"Mom please don't marry him." Fifteen year old Kaylee Landon pleaded.
"Honey, I love him and know I want to spend the rest of my life with him. Now you can except that or not but either way I'm marrying Ryan." Her mom, Sarah, replied. They were driving to Kingsport where her mom's fiancee, Ryan Franklin, lived. He had convinced her mom to move there so he wouldn't have to leave his fancy house or life and so without question Sarah had packed up their stuff and was now driving three states over to be with him.
"You thought that about dad too." She muttered under her breath. She had never actually known her father, the only thing she knew was that he had left her mom the day he found out she was pregnant with Kaylee and that didn't make him the father of the year in her book.
"That was different and you know it Kaylee. I was young and stupid." She was told as they pulled onto a street full of huge houses.
"Now your old and stupid." Kaylee muttered so her mom could hear her. She knew it was disrespectful but at this point she didn't care what her mom thought. She was sick of listening to what a great man Ryan was. To her all adult males were scum.
"Kaylee Marie Landon! I have had it with your attitude!" Her mom yelled.
"Well I've had it with yours too!" Kaylee replied equally as loud and with more attitude.
"I do not have time to put up with a tantrum from you. We will talk about your attitude later." She was told as they pulled into the driveway of a huge Victorian mansion, the argument getting pushed aside at the thought of seeing Ryan.
"Sarah," The tall brown haired man who had to be Ryan said happily as soon as they got out of the car. "Kaylee." He added as she reluctantly got out of the car. She ignored the hand he held out for her to shake and instead focused on looking around the neighborhood. "Shall we go inside." He asked a moment later already heading towards the house.
"No we love standing outside in the heat." She muttered sarcastically as she followed her mom and Ryan into the house.
"Oh Ryan it's beautiful." She heard her mom gush as she looked around the huge living room.
"Thank you I knew you would love it. Come Kaylee I'll show you your room." He told her heading up the stairs.
"Yippy." She told him as she slowly followed. She hadn't expected him to pull the bedroom bribe this early but she figured he was desperate for her to like him.
"Here it is." He said as he opened a door majestically to reveal a huge bedroom. She walked into it a little ways and was surprised to see a walk in closet and her own bathroom. "Do you like it?" He asked her hopefully.
"Not really." She told him. It was a lie of course. She loved it. The walls were a deep red color and the bed was big enough for at least five people.
"You know this attitude of yours isn't helping things so if I were you I would stop it before something happens." He told her his voice low so no one else could hear, the fake cheerfulness was gone and there was a hint of anger in its place.
"Is that a threat?" She asked.
"If you want it too be." He told her.
"Then it is and I'm sure my mom will love to hear that your threatening me." She said grinning.
"Like your mom will believe you." He told her returning the grin. She stared at him for a few seconds trying to think of a way she could have the last word but nothing came to mind. Instead she turned and walked back downstairs. She could hear her mom in the room she assumed was the kitchen so she walked past it and out the front door to think.
"I hate him. I hate him. I hate him." She muttered as she walked around his lawn trying to contain her temper.
"Hate who?" Someone asked. She looked up startled and saw a boy her age in the yard next to her.
"Nobody." She answered quickly. She wasn't about to tell a complete stranger about her problems. Especially a stranger that probably knew Ryan.
"I'm Tyler." He told her extending his hand over the fence that was separating them.
"Kaylee." She replied shaking his hand.
"So are Ryan's niece or something?" He asked as he leaned against the fence and looked at her.
"No thank God." She answered before realizing what she was saying.
"Then what are you doing here?" He asked and she kicked herself for starting the conversation. The last thing she needed was to pour her heart out to some stranger.
"My mom made me move here." She answered trying to give out as little information as possible.
"Why?" He asked and she wanted to scream at his persistence.
"Because, I really don't want to talk about it and I have to go anyway." She told him quickly. He was invading her security bubble and she didn't like it at all.
"Wait!" He called but she was already walking back to the house.
"Where were you?" Her mom asked as she walked through the front door.
"Outside. I'm going to my room." She answered not in the mood to deal with anyone.
"What about your dinner?" Her mom asked worry etched on her face.
"I'm not hungry." She answered and she walked up the stairs and into her room. For the rest of the night she unpacked her stuff and set up her room like she wanted it to be. Before she knew it, it was midnight. Knowing she had school the next day she got into her pajamas and went to bed.