The Runaway Chronicles

Chapter 1

C H A P T E R  O N E :
"That's the beauty of a secret. You know you're supposed to keep it, & sometimes not saying anything is the best answer. Silence can never be misquoted."

At the light of day, I was plain old Peyton Summers. But when the darkness of the night came along, I unleashed my true demons. I'm living two separate lives. I'm telling two different lies.
From what my parent's knowledge held, it had been months since I had been in trouble with the law.  Months since I has been "rebellious" and months since I had committed any kind of illegal activities.
From what they knew, my life was moving onwards and upwards. I was getting better. Maturing with my age. Becoming aware of my faults and learning from my mistakes.
And they couldn't have been more wrong.
Actually it's quite the opposite. I think I've become worse. Sneaking out every night. Drinking, smoking cannabis and cigarettes. Getting wasted. Climbing back through my window at six o'clock in the morning, my parents waking up a mere thirty minutes later.
I'm always careful. Careful enough to not get caught. Careful enough to keep my secrets and careful enough not to blow my cover of the obedient child my parents believed I was finally becoming.
But here I am again. Sitting on a stone-cold bench with my so-called partner in crime, Asher at 8 o'clock on a Saturday morning. Waiting for our parents to rush over here and save our sorry asses by bailing us out.
When we had arrived at the station hours earlier, the police officers gave us the usual one phone call each to contact our parents and beg them for mercy. Our parents both agreed that it was too late to come pick us up, and that they thought we needed to learn a lesson by making us stay in the cell overnight. Devastated. That's the only way to describe the way I was feeling at that moment in time.
When our parents finally arrive at the police station, I feel both a rush of relief and fear. Mainly fear.
To be truthful, I was afraid of seeing the disappointed look on my parents faces as they came to bail me out of prison for more than the first time. I was afraid of what they would say, or more surely of what they won't say. Because I know they would be absolutely furious and extremely disappointed with me.
We hear a set of keys rattle before looking up to see a police officer opening our cell, our parents tailing along behind him.
The four of them hold equally disappointed looks upon their faces. No one dares to say a word. I sneak a look at Asher to see that he had done the same thing. We make brief eye contact before looking back at our parents.
"Peyton Summers. I do NOT want to hear a single PEEP come out of your mouth until we are home and ready to discuss this in a more appropriate, secluded manor. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" My mum said to me.
I could see her trying to keep her cool in front of all of the by standers, but she couldn't help to but to snap at me. I notice her left eye twitch as her legs tremble. She was way beyond mad.
She was absolutely furious. I haven't seen my mum this livid in a long time, and I was hoping to keep it that way.
I merely nod my head in response as I slowly rise from my spot, unsure of which are the more appropriate and inappropriate notions to make right now.
I turn back to face Asher.
"It was nice knowing you partner. I couldn't have asked for a better person to go down with. But my time has come, and the ship must sink. I must now face the consequences." I whisper to him dramatically but also half serious.
He lets out a subtle snicker before whipping away a fake tear. He snatches my hand before kissing each of my knuckles one by one.
"I'll never forget you, my love."  He tells me.
I couldn't help but to feel just a bit giddy inside as he said this. Me and Asher had a complicated past. In fact things were still quiet complicated between us. We fought with each other like siblings, but we prized each other like lovers.
But before I could remember that I was in the middle of a jail cell, the police officer cleared his throat. I nod my head at Asher as a final goodbye before turning on my heel and walking towards my parents who are both sending deathly glares my way.
As we walk away, I faintly hear Asher's mother scolding him.
"ASHER RIVER SUVERLANS! IS THIS A JOKE TO YOU?! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, GET YOUR BACKSIDE TO THE CAR NOW, WITHOUT ANOTHER WORD!"
We are sooo screwed, I think to myself as I walk out of the station doors.
-
As we pulled up the curb too our house, I noticed my mum looking even more seething than she had been back at the police station.
My dad switched off the ignition with a sigh before leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes.
I looked at my mum whose breathing was rigid as she stared blankly towards the garage door, fumbling with her hands in her lap.
I didn't dare move a muscle. I don't make a sound. Instead, I lean my forehead against the window, drawing pictures in the fog that my breath left behind.
The Suverlans car was next to pull up in their drive way. Asher looks at me and grins.  I couldn't help but to grin back, no matter the situation. His smile was contagious.
Unlike my parents, Asher's mother stormed out of the car, slamming her door and charging up the front porch. His father slowly gets out of the car before looking at his son with a gloomy expression across his face, shaking his head and slowly shuffling up the front steps.
"Look, Mum... Da- "I mumbled.
"Cut the crap Peyton. Just... for once in your life, learn to do the right thing." My mum whispers, cutting off my apology before exiting the car, my dad following after her.
I look up at my exhausted parents who were making their way up our front porch, a sudden wave of guilt weighing down my shoulders. I notice a figure in the living room window before the curtain quickly closed. My brother seeing my parents approaching the front door.
Well... it was time to face the music. I got out of the car, sending Asher one more glance before making my way up to my house. I opened the front door to be face to face with none other than my twin brother Charlie.
"Peyt, I just... I just want to know why. Why, when you were doing so well, why did you have to go and fuck it all up?" my older brother questioned.
"Chuck, please. Not now. Please just let me deal with mum and dad first and... and then we can talk. We can do all of the talking you want." I muttered back, before storming off into the living room and plopping down on the recliner opposite from my parents.
I glance up at my mum as she began to pace.
"Firstly, you are sooo, so grounded. Secondly... WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!! Basically breaking and entering... trespassing, POSSESSION of an illegal drug. CONSUMPTION, of that illegal drug and then RUNNING AWAY from the law enforcement!?  Have you lost all common sense? I'm ashamed to even call you my daughter. It's not a big town, Peyton. Word gets around pretty fast."
I take a deep breath.
"Mum, I know what you're thinking... and it looks bad, wow it looks really bad. Bu-'
"LOOKS BAD... LOOKS BAD? You have no clue how bad this looks! And just when you were getting your life back on track. I was... I was so proud of you Peyton. I was so proud. But you've just gone and flushed that down the toilet now, haven't you? GOD.  I CAN'T BELIEV-"
"Honey..." my dad cuts her off, grabbing her hand and rubbing circles on her lower back, trying to calm her down.
"I think you need a breather. Let me finish up here." He tells her with a reassuring smile. Not that I would call it a smile, because the disappointed look overdrew any inch of contentment that rested on his aging face.
My mother slowly looked down at her feet, nodding her head. My father lets out a sigh whilst I fiddle with a loose piece of cotton on my t-shirt.
"To say we are disappointed is a total understatement. After everything that has happened, especially just this year alone... Your mother and I thought you would know better. We thought you had learnt your lessons and grown from your mistakes. Clearly, we have completely misinterpreted the situation. What were you thinking... really? You really need to pull your life together Peyton. If not for you, then for us." My dad's glare on me is firm and authoritarian.
"You know we love you to bits." He mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands and sighing.
"But we can't keep going day by day acting like nothing's wrong.  Like you aren't rebelling towards us and towards the Law. We cannot keep letting you destroy your life like this. It's tearing you apart. It's tearing your mother and I apart. It's tearing your brother apart. How do you think he feels, watching his little sister's life falling apart? Spiralling downwards right in front of his own god damned eyes, and knowing there is absolutely NOTHING that he can do about it. Because even if we tried to help you Peyton... No matter how hard we try, you just through it all away. I want you to think about what you're doing Peyton. I want you to think long and I want you to think god damn hard. Deep down you know what you're doing is wrong. But you are the only one who can truly fix it. Especially with these walls you have built so high up around yourself."
"Dad..." I whisper. I'm at a loss for words.
"Peyton. Please just... just go up to your room... have a shower, I'll bring up something for you to eat later. Now go." My mum orders me, pointing one hand towards the staircase, resting her head in the other.
I make my way up the stairs and shut my bedroom door, leaning my back against it and sliding to the floor.
I am exhausted. I'm a disappointment. A juvenile. I should just run away. It seems to be such a great idea right now.
--
It would mean a lot if you didn't skip this authors note in particular, I know they can be a bit of a drag but I hope to get to know you guys as well as you getting to know me!
Hey guys!
Did you enjoy the first chapter? I was so nervous to upload this because I'm not so proud with this chapter, I didn't exactly have an idea of where this chapter or even this book would go; I just went with the flow and wrote what came to mind, and I guess that's what I'm going to do until my plans are solid and I am content with them.
I wrote this chapter (as well as the previous and next chapter) back in October of 2016 but never had the motivation nor the courage to upload it... that is until now of course.
This is my first ever SERIOUS book on Wattpad. So I'm sort of new to this. I'm really trying to be devoted to this book as in the past I tend to give up after a solid ten chapters in.
But I can assure you that will not be the case! I have already written a few chapters ahead of time so I can upload on a regular schedule and write chapters way ahead of time, just so I don't fall back into my old ways!
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Sincerely,
Sophie Louise xox