Wesley Conners has been on her own with her little brother Maximus for the last 6 years, living in a small rogue community that has grown to become their family. Now they must navigate going to school with the neighboring pack and finding out about...
"Maximus! Time to get up for school, I made your breakfast." I called up to the loft, and in return got a loud groan. That boy would sleep through an earthquake if I'd let him, but I guess I'll give him a few more minutes since we are up an hour earlier. This new drive to school is definitely going to be an adjustment for us both.
"Wessy I want to go back to sleep! I don't need school, we're going to live here together forever anyway. So why do I need to learn math?" Maximus whines while hugging my torso.
"Bubs, I know you're tired, but why don't you sit down and eat your breakfast. You can nap in the car. I'm going to go get ready, you need to be done by the time I'm finished!" Sitting him down with cheesy eggs in front of him, I kissed his head and ruffled his hair walking away.
Most girls my age would be freaking out over the first day of senior year, what boy they wanted to look their way, what shoes look best with their bag, and so on. I guess it's the first day at a new school, my first last day at school ever, so I guess it's worth a little effort.
Slipping on my ragged jean shorts and black crop top, I figured I should probably grab a sweater for when I drop Maximus off. The clock says 7:00, we need to leave in 15 minutes, I wonder how fast I can do my usual eye look?
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"Maximus! Are you finished eating? We need to leave soon!" I shouted climbing down the ladder.
"I'm all done, I even picked out my outfit last night remember! You still think that will be okay, right? The outfit I mean, you know what I mean." He rambled, god he's more nervous than I thought.
"Hey!" I said grabbing him by his tiny shoulders, "You are Maximus Evan Conner! You are going to be fine! By the end of today, you will have hundreds of new friends! We know your teacher is going to love you because you are even smarter than me, and I bet they already know that!" Shaking his shoulders a little harder, "Now, go get your butt changed so we can leave!" He runs away, hurrying up the ladder.
Running to the bathroom I slap on some makeup and scrunch up my hair, grabbing my mother's ring from the dish. It's one of the one things I have left from her, my father gave it to her when they first met. Looking back, the black rose is so ironic to their relationship and how it ended, death.
Slipped on my shoes and grabbed my bag, before filling up our to-go cups with our traditional morning smoothie, and finally called out for Maximus, "Come on kiddo, we got to go!" Hearing his stomping I swing open the front door, "Don't forget your backpack, and here is your smoothie. The cars unlocked, go get buckled in!" Rushing him out the door I look at the clock, 7:16, not bad for a family that is always running late to things.
After locking the door, I turn around and look at the only thing my father ever gave me, well my mother really, but still. When my parents first started seeing each other my mom didn't have a car, so she had no way to meet him anywhere besides right next to where she lived. My father solved this issue by buying her a car or really giving her one of his older brothers beat up mustang. The thing stopped running by the time I was 6 years old and sat in the field next to our trailer until she died. When Maximus and I lost that trailer many people told me to sell the car, even if I just got a few hundred dollars for it it would be worth it.
I tried to, really tried. Every time Maximus would cry for food I didn't have, or Agnes struggled to take care of us both I would put up a listing for it. But then every time someone came to look at it or made an offer I chickened out. I pictured someone driving away with the only thing useful my father ever gave us. Then I pictured driving Maximus to his first day of school in it, teaching him how to drive with it, and dropping him off at college using it and those memories seemed so much better.
So after 8 months working with Agnes' son William on the car, we got it to start. Ever since that Ford 1966 Mustang Convertible has been so worth all the time and money it could have been.
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"Wessy! Are you coming?? I'm already all buckled in!" Maximus voice breaks me out of my thoughts. Actually, the only important thing my parents ever gave me was him. That boy is my everything, and I'd move heaven and earth for him.
"Alright, Maxy time to get this show on the road! You wanna turn on some tunes?" "You know it!"
That's how we spent the next hour, cruising down the highway listening to country at the will of my too cute little brother. Then all too soon pulling up to a large building full of uncertainty.
Pulling into a spot in the filling parking lot, I took a deep breath. Only to look back to see Maximus' panic filled eyes. After getting out of the car and coming around to his side I opened the door and came eye level to him, "Hey, you got this Maximus. I know it doesn't feel like it, and I know you want to be anywhere else right now, but we're in this together. Right? Us against the world forever?" I ask holing up my pinky finger, finally getting a smile out of the kid.
"Forever." He says linking his tiny pinky with mine. After getting out of the car, we grabbed our stuff headed into the great unknown.
Hope you all like the first REAL chapter, I'm pretty happy with it! Comment, like, whatever you do!
