Wishes

I

         Rachel was never very optimistic. She never really had a reason to be. She new that it was always going to be the same. So when she woke up the morning of her eighteenth birthday  she knew it would be  like any other.

Which is to say, it sucked.

Rachel woke up with a start. The alarm on her old phone, which was on her dresser, going off loudly on a quiet Saturday morning.

After hitting snooze three times on her alarm she finally opened her green eyes, staring at her cracked ceiling. Her tangled black hair was sprawled all over her pillow. She laid there for a few more minutes trying to find the energy to get up.

After about three minutes she finally dragged herself up from her old lumpy mattress that she had been sleeping for the last five months since they moved to Los Angeles. Troy her step dad said it was only temporary but he says that about everything like his life was full of fazes and some day , this too, will pass.

         For a late December baby, this was pretty much par for the course.

While everyone else slept off their holiday hangovers just in time to settle their plans for New Years  Eve, Rachel was left  to welcome another year alone.

        Rachel stretched her slim arms over her head, hearing a few cracks here and there, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She put on her slippers when her bare feet felt the cold floor. Racheal rubbed her arms because of the coldness in her room, considering it was the middle of December and her heater was broken. Troy said he was going to get it fixed but she knew him too well to know that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

            After putting a sweater on over her shivering body she went downstairs to make herself breakfast. When she finished she sat down on the dining table and started to eat. Flipping through the channels aimlessly while doing so.

Troy came down not too long later barely sparing a glance at her. Rachel was used to this since he barely ever acknowledged her, her birthday being no different. But she was surprised when he sat down on one of the chairs next to her and put a worn out leather black box in front of her on the table. It was about the size of a small jewelry box, square, looking like it's seen better days.

        "What's this,"Rachel  asked confused.

"uhm... well it was your mothers and well I thought you might like to have it,"he said awkwardly not really being used to these types of situations."You know like a birthday present I suppose. I know you didn't really know her well so I thought maybe this could help you feel closer to her I guess.

"And I found it in one of the boxes so I thought why not give it to you"

       Rachel  sat there slightly dumbfounded not knowing what to do. There were too many emotions swimming around in her head. When she finally composed herself she looked at the box and back to Troy. "This belonged to her?"

"Yea she would always keep the things that were important to her in this."

"Thank you,"she said slightly breathless.

"No problem,"Troy said. He went up stairs to his room to do who knows what.

Rachel's throat started to close up, signifying the fact that she was about to cry. She cleared her throat in an effort to make it go away, without success.

Rachel stared at the box on the dining table in front of her for a good 2 minutes not knowing what to do. She finally picked it up and went in her room contemplating if she should open it or not. Her breakfast forgotten and left sitting on the table, hardly anything eaten.

She picked it up and examined it feeling a nervous shiver going through her. Her heart was beating quickly in her chest as she started to open it.

Not know what came over her, Rachel barley  opened the box before she slammed it shut. She couldn't do it, it was to hard.

She looked around her room breathing deeply. She found her backpack sitting in the corner, grabbed it and stuffed the box in it. She made sure she had her spray paints and changed from her pjs into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

She made sure she had everything she needed before running out the house to a place she always felt comfortable and safe.

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       I know it isn't a lot but I didn't want to write too much for the first chapter. I promise as the book goes on the chapters will get longer.

Is it good? I always appreciate some constructive criticism. This is my first book so I hope you like it.