Angel Park | Scomiche

Chapter 1

"I can't believe this."

Mitch rolled his eyes as he lugged his biggest duffel bag into the back of his friend Todd's car. His mother didn't sound all that happy about this decision.

"Mitch."

He stood up straight and turned to look at her.

"You can't blow your college fund backpacking around." There wasn't even disappointment in her voice, she just sounded full of disbelief. Like she couldn't actually fathom that he would want to do something other than go to college.

"I'll be fine mom. Todd, Hayes, and Kat have all vowed to take care of me the whole time." He gestured to the three individuals leaning against the car. He watched her eyes flick over them, her frown growing.

"You're just gonna follow around some band?" Her face scrunched and she crossed her arms.

"They aren't just some band, Mom." Mitch scoffed. "It's Angel Park." He wished his mom knew the weight that those words held for him. All it did was make her sigh. A long silence dragged out.

"Fine. What do I tell your father when he gets home to find his kid missing?" Great, now she was getting mad? She couldn't do that three hours ago or before his friends got there?

"Just tell him I went on a road trip for a week with Ellie and Baz." He's done it before, so it wasn't like his dad wouldn't believe it. And it wasn't technically a lie.

"And when you don't come back after a week?" Her head was shaking. He felt bad he was leaving it up to her.

"I'll call him, alright?" Mitch leaned down and finished shoving his pillow in the back. "We've got to go."

"You sure there's nothing I can say to make you change your mind?" He hated how defeated she sounded, but there really wasn't anything she could say. He had been planning this trip for months. No way in hell he backed out now.

He shook his head. "I'll text when we get to each city." He nodded to his friends and they nodded back, Hayes and Kat pushing off Todd's car to wander out to the one parked in the street. Todd opened the driver's side door.

"We'll take care of him, Mrs. Grassi." Todd tapped his knuckles on the top of the car twice.

Mitch watched his mom's eyes shift towards him, a dissatisfied grimace gracing her features. She sighed again and her eyes widened with her heavy exhale. "I can't even be mad."

Mitch arched an eyebrow. He wasn't going to complain, but he was actually surprised she was handling this as well as she was.

She continued when she looked back at his face. "You're too much like me."

Mitch tried not to let his smirk show, but when her face broke into a soft smile he couldn't help it. He took a few strides to her and they hugged tightly. "Love you."

"You too, Mitch. Please be careful."

"We will. Tell dad I'm sorry. And I love him too."

"You know he's going to be furious."

"I know, but this is what I want to do." He shrugged. It felt so simple.

"I'll see what I can do."

Mitch nodded and pulled her in for another hug. "Bye, Mom."

"Bye, baby."

He knew it wasn't really considered cool to hug your mom goodbye when rebelling, but she had always been his main supporter. Now he was going on a months long road trip away from her. As much as he was ready to get out there and experience things other than their little corner of Texas, he was nervous. He wandered over to the car and sat in the passenger seat. He only glanced up once as Todd pulled out of the driveway.