tomb stone. I noticed that the bottle was still in his hand.

“Nevertheless, I am eighteen, so that means I’m allowed to drink”, he said, taking a long gulp of the drink. I closed my eyes.

“Who exactly are you?”, I asked, starting to be impatient. The boy spared me an incredulous look. I ignored it, trying to get a hold of the bottle, but the rude boy snatched it away from my reach. I glared at him, waiting for him to answer my previous question.

“You really don’t know who I am?”, he asked, raising his eyebrow. I was kind of jealous. I could never raise an eyebrow, without making a complete fool out of myself. When he realized I wouldn’t answer his question he sighed. “My name’s Willingham. Joshua Willingham”, he said, smirking at me as I tried to get that bottle away from him once again.

“Ugh, don’t go all James Bond on me, okay? I just survived a great loss”, these words erased that smirk of his. “And, should I know your name?”

“Uh, duh. Do you even go here in school?”, Joshua asked, raising his eyebrow again. I gritted my teeth.

“Yeah, as the matter of fact, I do. Why, are you popular or something? Because I don’t exactly have friends from whom I could hear all the gossips about you”, I said, shrugging, blush revealing on my cheeks by the fact that I don’t have friends.

“Okay, let’s save the chitty chat for later. I’m not sure if you already heard your parents’ will, but my mom sent me to get you home. She saw you going away shortly before. Due to your lack of family, oh joy, you’re gunna live with us”, Joshua said, not looking at least bit enthusiastic with the fact that he’s gunna get a new roommate. I, on the other hand, was more than terrified. I couldn’t live with someone I don’t even know, I mean, it’ll be so awkward. I laughed, awkwardly, standing up. Joshua stood up, too, tensing up. I guess he was preparing to grab me if I tried to run.

Which I did. I guess it’s a good thing I was a great athlete. I was one of the fastest girls in our school, that much I knew. But what I didn’t know was that Joshua was just as good runner as I was. Okay, plan B. I ran into the crowd of people, and started pushing my way through them once again. 

When I made sure Joshua lost me I ran towards my home. I ran and ran, until I found the house I’ve been looking for. It was a small, one storey house. The white paint was peeling off the walls, the front porch made of wood had a few holes (we had termites last year, and dad never fixed it), mom’s pie still standing at the window. It must’ve cooled down. I didn’t even know she made it. I sat at the driveway, smelling those white roses my dad loved so much. I smiled at the memories. I glanced at the whole front yard, remembering all those times we had picnics there, ‘cause I was too allergic on pollen. I still was, but the allergy was reduced. I smiled again as the tears finally flew down my cheeks.

My parents were gone. Being the only child meant I had no one to go to. All my relatives were dead, or didn’t want to take care of me. I couldn’t go back to the house, I won’t be able to pay all the bills alone. And I sure as hell won’t borrow money. Yet there was another, more possible, situation. I’m seventeen, meaning I’m not yet an adult. They would probably send Social Service to cram me into some orphanage. The only family I could go to was…

I heard honking on the road, in front of my house. I snapped my head towards the car, seeing it was parked in front of the driveway. From the car came out a woman, about my mother’s age. Her brown hair bounced as she walked, and her brown eyes were sparkling. I wasn’t exactly sure was it from crying, or because of happiness. She was taller than me, but, then again, it wasn’t really hard to be taller than me.

“Oh, sweetie, I knew I would find you here”, she said, her voice gentle. “Are you okay?”, she asked, and when I nodded she continued. “My name’s Elizabeth Willingham, and you, my dear, will be living with me and my family from now on”, she said, holding my hand soothingly. She motioned to the car. “Shall we?”, Elizabeth asked, raising her eyebrows. I was too stunned to answer, so I just nodded again. “We’ll come back later to pick up your stuff honey. Now you need to get some sleep, you poor thing”, she said, opening the back door of the car.

There it is, there it is – that pitiful look again that I despised so much. I jumped in the back seat of the car, noticing a boy on the passenger seat. He turned around and I saw the boy that stole my bottle before. Joshua. He smirked at me, and I turned away my look. I leaned my head on the cold glass, staring through the door, my black curly hair falling into my eyes. Suddenly, sleepiness took over me. I guess I shouldn’t have stayed up these couple of nights, I thought as I dozed off to sleep.