Tomorrow I'll Breathe

I : Haunting Memories

--

Families ;

(Names and Ages have been changed)

Chadwick/Gilbert -

Claire Chadwick-Gilbert : 30

Thomas Gilbert : 31

Rikki Chadwick : 18

Emma Gilbert : 18

Elliot Gilbert : 20

Setori -

John Setori : 31

Cleo Setori : 18

Kim Setori : 15

Bennett -

Harrison Bennett : 33

Zane Bennett : 18

--

No One

Rikki Chadwick had been in denial for two years. Two whole years. She never really understood why god took away her mother, the only living parent she had left. Her father had died in a plane collision.

Even after those two years, Rikki took another year getting better. Rehab was needed. She had to learn to stop everything she did for her mother. Emma, her step-sister, had helped her through it. Elliot wanted to be he had college to attend.

Even three years later, Rikki could remeber ever little detial of what happened the fateful night she was told her mother had passed.

--

The sun had already faded into the moon, leaving the sky a dark blue. The only people out were the people coming home from work in their cars. Rikki had been home, watching television with her new step-brother, Elliot. She was younger than him by two years and, at that time, he had been seventeen years old while she had been fifteen.

The phone rang, Rikki stopped watching the animated cartoons that both blonde's liked to see, and walked over to pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey honey, how are you and Elliot?" It was her mom, Rikki rolled her baby blue eyes when she realized her mother was driving while on the phone. Shame on her.

"Hey mom, we're fine. What about you? Breaking the law, I see." She hears her mother laugh and smiles. Rikki and her mother, Clair Chadwick-Gilbert, had always had a special connection.

"Sure, darling. Don't worry, I'm making this call short and sweet." Rikki laughs at her mother's words. "Nope, that would be me." The two laugh and Rikki immediatly feels that something's wrong emotion in the pit of her stomach. She ignores it.

Her mother and her continue the conversation for two more minutes. "So, mom how was work?" It's a common question that's asked every time Claire comes home from work.

"Great! You won't believe what --" Her mother shrieks and the line goes dead. Rikki wonders what happens but spends two minutes listening to the dial tone. Hoping her mother was joking around.

--

Emma takes a ride home from her senior friend, Amanda. The two blonde's drive down the road in silence as Amanda watches the road and Emma looks out her window to see the rain drops.

Sirens are heard, both police and paramedic. As they continue their journey, the two girls see an ambulance car with it's lights on and three police cars, they also see an upside down crushed car and a yellow school bus. People surround the area.

"What happened?" Amanda pulls over and unbuckles her seat belt before getting out of the car and slamming the door. Emma does the same thing quickly, following the older teen to the scene of interest. They are contianed by the yellow tape the police but around the area.

They struggle to find their way to the front, and when they do, the sight is frightening. A woman lays on the gravel, her face covered in crimson blood with shards of glass on it. She had blonde hair that is fanned around her and is wearing a blue blouse with black trousers that are now torn. Her arms and legs are covered in bruises and scrapes.

Emma looks at the car and at the woman. It takes her a minute to realize who it is. Claire Chadwick-Gilbert. Her brand new step-mother of only five months. Her heart stops and her eyes widen as tears prick at them. She blinks them back and gets her heart started again, not wanting to cause a scene.

Taking Amanda's pale hand, she drags her back to the car and tells her to get her home right now.

--

Rikki sits next to Elliot, still curious about what happened with her mother and worried. The scream that her mother let out was one that you would when someone was about to kill you or the one that you would when you got into a car accident. The blonde shakes the thoughts out of her head: No, your mother is not dead, get a grip on yourself Chadwick!

Her thoughts frighten her and, after a minute, Elliot realizes that too. "What's wrong?" Rikki shakes her head at his words and watches the television screen, "Nothing, just...thinking." He scoots closer and looks at her, "About what?"

She can't tell him, he'll think she's stupid. The blonde would get embarassed and he'd always think of her like that. Stupid and freaky. "Nothing, Elliot. Trust me." She fakes a smile and he doesn't buy it but leaves her alone.

The door opens and closes with a slam. Emma walks into the living room with teary eyes as Elliot and Rikki look up at her. The two blonde's stand up, "What happened, Emma?" Rikki's the first one to speak. Shaking her head, the wheat-blonde sits on the couch and starts to sob.

"Emma, please tell us, your getting us worried." Rikki places her arm around her step-sister and best friend, trying to figure out whats wrong. Elliot sits next to her too, holding his sisters hand. Emma wipes away the tears and takes deep breathes, trying to calm herself down.

She turns to Rikki and holds both of the blonde's hands, "Rikki..on my way home..something happened." There's a long pause as Emma starts to tear up again, Rikki looks at her, "What happened?" Emma looks at Rikki with an i'm sorry look, "Rikki...your mom's dead." Eyes widen and the blonde's world goes dark.

--

The funeral is short and quick. Claire's body is so roughed up you can't even recognize her anymore, the shards of glass left scars all over her beautiful face.

Emma dresses in a black blouse with a black skirt, a hat, and black flats. Her wheat-blonde hair is tied into a ponytail. She weeps as they lower her step-mother's coffin down into the ground. Rikki just looks away, not wanting to see the sight. Even though tears prick at her eyes, she blinks them away. Elliot stand between Emma and Rikki while his dad stands next to Emma.

After the ceremony, everyone leaves. Emma weeps as her father and brother take her to the car but Rikki stays behind. She looks at the grave stone and tears start to run down her cheeks. Her hand connects with the stone and she feels empty, empty without her mother.

"I'm sorry." She whispers quietly before running out of the cementary, leaving the rest of her family worrying for her.

--

Elliot Gilbert never thought he'd find his fifteen year old step-sister where he did. He walked into a random bar, tired from trying to find his step-sister who had run away when he and his father were dragging Emma to the car.

Sitting down, he notices a young blonde passed out on the bar wearing all black. He turns to look at her face and realizes it's Rikki. The female bartender walks up to him and points at her, "That your sister?" Elliot picks up the younger girl in his arms, "Step-sister actually."

"Well, you better give her some heavy aspring when she wakes up tomorrow because she drank more than ten shots." With that, the red head bartneder leaves the two blondes alone. Elliot groans in despair before carrying Rikki out of the bar and home.

--

"Rikki, where are you going?" Emma asks her now sixteen year old sister. "Out." The blonde replies as she walks out of the house, slamming the door shut. Emma sighs and sinks down into the couch with a troubled expression on her face.

A year had passed since the death of Claire and Rikki was still hung over it. She went "out" and drank every night, skipped school, and had no more respect for anyone. Elliot was getting worried and annoyed at the same time, much like his sister. Both worried for Rikki, they didn't want her to end up dead or something like that. Emma hoped that she would see her sister soon and today was not the day that she'd take her life.

--

Elliot was gone to college while Emma and Rikki had turned seventeen and were now in their junior year of high school.

Emma was in school when it happened, the principal called her to his office with the loud speaker and her class mates giggled like the idiots they were. Emma walked into the principals office, which happened to be a female. "Yes, ?"

The dark haired woman looked up at the wheat-blonde from her work and gave a worried expression. "What happened?" Emma sits in one of the chairs set infront of her desk. takes off her glasses and looks at Emma, "Get your things, Rikki's in the hospital." Emma's expression is anything but happy and she rushes out of the room, not even getting her things, before driving full speed to the hospital.

--

Elliot is already at the hospital when Emma gets there. Their father wanted to come, but couldn't because of his cold-hearted boss.

"What happened to her, why is she here?" Emma asks in a rush as she walks up to Elliot. Her hair's a mess and her make-up is smudged but she'll always look pretty to him. "She passed out while walking with her friends and they called 911." Emma starts crying all over again and Elliot hugs her.

Two dark haired teesn that look Emma's age walk in and sit in the chairs for Rikki's waiting room. One is a guy while the other is a girl, they both looked worried. Emma looks at them before Elliot walks over to the strangers, "Who are you?" The pair look up at the two blondes, "I'm Zane, Rikki's boyfriend and this is Cleo, her best friend."

--

Rikki agrees to rehab for her own sake. Emma, Elliot, Cleo, and Zane breathe a sigh of relief when she announces it. Emma and Cleo pack Rikki's clothes with her as they all talk.

A month had passed by since Rikki's accident and the five had goteen close. Rikki stopped going out but that didn't stop her from drinking vodka in the morning. The four had finally gotten Rikki to agree to rehab, she said she wanted to get over her mother's death and move on.

--

Today was the day they were taking her to the rehab center only a few miles away. The drive takes an hour and the girls spend it talking about random things. "We're here, guys." Elliot announces as the building comes into view. Rikki's eyes sadden along with her mood as she sees her new "home".

"We'll call everyday, okay?" Rikki nods at Emma and Cleo's words, a small smile gracing her lips. Elliot hugs her and wishes her luck while Emma and Cleo crush her and cry about how they're going to miss her. Zane, her boyfriend of five months, kisses her softly before hugging her. That's when the water works start.

She reminds herself that this will make her better, make everyone's and her life better. Taking a deep breathe, she grabs her bags and waves goodbye before walking up to the door. The blonde looks over her shoulder to see her four friends waving goodbye, she does the same once more before entering the facility.

Smiling, she reminds herself, "It's a new start, you'll be better Chadwick."

--

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- Marie xx