Two Doors Down

Chapter 1: Start

Chapter 1: Start

❄️ Mikaila ❄️

And that's how I ended up here, sitting in the uncomfortable plastic chairs of child services while my grandmother serves her time for high levels of Child Abuse. The officials found all my scars both old and new and forgotten. My parents had loved my grandmother too much to stop her or turn her in but when Mrs. Valero called it in I could do nothing but sit there quietly while an ambulance collected me. Mrs. Valero had introduced herself - I recall - as my neighbor and reassured me that she would take care of me. I couldn't help but think about where I had heard the name Valero before.

I drifted off for a while and began to dream. And as I dreamed I thought to myself where I had heard the name Valero before.

The dream had begun with me in my school's uniform. I was wearing the usual powder blue long sleeved button-up blouse with ruffles and a collar along with a thin navy blue ribbon, a navy blue vest along with a navy blue skirt, and black shoes with white socks. My black hair was in a high ponytail and I was watching the school's Martial Arts Team spar. I could see CJ, a really tall guy from my class, fighting with stick-like weapons I forgot the name of. My friend, Yap, a partially Chinese thirteen-year-old prodigy was training with him. I could see Ms. Estere yelling commands at them. And suddenly...

"Valero! Get your head in the game! CJ, can you switch with him?" Ms. Estere rubbed her temples with her fingers as a dark haired teen went to spar with Yap. "Don't be a show off, Mab" CJ laughed as he proceeded to spar with another guy I didn't know the name of. "I don't show off, it's not my fault my enemies are pushovers. No offense, Yap" Yap rolled his eyes at the dark haired fifteen-year-old as they continued to spar.

Right. Matthias Adrian B. Valero. That's where I heard that name before. He is in the classroom next to mine. I've always wanted to talk to him but I never got the chance to...

"Hey, Mab. That girl is staring at you..." CJ smiled teasingly at me an I averted my eyes to Yap as he turned his head to look at me. "Stop fooling around, CJ" he rolled his eyes and blocked a Yap's hit at the very last moment.

MIKAILA!

"Mikaila, sweetheart? We're at the house, dear"

Mrs. Valero's words and gentle shaking stirred me awake. But as soon as I opened my eyes and eased out of her car I saw my grandmother's house and panicked. "Shhh, it's alright. You're staying with me" she smiled, my breathing slowing until it reached a more proper pace. I looked up at the three story building and realized just how big the Valero household was. "The bottom floor is for family use. The top floor is mine, my husband's, and my eldest daughter's bedroom. My youngest son sleeps with me and his father. My oldest son lives on the second floor, he's your age. And he'll be two doors away from you" I looked up at Mrs. Valero in partial awe and fright. I would be living with a guy I sort of knew or didn't know, his messed up older sister, and his rumored suicidal younger brother.

But what struck me most was that he would live two doors down...

Two doors down.