Troublemaker

Chapter 1

After A Drink or Two

I wake up to the smell of sweat and alcohol. Where am I? I sit up from the couch and survey my area. I seem to be in a house? But who's? There are red cups and other people sleeping on the floor. I try to rub the excruciating headache away. I stumble outside; the wind blows my curly red hair. The yellow leaves sway in the wind. How long have I been out of it, hours, day's weeks? However long it has been I know something is wrong. I quickly run towards town, Chester's Mill. Before I can even think about anything I smash into something invisible and blood drops down my face from my nose. What the hell is that? I stand up and touch the invisible wall and I leave blood smears dripping down in thin air. I turn in fright and go a different way into town.

When I get to the town centre its completely empty. The corner store is completely empty and cleared out as well as the pharmacy and Sweetbriar Rose Pub and Restaurant. I slowly open the creaky door to the restaurant and peer inside. Everything is thrown everywhere and the front window on the glass is smashed, and there are no customers. I slowly walk in and close the door. Where could everyone be? I can remember coming here with my mom when I was a little younger and got along with her. I would always order the grilled cheese and cover it with ketchup. My mother would always tell me to go easy with it. We never went out together often. Hell, I never saw her. She was always working, researching for her next story. Even my father was working all the time. He was a doctor at the local clinic, so often I would spend days by myself. When I got to be a teenager I took advantage of it. I chuckle; I still take advantage of it. That's also what got me into trouble more times than I can count, whatever you can think if, I have done. That's where I was when I woke up. The aftermath of a party but I must say it was an awesome one at that!

I walk around the counter and see a huge blood stain. Who died here? "Rose?" I call out, no answer. I walk to the back of the restaurant into the kitchen. Lying on the table is a body covered on a sheet. "Rose?" I whisper. I slowly pull back the sheet and see her smashed head and a lot of blood. I stumble backwards and fall onto the floor. Dead, she is dead. I quickly cover her back up and run out of the restaurant onto the empty streets. Police, I need police. As much as I dislike them I need them. I run towards the Chester's Mill police station.

I reach the front doors and am out of breath. I pant as I enter the bull pen and I see Linda Esquivel sitting at her desk writing a case report. "Linda!" I scream and run towards her. She stands up and I give her a huge hug.

"Skylar, what's wrong?" she asks.

"Where is everybody? Where's Duke or my mom and dad?" I look around nervously. She sighs and notices my bloody nose.

"What happened to you?"

"I ran into this invisible wall thing? What is it? What happened to Chester's Mill?"

"Here, sit Skylar." She pulls up a chair across from me. I sit down and she explains everything to me.

A dome, how could this happen? Apparently I was out for seven days? I think I might have partied a little too hard. How the hell did we get stuck inside a dome? Will we run out of air, food, medicine? Will we all go crazy and kill each other? How did it get here? I have so many questions. We needed water, and then it rained? So it can rain inside here.

"Are my parents all right?" I ask worried Linda hesitates for a moment.

"We haven't heard from your father since Dome day; the day the Dome came down. You mother is all right she was the one who reported your father missing. She thinks he is outside the Dome." I let it sink in. How did this happen? Why Chester's Mill? I look around the empty police station then back to Linda. I can remember my first time in the police station. I had gotten arrested for drunk driving, no license, and theft because I stole my mom's car and illegal drugs. They cuffed me and took me to the station. Linda gave me this whole speech as to I can change my life and she knows how hard it is to not have parents around. At that time I was fifteen, two years ago and nothing has changed.

I notice that Linda is twisting her engagement ring, she is distracted. She is probably thinking about Rusty. She must miss him a lot.

"Is he on the other side?" I ask her. She is ripped from her thoughts.

"Who?" She asks.

"Rusty, is he on the other side of the Dome?" She sighs and looks at the ground, "Yes." I wonder how long they were together for. It's none of my business but they seem to be really in love. Unlike my parents, my father was always somewhere else. Even on weekends when he wasn't working. I can remember a man who came around looking for him. Saying he was from the bank and that he wanted to talk about the house. I told him that I hadn't seen my father in a couple days. Which wasn't a lie, he hadn't come home for three days. My mother was getting worried that he hadn't come home. Luckily that night he came back and they argued. The next day he was gone again, just like that. One day I decided to follow him up to a cabin. Another guy I hadn't seen before came and I could hear a struggle happening. I heard gun shots and the man reappeared but my father didn't but I will always remember the man's face. I ran fast as I could home. I didn't know what to do, but I heard about a party that was being put on. So I decided to go and well, I did things to help me forget, some drugs and alcohol. Next thing I knew I woke up on the couch. And well you know the rest so far.

"Where's my mom?" I ask. I stand up and peer out the window, looking at the Dome. I can see Joe McAllister walking, running his hand across it. I wonder what he has been up to while I was out. I wonder if his sister has stopped being a bitch yet. I hear someone enter the station and I turn to see Junior Rennie standing in a police uniform. It sends chills down my spine. There has always been something off about him. He just seems, crazy maybe even Psychotic.

"I don't know where your mom is." Linda says. "Barbie might know they have been working together recently." She gives a grin that means there something she's not letting me in on. Barbie, the name makes me nauseas. He was the one, the one that killed my father. I remember now, he drove a Challenger. He used to sit down the block in his car a lot. I went up to him one day and asked his name. He told me Barbie, I remember because it is an unusual name for a man. How could I have forgotten that he killed my father? I was just so frightened when it happened that I didn't tell my mother, I just knew I had to forget about it, and fast.

Linda radios to Barbie and he says that he will send her over and that she is glad that I am ok. Linda tells Junior to go do something in the town and he leaves. She comes and stands beside me.

"So, do you want to tell me what you were doing for seven days, trapped under this fish bowl? And being totally unaware of what's happened?" I sigh; I can't really tell a cop about how I was at a party, drinking illegally and doing heavy illegal drugs with a bunch of other teens. Whose parents are probably outside the Dome anyway? I shake my head, no. "Skylar, I all ready know. I just need for you to tell me so I can seize them. We are all trapped under here and having illegal drugs with the mix of craziness will just be a complete disaster. Please." She is practically begging me to give myself up. Hell no, not gonna happen today or ever sweetheart. My mom comes bursting through the door.

"Skylar, you're all right!" She runs over and gives me a giant hug. "I thought I lost you. I couldn't lose Peter and you." I don't hug her back, I just stand there awkwardly. The truth is I don't really care. I would rather just be on my own. I don't know why Linda called her. I just wanted to know where she was. Anyway, now that she is here I have to go home. It doesn't matter; I will just sneak out the window after she has gone to bed.

"Skylar, do you think you could give me and your mom a minute?" Linda asks.

"Whatever."

"You will wait in the car; I don't want you wandering off again." My mom says.

"Mom, I'm eighteen, I am sure I will be fine."

"Not with the Dome, I want you to stay away from it. Now go." I sigh she can be so unbelievable sometimes. I leave the police station and go and sit in my mom's Prius. God, I hate this car, it's so ugly. I have always hated it since she bought it from Big Jim at his car dealership years ago. A few minutes later she comes out of the station not looking happy. Linda probably made everything worse than it really is. So what if I did way too much drugs and alcohol, I am a teenager that's what we do. Not to mention I saw my father being murdered by a man my mom hangs out with and was stalking my father. We drive through Chester's Mill and I take in the severity of it all. All the grocery stores have been cleared out along with the corner store and both pharmacies. How does Linda keep everyone sane? How many people have we lost since the Dome came down? I notice that my mom's car is running low on gas. We probably have ran out of it in Chester's Mill.

We reach our house and we sit in the driveway in silence. I wonder what she is thinking about. Probably how she is going to yell at me for all the things I do and trouble I cause. Great for her, get over it. I have always been mean to my mother like this. But hey, how many eighteen year olds are really crazy about their parents? Also, how many people get stuck under a Dome and are forced to stay with their parents?

I finally get out of the car and head into the house. I stroll into the kitchen and make myself food. Having a hangover is never fun. I search around in the fridge for something greasy and come up empty. I can hear my mom come in from the front door and go upstairs. She says nothing to me, which I think makes it worse. She should just yell at me and get it over with. God, I hate living in this house. I sit in the living room and stare at the many photos of my parents. Some of them have been removed? Which I find weird, my mom never took them down even when they argued and he left. I see a small box on the mantel on the fireplace. I get up and open it, inside in the little slots are my mom's wedding rings. I take them out and look at them. On the inside of the ring engraved into it is 'Till Death Do Us Part' and the date they were married. Ha, I laugh I just find that extremely ironic. I take them out of the box and put them in my jeans pocket.

I hear two sets of footsteps coming down the stair. One stops and one continues on. Who else is in the house? Is it my father? My mom comes down the stairs and tells me to sit on the couch. I do as I am told, now is the time she is going to completely lose it.

"So, do you want to tell me what you have been doing since you left, because Linda has a very interesting idea?"

"I wasn't doing anything un-normal. What else am I supposed to do in this hell hole?"

"Don't use language like that with me. Where do you get it from?"

"What my mouth? I probably get it from your fights with dad. Or do you mean the drugs and alcohol?"

"I mean the drugs and alcohol. Who's your dealer?"

"What, so you can put him in the next newspaper? No thank you. I will be leaving now." I stand up and walk away. She yells at me to stop and the second pair of footsteps comes down the stairs. A man with blond hair and a beard comes into view and I recognize him right away. "It was you!" I scream at him, "You're the one who killed him!" I find myself filled with anger and hatred. I punch him in the face and my mother grabs me to keep me away. He looks shocked. I want revenge for my father's death. I can see Barbie walking out of the cabin after the guns shots went off, he had a cut across his right eyebrow. I can still see the scar from it. He looks a little shocked. Has he told her?

"Skylar, why did you hit Barbie?"

"What is he doing in our house?"

"He's –"She hesitates, "A friend."

"No! You guys are not sleeping together are you?" They both say nothing. He hasn't told her yet or else this wouldn't have happened. "He killed my father! Why my mom! You killed her husband now you are together? You're horrible!" I struggle out of my mom's grip.

"Skylar, don't be stupid. What are you talking about? Your father left me. The house was in foreclosure. He ran off somewhere. He's outside the Dome." I look at Barbie and smile.

"You haven't told her, you little-"

"Skylar that is enough, you don't even know him!"

"He's lying to you! How can you not know! You're so stupid! I hate both of you!" I run out the front door and down the street to a large wheat field and collapse in a heap of tears. I lay there in the warm sun with the tall yellow wheat swaying beside me. My red hair falls around me in spiral curls. People say I look a lot like my mom; we both have naturally red curly hair. I used to straighten my hair all the time. I just got tired of it and it just wasn't good for my hair, to fry it every day. I can hear someone approaching me.

"Skylar, are you ok?" Joe, Joe McAlister.

"What do you want McAlister?"

"Are you ok, what's wrong?" He sits beside me and stares up to the sky giving me some space. Not trying to get me to tell him everything right away. He is just letting me know that someone is there to listen. Joes is actually a really nice guy, unlike his sister who is a complete bitch to everyone. I don't even know how Junior hasn't all ready like killed her. But I really like Joe; he is nice to everyone and is trust worthy. I look up at him sitting beside me with his knees at his chest.

"What's new with you?" I study him; the sun is making his hair glow a chocolate brown colour. He is wearing a red and white t-shirt and jeans, the usual for Joe.

"Well, my girlfriend broke up with me last night. I'm pretty bummed about that."

"Why? What happened between you two?" I ask twirling my spiral curls with my fingers.

"She's kinda mad at me. Her mom died last night. But she helped bring a baby into the world. Your mom and her new boyfriend actually helped too."

"Oh, yeah I know about them. I just found out actually. That's kinda why I am upset."

"Yeah, I can see why. What about Dr. Shumway?"

"What about my father?" I ask wiping tears off my cheeks. I have stopped sobbing but all the emotion is still there. I am glad that Joe is here with me. He is a good listener and we both have things that are upsetting us. My next problem is that I have no where to stay. I definitely can't go back home because he will be there and I have disowned my mother.

"Well, where has your dad gone? Is he outside the Dome?" I gulp. How can I tell this to Joe, about Barbie and the cabin? I just can't tell him everything.

"I don't know." He nods. A harsh wind comes in and the sun disappears behind a dark grey cloud. It looks as though it is about to rain? But how is that possible inside the Dome? Joe looks up at the dark clouds surrounding Chester's Mill. Rain begins to pour down and we get soaked in a matter of seconds. Joe jumps to his feet and grabs my hand.

"C'mon! We are going to get super soaked!" I stumble to get to my feet and trip over my shoes, these damn boots with heels. I kick them off and run through the wet wheat field. We hit the wet concrete and my feet make a smacking noise as we run along in the rain. I have no idea where Joe is taking me. We laugh as Joe slips in a puddle and falls to the ground pulling me with him and on top of him. I can feel his heart beating; we are so close to each other. I can feel his body heat break through the cold rain falling around us. He moves his face closer to mine. I know that he is going to kiss me. No, I can't let him; I quickly get up and pull him to his feet. He looks a little hurt that I stopped but I just can't have extra weight right now. He takes my hand and we run to Joe's house and he slams the door closed. The warm heat of the house takes the chill of the rain away. Water drips down my neck and my blue skinny jeans stick to my legs. My chiffon 80s style blouse is also stuck to me. I have no clothes to change into and taking these off will be like rocket science. I will have to like peel off my jeans. I look at Joe who is shaking his head like a dog trying to get the water out. I hear a flash of lighting I scream and jump towards Joe, he catches me.

"Sorry, I- I just really hate thunder storms." The power flickers and turns completely out. I look around in the dark hallway which lights up occasionally with the flashes of lightning. A loud clap of thunder sends chills down my spine and I gasp. Joe holds my hand and takes me into the living room. I drop my grey shoes beside the couch and Joe sits beside me. He lights a few candles to provide some sort of light. He says that the generator must have over loaded from the lightening and that he will fix it tomorrow. We sit there on the couch in silence hearing the clock ticking and the thunder booming.

It's one o'clock in the morning by the time I fall asleep. I lie down beside Joe on the couch and fall asleep to his soft breathing. My mind wanders to all the possibilities about the Dome. I pull out my mom's rings and inspect them. I run my hand down the silver band and across the diamonds. Why did Barbie kill my father? I should do more investigating on that. I can hear someone coming down the stairs softly. They stop at the edge of the living room. Angie whispers Joe's name, I guess she was just checking up on him. She is making sure that he was all right during the thunder storm. Joe stirs and rolls over towards me, he wraps his arms around me and holds me close. Why did he want to kiss me? Is it because he broke up with his girlfriend? He wants someone to love him again, to help him forget her, to move on? I can smell his cologne, our clothes are still wet from the rain but the water has been warmed from our body heat. It has started to get uncomfortable but I am so tired I don't care at this point. I can hear Joe breathing, in, out, so calm. BOOM, a clap of thunder startles me. I pull myself closer to Joe, to protect myself. I close my eyes and try to sleep. Not to think about anything, nothing about my mom, Barbie, my dad. Nothing, just silence, calmness, I eventually fall asleep.