Chapter 1: Reopening Old Wounds
The faint stream of techincolor washed over the aged wall paper of the Cameron trailer although no one was watching the ancient TV set. Mrs. Cameron was perched on a chair by the kitchen window, her cornflower blue eyes glued to the street outside the window panes. Her husband eyed her sorry state from across the room before diverting his gaze to his watch: 11: 09; Sean was due back two hours and... Just as he was calculating the exact time a pair of headlights streamed through the kitchen window and his wife breathed a sigh of relief. Moments later their youngest son sauntered inside, mumbled a "hey", and reached for the refrigerator door.
"In case you weren't aware, you're curfew is 9:45." Sean poked his head from out the belly of the fridge and glanced at his clearly upset father.
"Yeah I know but I got a little side tracked."
"A little side-" The graying man cradled his head, refraining himself from shouting something he'd later regret. "You can't just disappear for eight hours and not tell us where you're going. Do you have any idea what this is doing to your mom? You're breaking her heart and if you make this habit I assure you it won't be old age that kills her." Sean's hand paused over the metal cap of his root beer, taken aback by the statement. Deep within his conscience he had always felt as though he was the one responsible for her heart ailment rather than heredity.
"I'm sorry okay?" Turning his attention to him mother he assured, "It won't happen again. I promise."
"Sean?" His mother called him over with a wave, and kneeling before her she unfurled her hands and cupped them around Sean's cheeks. "An old woman's heart can take only so much. Don't disappoint me or I may just have to take away your allowance." He smiled a reply and managed a nod despite the ache in his chest at the sight of his mother, he could only imagine the pain in her laboring heart. Pain that he - not the heart attack- had caused. Satisfied Mrs. Cameron kissed her son's forehead before slowly making her way towards the bedroom she shared with her husband. When she was out of ear shot Mr. Cameron drew a chair for himself at the head of the table.
"What the hell are you doing out so late anyway?" There was no reply just the sound of Sean drumming his fingers against the glass bottle. "Sean?"
"I'm just- handling some business. Its not important so don't worry..." His words were silenced as a plastic bag was tossed onto the table.
"What's this?" As his father swept his hand over the contents Sean eyed the red lighter which wasn't too incriminating on his behalf. The real damning evidence was the glass bowl beside it, it's once transparent bottom now blackened by a recent flame. Two words ran through his mind when his father fixed a hardened gaze on him. Oh. Shit.
"Where'd you get those?"
"Give it up Sean. Is life just one big game for you? Do you think that when you do something stupid like this that all you have to do is apologize? Wake up kid there's no reset button in life. When you do something stupid there are consequences."
"Don't you think I know that?"
"If you did you wouldn't have hit that Tyler kid and skipped town. If you had any common sense you wouldn't have killed that boy up in Toronto." Sean rose so quickly that the chair he had been sitting in crashed into the wall a foot behind him.
"I told you before. The damn gun just went off."
"And what if it didn't?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You think I meant to kill him?"
"Well if he had killed that girl wouldn't you have?" The 17-year-old ran a hand down his face, shooting his father a pained smile.
"I can't believe that you think I'd just- shoot somebody."
"My son cares more about getting his next fix than his future. What am I supposed to believe?" If looks could kill Mr. Cameron would have been, a dozen times over with the glare Sean was giving him before he stormed out the front door.
I hoped you enjoyed it! Constructive critisim is always welcome!