Spark

Chapter 1

The bright morning sun is shining through the broken blinds in my childhood bedroom but my body is aware that it's still too early to get up. I was up all night with Mom as she had yet another episode, I finally had her calmed down and in bed around three this morning. So, since the obnoxious beeping of my alarm clock has yet to disturb me, I turn over in bed to try and get some more sleep.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.....buzz, buzz, buzz.... ugh...I ignore my phone as it vibrates, it's too early to deal with anything besides the inside of my eyelids. I sigh in relief when the buzzing eventually stops and snuggle deeper into my pillows. Buzz, buzz, buzz.....buzz, buzz, buzz....OH MY GAWD! With great irritation I paw around for my phone on the nightstand, only opening my eyes to answer the damn thing.

"What?!" I huffed.

"Now Mackenzie Leigh Riley! Is that anyway to greet your favorite brother?" he laughs back at me.

"Thank God you're my only brother, Mark. Now what do you want at this ungodly hour?!" annoyance clear in my voice as I picture my big brother laughing so hard that his dimples are out in full force.

"Well besides torturing my favorite morning person bright and early, let's be real I've missed that grumpy face scowling at me first thing in the morning--"

"Can you get on with it!" I cut him off, I'm tired and the last thing I want to do is listen to him ramble on about how chipper I can be in the morning. Mark received his orders for deployment just before my graduation and was shipped out the day after. He's been gone for a few months now which means I've been dealing with Mom by myself all summer long. She's been worse since he left, refusing her medications, hiding them or taking too many. Some days she get it together and goes about the day like she has the perfect life, others she's a mess and out of touch with reality. I haven't told Mark though, I don't want him to worry. It's not like he can help from halfway around the world anyway but I'm so exhausted and quickly running out of patience.

"Okaaayy miss grumpy pants, I was calling to say happy moving day. I know it's just orientation this week but I'm proud of you and happy that you're finally getting out of that house even if it's just the other side of town." he laughs.

Hearing the sincerity in Mark's voice squashes my irritation at his early morning interruption, I sit up in bed deciding that sleep has eluded me and I might as well give up. "Thanks Markie, I wish you were here though."

"Awww, does someone miss her amazingly awesome big bro?" he teases

"No, I really just don't want to move all my stuff. I was hoping you'd be here to do it for me." Mark busted out laughing on the other end of the phone at my sarcastic remark.

"Fair enough," he laughs. "Is Brett helping you at all?" My boyfriend, Brett, is your classic boy next door, he was in my brother's grade and they played on several teams together growing up. His senior year he asked me to Homecoming, I was just a sophomore then but we have been together ever since.

"Yea, he should be here around 11 this morning with his dad's truck." I respond.

"I know Tucker left for basic but Tyler said to let him know if you need an extra hand."

Tucker has been my best friend since we moved to Hayesville when I was six and his older brother, Tyler, is Mark's. They grew up in the house next door, we've been through a lot together. So much so that we are more like family, it use to annoy Brett when we first started dating. He was always worried that there was something more behind our friendship no matter how many times I tried to reassure him. It got a little easier when Brett went out of state for college. He was only four hours away so we saw each other most weekends but since it was mostly just the two of us I didn't have to defend my friendship with Tucker as much.