Summer – Chapter 1 – Back home

Summer. A month full of nothing but boredom and heat. Sweaty bodies line the streets in the days, trying to stick under the shade. A perfect time of year for nothing but laying in bed, listening to music and playing video games in your own heap of mess that passes as a room. The sweat drenched covers underneath your barely clothed body and the slow twirling fan over head, just a typical day in the hell-fire months.

"Lyna! Get over here!" Perfect. A girl rolled off the bed, falling only inches to the floor. Breath hitched in her throat, stuck in a partial sigh. "Lyna!"

"Blasted woman..." She muttered while she picked herself off the ground. "I'm coming, Ashalle!"

She pulled a pair of shorts off the ground and over her legs, covering her underwear and meeting up with the hem of her shirt. She threw the door open and walked over to the source of the voice.

"What are you- oh never mind that. Tamlen is here." Her foster mother nodded her head over in the direction of the living room. Another stupid boy, another stupid day. Lyna dragged her feet across the wooden floor and onto the carpet of the living room.

There he was, sitting and watching T.V as usual. That horrid mess of a blond puff stuck out against the couch. He turned enough for his eyes to peak over the top of the backrest.

"Lethellan!" He jumped up. Stupid boy.

"Lethellin – Tamlen. I missed you! How was your trip?" Lyna ran to meet him. He pulled her into a deep hug. Ashalle let out a small chuckle before turning back to her kitchen duties.

"It was pretty goo- your shorts are backwards, and inside out." Her cheeks flushed at his words. Stupid day. "I've seen you worst, but you're pretty out of it, aren't you, Lyna?" He let out a chuckle. She slapped him, hard. "Ow! What did I do."

"You're over due, by 2 weeks." Lyna rubbed her hands over her shorts to ease the numbness. The boy sat back down. He rubbed the redness on his arm. The perfect print of her hand was graphed into

his white skin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hit that hard." She took her spot beside him.

Silence. Almost. The T.V., fans, dishes being washed – soon followed by the chopping of food on a cutting board. Lyna leaned her head against his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her.

"What should we do today?" Tamlen asked her, nuzzling his nose into her hair. Her bright green eyes looked up at him. "Alright. Lets go." He got up and helped her up with him. Lyna smiled at him, then parted for her room. "I'll go start the truck." He called after her.

"Take care of her, will you, Tamlen?" Ashalle peeked over the corner, just enough to catch his eye. He let out a small chuckle and put on his shoes.

"I think she can take care of herself." He said before opening the door.

"Of that, I have no doubt. But please, for my sake." She asked him once more. He nodded in agreement and left the small trailer.

Lyna rushed to put on a proper pair of shorts – the right way, she made sure. She grabbed her eyeliner from the messy vanity and her brush and left for the door.

"I'll be back before dark, Ashalle!" She called, struggling to quickly put on her sneakers and brush her hair at the same time, the eyeliner sticking out of her mouth like a tooth pick.

"There'll be food waiting for you when you get back. Don't get yourself into anymore trouble. You know Ilen doesn't like you messing in his shop!" Ashalle spoke sternly.

"I won't!" Lyna slammed the door on her way out.