Reject You to Break You (To Reach You Book 2)

Chapter One: Clash of Forces

Song: No Vacancy by OneRepublic

Five years ago:

North-

There is a certain thing about Fear. 

Being the wise readers you are you probably think I'll say something old and wise like: There is a certain thing about Fear, it keeps a person running. 

If I said that though, I'd be an idiot. 

Because Fear doesn't keep a person running. At least not real Fear.

Real Fear keeps you rooted in place. 

I should know best of all. 

But while I do know about Fear, I also happen to understand it. That's why I can never fear anything again, Fear's already put me through the worst. Because Fear is a fucking dick. 

With that lovely introduction, I'll leave you to this: Fear is your choice. Because Fear is your logical solution to delaying the inevitable. 

That's why I mastered Fear a long time ago. 

It started like a normal day. Doesn't it always though?

Tate was sweaty and I was determined to stay as far away from her as possible. She had mud all over her face and too-big jersey from playing with the boys outside again. Thus the "staying away" shit. If I smelled or looked dirty dad would lock me up again. 

"Go away," I batted the sweaty dirty Tate away as I tried to focus on the advanced algebra worksheet Mrs. Samuels, Cara's teacher, had blessed me with. Cara was a real genius and went to this awesome private school that didn't need uniforms and Mrs. Samuels was her private tutor since she was more advanced than the kids in her class. At Tate's place, Mrs. Samuels saw me do my math with a pen and when I told her it was because I never got any wrong, she gave me Cara's worksheets to work on. Math didn't need any consciousness of me, I did it without thinking which was weird since it was...math. I only got one wrong. 

Ever since then the high school teacher has been giving me the advanced math that had nothing to do with school, she was the only adult in my life that actually cared. 

We were in her dad's car, he'd picked us up from Gabe's place because it was close to Jack Monroe's place, where he was going to drop off Cara anyway. 

Cara was a nervous wreck these days, putting on lip gloss even in her sleep and trying to look her best all the time as if every single moment in the day she could bump into Jack Monroe by coincidence. Of course, the girl was clueless, Jack only saw her, literally, at fifteen, they were the power couple of Adber, California. The sweethearts and inseparable lovers. The gushiness was suffocating for me and unfortunate for Tate who happens to sport a giant crush on Jack. But she's convinced she'll grow out of it and so was I. Not like Jack would pay her any mind anyway. 

Tate was pretty, princess level pretty with curly red hair and bright eyes. I'm pretty sure half of the sixth-grade boys had awkward crushes on her. But Jack never paid her any mind, and in my opinion, he was really stupid for it. 

Mr. Monroe stopped in front of my house, a shabby apartment building. The fact that it was still standing was a miracle worth reveling on. 

The grass that was surrounding it was muddy with giant dirt gaps. The sprinkler systems were busted, thus the yellow grass. 

My dad could afford better, his job, that I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about or he'd lock me up, certainly paid him enough. But we had to blend in, or so he said. If we lived somewhere fancier people would notice and if they did they'd ask questions and dad didn't want that. He never wanted people anywhere near him. Being around Tate was hard enough. 

"Thanks, Mr. Monroe," I say, mustering up a smile and shoving all my papers into my backpack. He smiles warmly, looking at me from the rearview mirror. 

"Don't mention it, take care kid,"

"I will, bye Cara, bye T," I say giving her a brief hug as she grins. Cara only grunts in reply, too busy texting to notice me. 

"Tomorrow at the Savage?" Tate says. I nod and get out of the car. 

My apartment is the first floor so I go right ahead, about to open the knob I hear the shouting. And my heart sinks. 

Not again. Please, please not again. 

But of course, Fate doesn't answer my prayers, he doesn't care about scum, I don't even have a future he can set for me. 

Caste is behind me and I turn to him. 

His grandma lives here, he's a frequent visitor, maybe six years older than me and a good understanding friend. 

"Don't go in there now, North, wait okay?"

"I'm the only one who can stop them, they won't end it themselves,"

"It isn't safe?"

"Come on Caste, dad won't hurt me,"

I'm not as confident by this fact as I appear to be. But the screaming is getting louder, both mom's and dad's. I flinch but open the door. 

I shouldn't have opened that door. 

***

Cliffhanger...not really?

So....How do you like the second installment of the To Reach You series? It'll get better I promise.

Also...this is for Emma Cowan-- and now Shek lol...the more you read huns, the more you'll realize Ridge is really like Sharif, even tho I didn't even know Sharif at the time lol.

Laters,

Reagan