AUTHORS' NOTE

Kyle: Okay, so this is probably the first story we wrote together in about… what, eight years?

Lyle: Yeah, about 8.

Kyle: We're pretty excited about this new territory we're getting into. We'll keep the chapters of this story at an average of 4k words, and go beyond that number should this story get more attention. Critiques and ideas are highly welcomed.

Lyle: And now, without further delay, enjoy.

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"Mrs. Wade… Your son can't be in this school anymore…"

"Look, Steven is a good boy, he's just been going through al-"

"He assaulted his mathematics teacher, Mrs. Wade. I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but Mr. Thomas is intending on pressing charges… Steven could go to juvenile over this."

"He provoked him!"

"And he placed him in the hospital, in need for plastic surgery! Mrs. Wade, Steven is a dangerous, troubled young man! I can't afford another teacher to suffer the same fate!"

"Well then, you should make them stop rubbing on his bad side! Steven has been through enough, don't you think?!"

"… Mrs. Wade… I understand that Steven is hurting, which is why I suggest you take him elsewhere…"

"… What do you mean…?"

"Steven is hurting, Mrs. Wade. This town is a constant reminder of the difficult times he's been through… Leaving this town will help his emotional state and mental scars to heal… I'm really sorry, Mrs. Wade, but either this, or get ready for court."

Steven Wade is a seventeen year old boy. He has black hair with dark brown eyes; a typical teen in terms of appearance. Steven isn't a shy person at all. He is the complete opposite, in fact. His short temper and rebellious nature made him be noticed a dozen times, not in a good way. But the reason he is who he is, is because of the way he grew up… Steven was the son of a man who would get drunk every night, and return home to unload on his mother. He was forced to witness that terrible sight every night for five years, and his mother simply took it.

She took it for him.

When he reached the age of ten, he finally understood why his mother never left, why she never pressed charges. She didn't want her only son to think she left him. And on a certain night, the father got drunk again. And he was unloading on his mother. But this time, he didn't see slapping her and cursing her would be enough this time… Young Steven has had enough of watching his mother suffer for his sake. When he tried to stop him from hurting her any longer, he was tossed aside like a ragdoll.

The dread sensation of being pushed away like that had sparked something inside Steven's heart… Something he's never felt before. The sight of his mother, lying on the ground, bloodied, bruised, broken.

The longer he stared at his harmed mother, the stronger this strange sensation became in his heart. To his surprise, it wasn't grief, it wasn't an urge to cry.

It was anger.

This man has hurt his mother for so long. He made her cry so many times… He harmed him too, now. Steven's breaths became unstable as his eyes shook, and his palms balled into fists as his teeth were grinding so hard, his gums would might as well bleed.

As Steven's tantrum continued to increase, his gaze had laid upon an object on the food table. An object his mother always warned about how dangerous it was to run while holding it.

A pair of scissors.

As the drunken parent stumbled back towards the injured mother to continue, he suddenly felt excruciating pain coming from his back, followed by a damp sensation over his shirt. He reached his hand to see what it was.

It was blood. His blood.

The man's feet could no longer support his length as the red stain on the back of his shirt increased in size, until he eventually collapsed to the ground on his belly. The scissors Steven saw were stuffed in his back, where his heart is located. Steven still had the same expression on his face before he finally snapped out of his 'episode'. And the sight he saw was nothing less than horrifying to the young boy. His legs became weak, breathing became a more difficult task for him as his vision began to blur from tears taking form in his eyes. It struck him like lightning from the sky.

… He killed someone. He killed his father.

Poor Steven was in shock. The look of terror filled his eyes as he stared at the corpse of his father laying over a puddle of blood, tears rolling down his eyes as his heart was on overdrive. He crawled back, in a desperate attempt to escape the revolting sight he couldn't ignore. As his breathing became ragged and unstable, he took one look at his hands. It was then, when he realized this wasn't some sick nightmare as he hoped it was.

… His hands were covered in his blood.

Before the dam could break, Steven felt a hand gently resting on his cheek, pulling him to the side as another arm wrapped around his shoulders. It was his mother. As Steven was having a panic attack, she'd crawled across to reach her terrified son. Wounded or not, there's no way she will lie down and watch while her only son was falling apart. "It's okay, baby," She cooed with the most gentle voice she could muster. "Mommy's got you…" She pulled him closer, having his cheek rest on her chest as her chin rested on top of his head.

Steven's ragged breaths began to somewhat slow down in the warm, loving embrace of his mother. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, releasing the stress as he cried into her chest. After five years of seeing his mother suffering abuse at the hands of that man, his dam finally cracked as he bawled into her, his bloody hand clenching against her clothing as she tried her best to calm her hurting son. "It's okay, baby… I'm right here…" She soothed, gently stroking her finger against his hair.

"I'm sorry!" He spoke out between choked sobs. "I'm sorry mom… I-I didn't m-mean to-"

"Shhh~" She shushed, planting a peck on top of his head. "It's okay… It's gonna be alright, sweetie~" She planted another peck on top of his head as her fingers slowly scrubbed his black hair.

A short while later, the police had arrived. After taking the corpse and testimonies of Steven and his mother, the police decided to consider Steven's act as self defense. Ever since that night, Steven had given himself a promise.

He will never let himself be pushed around ever again… He will never let her get hurt again.

A few days after the incident, Steven decided to take a few lessons in self defense at a boxing gym near his house back then. He is now like a loaded pistol with the safety off and a finger on the trigger, patiently waiting for someone to try and bring trouble his way.

Steven was sitting inside a coach, in a seat by the window, with a toddler on his right, snoozing against his body. Steven stared blankly at the passing scenery as his mind was busy letting it all sink in. In order to avoid the possibility of going to prison, his mother sent him to live with her sister's family. Steven's right palm was completely wrapped in bandages, safe to say from the beating he gave his teacher. He looked at it, thinking about what he did to the poor man… Maybe I did went a little too far… He thought as he balled it into a fist. It hurt a bit, but not as much as it hurt him. The look on the teacher's face when he realized he made a mistake talking about how he let his mother down brought a small smirk into Steven's face.

Steven then turned his gaze to the toddler napping next to him, which brought a smile to his face. He released his fist and rested his palm on his head. The toddler slightly shifted in his seat. Steven looked back at the scenery. Nothing much to see but a lot of green grass. He let out a sigh and rested his head against his seat's headrest. Was he ready for this…? Was he ready to be somewhere other than New York? He had no idea.

A few hours had passed, and it started to get dark. The coach still hasn't reached its destination, but the driver said they're less than a hundred miles away, so it wasn't going to take long. The toddler was awake now, resting an Ipad on his lap, playing Lazors with one hand while holding an apple juice box he got from a fuel station in the other. "Lower the screen's brightness a bit, it's gonna hurt your eyes." Steven instructed, swiping his finger down on the screen and lowering the brightness for the toddler. The toddler returned to his game after Steven pulled his hand away. "Hey, bus driver!" He called out. "Are we there yet?"

"This is a coach, and no, we're not." The driver replied.

"Hurry up, then! I can't feel my toes anymore!" Steven replied, massaging one of his feet in an attempt to regain feeling of them. "I hate travelling…" He groaned under his breath.

After two hours of excruciating pain of having his legs fall asleep, the coach Steven was in had finally reached its destination. Steven and the toddler sat down on the curb of the sidewalk with his shoes off, wiggling his toes to get the blood moving in them. "Ah, I thought I'd never feel my toes again~" He said with pleasure in his voice. The toddler gave Steven's big toe a poke. "What," He asked, nudging the toddler's head. "you never seen a camel toe before?" Steven asked with a smirk. After feeling comfortable enough, he wore his shoes back on.

"TEN PERCENT LUCK, TWENTY PERCENT SKILL, FIFTEEN PERCENT CONCENTRATED POWER OF WILL,"

Steven stood up and fetched his phone as it rang. He swiped his thumb to the right and placed it on his ear. "Speak."

'Hi, Steven, it's aunt Claire.'

"Hey, aunt Claire. Good to hear from you." Steven replied with a smile on his face.

'Good to hear from you too, sweetie!' Came her reply. 'Have you arrived yet?'

"Uh, yeah. We're at the bus station near… Ketcham Park. Yeah."

'Alright, sweetie, I'll be there in five minutes. I'll see you then.' She finished as Steven hung up.

Suddenly, Steven felt a gentle tug on his trousers. Looking down, he found the toddler pointing a finger at the bathrooms while rubbing his thighs together with a begging gaze. "Alright, let's go for a potty break, then."

After the quick potty break, Steven and the toddler were with a middle-aged woman with shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes. She was driving a silver four-door sedan with Steven in the front passenger seat and the toddler in the back seat. Steven, once again, was watching the passing scenery quietly, which made it a bit awkward. Claire decided to break the silence by clearing her throat. "So… How was your trip?" She asked.

"It was boring, to be honest." Steven answered flatly. "Never really been a travel lover, y'know." He added with a shrug.

"You're just like your mother." Claire stated with a smile.

"Excuse me?"

"She hated travelling too. Now, she works as a flight host. Ironic, ain't it?" She asked, chuckling to herself.

"Well, who knew?" Steven asked, seeming to be surprised. "Then again, mom was Acrophobic, so I guess it makes sense."

"Acrophobic doesn't even begin with describing your mom when she was a teen." Claire said. "When we shared the same bedroom on the second floor, she would count the steps on the stairs. Sometimes, she'd consider the second floor a step and sometimes don't." Claire stated, giggling to herself. "Not to mention the number of times she fainted when she looks out the window of our class on the second floor back in highschool."

"Aunt Claire…" Steven's voice came and interrupted her trip down memory lane. She looked in his direction and the smile was quickly wiped off her lips. The look in his eyes was enough for her to know that he wasn't laughing. "Acrophobia isn't something you laugh about. Mom used to have a serious issue with heights that she had managed to overcome in order to put food on the table, and I would like if you stop dancing over it." He spoke in a normal tone, but his eyes held some level of anger that was enough for Claire to realize he was warning her.

"Right. You're right, I'm sorry…" Claire said as she looked back at the road. Come to think of it, Steven was right. She remembered how some girls would make fun of her because of her fear of heights. "… I'm sorry, Stevie," She apologized, the sincerity evident in her voice. "I shouldn't have said that… Your mother has always been a kind person." She stated.

"Ain't that the truth…" Steven muttered, not even looking at her, but at the scenery outside.

Claire realized that she might've made a wrong move by talking about his mother's phobia. She needed to get back in his good graces again, which gave her an idea as she smiled. "You know, Stevie, it was your mom who introduced me to your uncle." She spoke. Steven turned his attention back to her as she smiled at him. Now she had his attention, that's a good first step. She needed to continue. "On our senior prom, When no one asked me to go with, your mother decided to share her prom date with me. At first, I thought she was feeling sorry for me, but then I realized that she knew I had feelings for him." She sighed softly. "We spent the whole night together, and even though she spent the prom alone, she said that matching a couple was worth it… She's the kindest person I know… Always putting others' needs before hers…"

Steven couldn't agree more. His mother gave so much for him and never stopped giving. A smile crept on Steven's lips as he leaned back in his chair. "… Royal Woods, huh?" He asked. "What's it like in here?"

"It's not as loud and crowded, so I'm sure you'll like it here, sweetie." Claire assured. "People here are very friendly and there's a lot to do." She added as Steven hummed in response. "If you want, I can make Carol show you around." She offered.

Steven slightly perked up at the mention of her name. Of course! He thought. I forgot about Carol! "I'd like a tour around the city." He muttered. Crap, He thought. I can't let her see my right hand! He shouted mentally as he rubbed his sore limb. This didn't go unnoticed by his aunt.

"Does it hurt? Want me to check it for you?" She asked. Steven hasn't answered as he continued to rub his injured hand. "Stevie? Hello? Earth to Steven." Still no response. "Steven!" That did the trick. Steven snapped out of his episode with a flinch. "Is there a problem, dear?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Huh? N-no, it's just the bandage. It's making my palm itch." He replied, resting his palms on his thighs. "So, uh… Are we there yet?" He asked.

"We're already home, Stevie." She answered. It wasn't a lie. Her car was parked in the driveway, next to a black 2012 Hyundai Sonata.

Steven nodded, quietly undoing his seatbelt and opening his door. He then opened the door behind him, revealing the toddler already snoozing. Steven smiled, unbuckling his seatbelt before wrapping his arms around him and picking him up. Claire was by the trunk, trying to pull the heavy luggage out. "Ugh, it won't budge," She complained.

"It's okay, aunt Claire, I got it." Steven said, using his free hand to grab the heavy Trunk's handle.

"Oh, don't worry, Stevie, I'll have your uncle carry…" She trailed off as Steven pulled the bag out and walked towards the door with ease, even with the toddler sleeping on his left shoulder. "…it inside…" She finished, shock evident in her face. Where did he get that strength?

"Aunt Claire?" Steven called, gesturing at the door with his head, since his hands were busy. She quickly understood what he meant and walked over, unlocking the door and letting them in.

"Welcome to the Pingrey Household, Sweetie." Claire greeted as she led Steven into her house. It was a typical suburban two-story house, not too big, nor flashy. It looked like a chill place to live in, Steven thought. Maybe it's not so bad to come here, after all, he considered as he walked into the living room. It was spacious, with not much decoration that crowded the open space. A dark blue leather couch for three rested in front of a coffee table, facing a big flat-screen T.V. Upon said couch, was someone he should've expected to see in her own house. She was Carol Pringrey, who was busy texting on her phone, and next to her was a girl that looked like a Goth with blonde hair? His doubts were confirmed when he realized she was watching Vampires of Melancholia. "Girls, you remember your nephew, Steven, right?" Claire introduced, getting both of their attention.

The remained silent for a few moments. The blonde goth gave him a deadpan stare that he could recognize from goths, while the older blonde's lips began to take the shape of a wide smile. "Stevie!" She greeted, putting her phone on the coffee table in the process and made her way across the room, giving Steven a warm hug. "It's so good to see you!" She exclaimed with honest joy.

Steven lowered the heavy trunk to the ground and wrapped his right arm around her to return the hug. "It's to see you too." He replied with a smile.

Carol then released the hug, looking him up and down. "Oh my gosh, look at you!" She exclaimed. "You lose the glasses and swapped them with abs, eh~?" She asked with a half-lidded look and smirk. Indeed, his body built was noticeably muscular, but not too muscular at that note. She also noticed that although his body figure changed since the last time they met, he was a few inches shorter than her.

"I guess you can say puberty hit me hard, heh." Steven replied with a sheepish chuckle, his cheeks tinged with pink from her compliment.

"Well, I think puberty did you justice," She released the short hug. "It's about time we have a good looking man in the family." She finished as Steven sheepishly scratched the back of his head as Claire giggled at a flustered Steven. He's not used to compliments, it seems.

"Hey!" A childish, male voice cut in. The three turned their sight to the source of the voice, only to see Carol's little brother, Conner, standing by the stairs, obviously offended by Carol's comment.

"Oh, right, Steven, this is my little, and annoying, little brother, Conner." Carol introduced, Steven nodding in acknowledgement. "Conner, this is our nephew, Steven."

"'Sup?" Steven greeted.

Conner remained silent, scanning the stranger in front of him before remembering the last time his mother took him and his sisters to her family gathering when he was 3 years old. Then, the memory struck him. "Didn't you used to wear glasses?" He asked.

"Used to, they're gone now." Steven answered with a smile.

"What happened to your hand?" Steven mentally kicked himself for not seeing this question coming.

Carol gasped as she took notice. "What happened to your hand?!" She asked, gently holding it to inspect it closely.

"O-oh, well… I, uh… I had a freak out playing Turbo Fighter X, and… Kinda punched through the wall… heheh." He lied, grinning sheepishly. They don't need to know about it, He thought.

"Great, another Conner." The middle blonde finally spoke.

"Oh, she does speak," Steven commented. "I'm Ste-"

"I know." She interrupted flatly. "I'm Cassy," She introduced, standing up as her show ended. "I'm going up to my room. T.V.'s all yours." She walked past Conner and up the stairs. Steven girded his eyebrow at the cold demeanor. Then again, she is one of those gloomy teens, despite having blonde hair.

"She seems nice." Steven commented.

"She is," Carol added, before leaning closer and whispered. "She's a goth."

"I figured." He muttered, nodding in confirmation. "Anyways, um… Can you show me where can we sleep? He's heavy for his size, you know." He said, gesturing to the sleeping toddler he's carrying.

"Oh, right. Come, I'll show you" Carol said, walking up the stairs with Steven carrying the toddler and the trunk behind her. She led him across the hallways to a bedroom used for guests. It obtained two beds with sky blue blankets to match the wall paint, two nightstands, and a dresser. It was a simple bedroom, basically. "You can sleep in here," Carol offered. She got curious, though; Who is that child? "Um, Stevie?" Started, capturing his attention. "Who is he?"

"Oh, right, I forgot." Stevie laid the toddler down on one of the beds, removing his shoes and leaving the socks to keep his feet warm. "He's Toby, my step brother." He introduced, running his hand over Toby's head, making him turn to his side as he slept peacefully.

"Oh? I didn't know you had a brother." Carol expressed in surprise.

"Well, a lot has changed in eleven years, Carol. Ever since… the incident…. Mom decided to move on, so she met this guy who owns this trucking business. I didn't like him at first, but he turned to be a really nice guy, so I began to like him." He explained, barely smiling at the memories. "Toby's four years old now, but I grew attached to him a lot." He added, staring at his little brother.

Carol couldn't help but smile at the sight. She knew Steven has always been a kind, loving person. He just never showed it. Even when they were little, he'd always share his candy with her whenever they went to buy some. She wouldn't say it, but she really missed having him around. She then decided to break the silence before it got awkward. "Anyway," She started. "Dinner is gonna be ready in thirty minutes. Why not take a shower and change? Dad will be home by then." She offered, turning on her heel and leaving the two brothers alone as Steven nodded quietly.

Steven had so much to be ready for, but he was scared to. He wasn't ready for this change. He didn't know anything, or anyone in this place. But what pained him the most was that he had to be away from his mother. It's not that he didn't want to leave her side, But how could he protect her if he wasn't even there for her? Before he knew it, Steven's mind began to fill up with awful scenarios, like having her kidnapped, or get shot by thief trying to take her purse, or a car might hit her as she crosses the road, or someone breaking into their apartment an-

"Kids! Dinner is on the table!" Came his aunt's voice from the dining room and snapping him out of his episode.

Without even realizing, Steven had spent the last thirty minutes thinking about what could happen to his mother in his absence. He shook these thoughts off his head and stood up. Moms' gonna be alright, He thought. He then opened his trunk and pulled out a grey pair of slacks, a black T-shirt, and some clean underwear and made his way towards the bathroom to clean up. Normally, he'd skip the shower, but new house, new rules he thought.

AUTHORS' NOTE

Kyle: Okay, so this chapter is just the setup for what's about to come. The story will become more interesting from this point, we promise.

Lyle: On a side note, we're still learning the usage of this website. So if you have any pointers on how to use it, that would be magnificent.

Kyle: We'd figure out how to use it ourselves, but we're uh…

Lyle: Too lazy to do it ourselves?

Kyle: I was gonna say busy, dude.

Lyle: That makes one of us, at least.

Kyle: Anyways… Be sure to read and review this chapter!