Collide (H.S. AU)

Chapter One

[[EDITED: 3/27/17]]

Chapter One

Lucy's POV

It used to be so much simpler. Being alive, feeling loved, feeling happiness. My family was exactly the sort of family everyone dreamt of. A supportive father, caring mother, and a best friend in the form of my sister. I was going to attend Berkeley in autumn because I had a full-ride scholarship. I remembered my dad's eyes glaze over as he looked at the acceptance letter before looking up at me. I remembered him looking at me as if I had changed his whole world. I remember him picking me up, even at 17 years old, and twirling me around yelling "My baby's going to college!" I had all I ever wanted and needed. I had my dad, I had his love. One day, things changed. They changed forever. Simply stated, although not really all that simple. That day, December 8th, 2012, a day I could never forget. I remember it as if it were yesterday.

Flashback

"Alright, Jess, see you tomorrow!" I yell out to the owner of the little boutique I work at.

"Luce... Your mom called. She says to go to the hospital asap. She said it was bad." Jess looks at me, her eyes flooding with sympathy for me.

I look at her confused, but nod and jog to my car. I rush through traffic and park my car in a rush. I run into the hospital, on the verge of sheer panic. I go up to the receptionist, and look at her frantically as she turns around.

"Hello, I'm Lucy Thompson. I'm the daughter of Jorge Thompson?" I say quickly.

She nods before grabbing her clipboard and typing a few things into her computer. She looks up at me once with a sad lok in her eyes, they're filled with pity.

"Room 254 in the ICU, darling. Good luck." She nods towards the right. I nod back in gratitude and practically run down to the ICU.

250, 251, 252, 253

Room 254. Thompson, Jorge.

I hear some muffled voices but the one thing I hear clear as day makes my heart drop and shatter.

Time of death: 6:32:54 pm.

End of Flashback

  I wipe the tears that are falling against my will in a furious manner. I mutter a quiet goodbye to Jess with a little smile that I tried to make as genuine as possible as I exited the boutique. I walk into my house with a sigh and wave at my mom in the kitchen. I hug Annabeth before making my way up the stairs. I walk into the bathroom and carelessly turn the water on and let the cold water roll of my barely tan skin. I wash my hair as I stare blankly at the pale blue tiles my dad helped my pick when we moved into our little house.

Why does everything remind me of him?

I let the cold water wash away my hot tears. If only it could wash away the unbearable pain that grief's brought upon me. I turn off the water and dry my hair and body before putting on some jeans and a black sweatshirt. I walk downstairs to see my mother's navy blue dress, perfectly matched with her makeup and nails, sitting next to her boyfriend of two months, Thomas. She motions to me to sit next to Annabeth, who looks just as worn out as I probably do. After dad was gone, Annabeth tried to be strong, being my fearless big sister, but I'd be lying if I didn't hear the soft hiccuping from her room next to mine at the most ungodly hours. She's all I have now.

I clear my head and look at my mother's smiling face. She hasn't smiled in months, why is she so happy all of a sudden. Thomas grins a grin that mirrors my mother's. My mom disgusts me for dating someone as young as Thomas. He's only a little older than Annabeth, it's just really not acceptable. I'm used to ignoring her 2 week relationships, so I usually hold a pretty unfazed demeanor when I see Thomas.

"Girls! Guess what?" My mom's voice booms, her native New Yorker accent prominent.

I look up and raise of my eyebrows and do a little head nod, telling her to carry on.

"Go on, mom." Annabeth says with the typical accent around hear, the classic Boston accent.

Thomas reaches for mom's hand and holds it as they both stand up.

"We're getting married!" Thomas says in his unusually shrill voice. Annabeth's eyes widen almost at a comical rate, as I stand up.

"What do you mean you're getting married? You're sick if you think this marriage would work out, Elise." I say coolly, noticing the goose flesh on my mom's revealed arms.

"Well, I love him, Lucy. He makes me so happy." She says as if I were too idiotic to know why people choose to get married.

"Don't talk down to me, Elise. It's only been a little under a year since dad passed, and I don't believe you know what sort of commitment you're making." I say, my patience quickly wearing thin.

"I'm the adult here, Lucy, and I know what's good for me. I don't need to be lectured by a child who can't get over death." She says coldly, yelling now.

"I'm 17! I am practically an adult. And I might not have the authority to lecture you, but I have the right to say that you have no clue as to what you're doing. You didn't even think about Annabeth and I did you? You really are sick, Elise." I glare at my mother, now full-on screaming.

"Get out of my house." Mom says, making sure I knew she was serious by staring me down heartlessly. Annabeth rises to her feet and grabs my hand trying to convince Mom-, I mean Elise, to stop acting so childishly.

"I meant what I said. Get out of my house this instance, Lucy." Elise says.

Completely enraged by Elise's impulsiveness, I do the only thing I could think of. I grab my money and wipe a few angry beads of sweat from my face at the same time.

"I hope you're sick intentions keep you happy, Elise." I say loud and clear. her face is turned away from me, though. Even Thomas looks more sympathetic than her.

"Go, you don't belong here anymore." I hear her say.

Hearing those words spill from her red painted lips finally pushes me over the edge. I whisper a rushed 'I love you' before running out of the house I've called home for 14 years, running away from the women I've called home for 14 years. I jump over the white picket fence around the house and run straight into the vast woods, my vision blurred from the tears spilling out of my eyes. I'm unwanted. I'm alone. The only thing I've gotten from that cowardly woman is her fu.cking impulsiveness. But for the first time since Dad passed, I felt free. I felt alive once again.

****

Thanks to everyone who has decided to read my newly edited chapter! To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting to start writing so quickly, but inspiration makes you do impulsive things. And I added spaces to the media section because I listened to it while writing this chapter and it seems sort of fitting, doesn't it? Anyways, please VOTE, COMMENT, AND SHARE!

-thestyleseffect