Up In Smoke → Liam Dunbar [1]

Chapter One

"Come on, Ads. You're gonna be late!"

"Shut up! I'm on my way!" Addison Ryder shouted to her older brother. He was meant to drive her to school, like he always had. She hated riding the bus, and it wasn't going to change now that she's in high school.

Addy shrugged on her leather jacket, flipping the hair that got caught underneath. She found herself lucky that her dark brown hair was naturally curly, making getting ready in the morning really easy. She never really wore makeup, and her clothing was usually laid back, consisting of plain shirt and skinny jeans.

"Took you long enough," her brother, Brayden, muttered. Addy hopped down the driveway, trying to shove on her shoes which only resulting in her falling. She let out a strangled noise as she tripped, the cement leaving a small scrape on her hand.

"You okay?" Brayden asked, leaning over his seat to look out the open window of his car. Brayden was a senior at Beacon Hills High School, and he was more than ready to be done. Unlike his sister, he kept up his good grades, even if he didn't like to admit it. He was the jock of the school and the best player on the lacrosse team. 

"Yeah," Addy breathed out. She gave another look at her hand, the small cut disappearing already. For years now she had healed miraculously, it was a blessing that she could never understand. She didn't know why her body did that, but she wasn't complaining either. She was, and always will be, a klutz. 

"Dumbass." Her older brother sped out of their driveway as soon as she closed the car door. He liked to keep his car in good condition, considering it was a sleek black 1970 Chevelle he fixed up himself. The car wasn't bad when he bought it, but some things needed repairs. It was dirt cheap when he first got it but now it was his prized possession. 

"At least my boss didn't see a video of me–"

"You promised to never bring that up," Brayden cut his sister off. She smirked, content that she won yet another argument. They always had stupid quips at each other, it was something they had grown used to. "Besides, it's not like I was dumb enough to put peanut butter in my hair and had to cut half of it off."

Addy glared at her brother, sending a well-deserved punch to his arm. "It wasn't my fault! You tricked me!" When Addison was eight, Brayden tricked her into saying if she put peanut butter in her hair, it would grow really long.

To say the least, the opposite happened, and a whole jar of peanut butter was wasted.

Brayden snickered at his younger sister. It was one of his favourite pranks against her, even if it did get him a month's worth of doing extra chores. It was well worth it. Their mother had gotten tired of their endless pranks and put an end to it rather quickly. Fortunately for her, they had listened. 

"Are you coming to lacrosse tryouts after school today?" Brayden asked, glancing at his sister. She kept her eyes focused out the window, the familiar houses blurring by as Brayden sped down the street. He liked to go a little over the speed limit but she never minded. 

Addy never answered her brother. He could tell something was on her mind. She had been like that for a while now. Brayden rolled his eyes, turning the volume dial up all the way. The Foo Fighters played, scaring Addy.

"What? Jesus, you always do that!" Addy jumped up. She was thankful the seat belt held her back. 

"Are you coming to lacrosse tryouts?" Brayden asked again. His thumbs drummed against the steering wheel as the music played, quieter this time. They played lots together and he always wanted her to try out so they could be on the team together. The thought had been put into his head over the summer but she made no promises.