525,600 minutes

chapter 1

525,600 minutes. According to Joel Larson that was how long she had been away from Lima, Ohio. She could lie and say that it only felt like yesterday that she had accepted her scholarship and moved away to a better life but it didn't, it felt longer.

She was safely ensconced in the back seat of her father's car with her best friend Indigo drooling on her shoulder, she was grateful that Indi had insisted on seeing the town too stupid to recognize Rachel's talent and value; Indi's words.

"We're home."

The house looked the same but it didn't look like home, was it wrong that the tiny closet space that she and Indi called a dorm room felt more like home than the place that had seen her formative years and was practically a shrine to her?

"Oh it's got window boxes and everything!" Indi squealed remarkably awake considering she had been snoring mere seconds ago.

"Wait till you see the inside." Leroy chuckled, if she was this excited by window boxes wait till she saw the apple pie cooling in the kitchen.

"This is going to be so fun, I've never even been in a real house before with neighbours who sit on porches and drink tea while kids ride their bikes around the neighbourhood."

Indi sounded so wistful, far from the jaded New Yorker most would assume her to be. Born and bred in Brooklyn the product of a one-night stand between her ex Rock Star father and a groupie who had fled after she was born, Indi had immediately adopted Rachel upon her arrival at the school. When Rachel had informed her she was to return to Lima it had taken her approximately 4.5 seconds before Indi had started packing her own bags to come along. Her father hadn't cared since with her gone he could continue his drunken drug hazed existence without interruption.

"This is Lima not a town from the fifties."

Rachel had developed a very biting wit from being around New Yorkers, having been forced by her fathers to take Krav Magra had also instilled a confidence she had been lacking.

"Lighten up Rachey, this is going to be fun." Indi slung an arm around Rachel's shoulders and followed after Leroy who was moving their suitcases, the rest of their stuff would be arriving in a truck later in the week.

"I'm going to remind you of that tomorrow after school." Rachel said sourly, she had seriously considered asking to be home schooled rather than returning to that hellhole.

"Whoa." Indi took stock of what had to be dozens of Rachel's smiling at her. "It's like your eyes watch me wherever I go." She moved about trying to see if she could escape their gaze.

"Stop dancing in the hall." Rachel grabbed her arm pulling her to the stairs. "Your room is right next to mine and we share a bathroom."

"Rachel honey!" Hiram rushed into the room interrupting the girls and hugging his daughter tightly to him. Letting go he hugged Indi too, as Rachel's best friend she was practically family.

"Hi Dad." She smiled her famous Berry smile, so perfectly practiced no one would know it was fake.

"We've got everything all sorted out, Principal Figgins is expecting you in his office tomorrow morning before classes." He explained. "Your car is outside and ready for our little star."

Her beautiful cherry red mustang, she'd missed driving it.

"That's great Dad." She said with false enthusiasm which Indi caught smothering a laugh, after a year in a tiny room she could read Rachel like the back of her hand.

"We've got your room all set up honey." He addressed Indi. "And of course her room is opposite ours."

Her. The reason she had come home, the reason she had to go back there.