Letting Go

Chapter 1

Landon

     Hey, I'm Landon. 17, I live in a small town called Bishop in South Carolina. You guessed it with a town named Bishop, Church on Sunday's. Football Friday nights, the typical cookie cutter Southern town. Population of like 400 people, which some people would say is great. Lies. It sucks, I've known everyone since I was in pull-ups.

       I've Been in school with the same faces from Kindergarten till now. The even  worse part is this town is like a never ending source of gossip. Like the hell-mouth of Gossip. You can't fart without someone knowing about it the next day. Which brings me to myself and my dad, Jay. We are the "black sheep" of the town. Apparently riding a motor cycle when you are 17 is shunned on by most good old southern folk, don't get me started on when I showed up to school with my lip ring, I thought they were gonna burn me at the stake.

       My dad owns and operates the only auto shop here in Bishop, he inherited it when he was 26, he was the head mechanic there when the owner fell ill, he loved my dad like a son and left it all in his name. "Jay's Complete Auto" the only thing that I think has kept my dad sane. He's a good man, he works hard for us, his arms covered in sleeves of tattoos, his salt and pepper beard along with his matching long hair. He's a Harley Ad on legs. We both tend to stick out in a crowd here in Bishop.

       My mom passed away two years ago, on 4th of July. Breast Cancer,  she was so strong and battled to the very end. God I miss her, but enough about that. I don't talk about her. Don't bring her up either, just don't.

      Today marks the first day of my Senior Year, bring on all the mindless bullshit no one cares about or even wants to learn. I can't wait till I never have to stop foot in that place again. It's not that I hate school, I just can't stand the people. Their annoying cliques and dumb pep rally's, I get it school spirit I just don't have any. What a shame.

       I grab my phone off my dresser next to a photo of my mom when she was pregnant with me, her beautiful deep brown eyes staring back at me, my dad always says we have the same eyes. She has a huge smile across her face as she is looking down cupping her belly, pure joy radiating from her face.

        I place a kiss on my pointer, middle and ring finger and press it against the cold glass of the picture frame. My little daily ritual my "good morning" to her if you will. She always used to kiss me on the forehead every day before school. I grab my leather jacket off my bed and head toward the hallway. My heavy Doc Martens boots clunking across the hardwood floor.

  "COME ON LANDON!" "Yeah yeah, I'm coming" I mutter under my breath. I only have to do this like what a couple hundred more times. Crap.