"Welcome to Tree Hill," I thought as I pulled into the drive way of our new house. My little brother, Rickie, was trying to keep our dog, Raven, under control, while our baby sister, two year old Mackenzie, was squirming in her car seat. We had just made the long, seemingly endless drive from our childhood home in California, to the bleak reality that was now our life in Tree Hill, North Carolina.
"Riley, why did we have to move?" Rickie asked for the millionth time. He was twelve and moving had taken its toll on him, as it did for my sister and me. We had loved the sun and beauty of California, right up until the night Mackenzie was born and we lost our mother.
"Because my uncle was the only relative we had that was willing to put the three of us up for a while," I said with a sigh. "After nana died, you knew it was inevitable, Rickie," I added. Our grandmother had been taking care of us since our mother died two years earlier. She died during labor. It had been the best and worst day of our young lives. When our grandmother died a month ago, the courts spent endless hours tracking down whatever relatives they could. Since all three of us had different fathers, and our grandmother had been the last living relative on our mother's side, when Keith, my father's brother, stepped up to take us in, it was that or off to a foster home for my younger siblings. I had gotten emancipated after our mother's death, but no court in their right mind would grant a seventeen year old custody of her twelve and two year old siblings.
"I hate it here," Rickie complained as he let Raven out of the impala that I had unwillingly inherited from my mother.
"We haven't even been here five minutes, Rickie. And besides, don't you want to make new friends?" I asked him gently as I got Mackenzie out of the back seat. She clang to me, her little hands gripping tightly at the front of my shirt.
"I guess," Rickie huffed. "But we don't even have family here."
"You remember Keith," I said with a smile. "He came up for Christmas the one year. Brought mom the little black ball of fur we now adore," I reminded him, motioning to Raven, who was running around the front yard like a mad man. "Remember that was how Raven got her name."
"I know," he sighed. "Where is Keith, anyway?"
"Probably at the shop. He told me to stop by after we unloaded the car. I guess he has a nephew that is willing to help move us in," I shrugged. "Didn't know Dan decided to reproduce after me," I laughed.
"Have you ever met him? Dan I mean?" Rickie asked. He knew I didn't know my birth father. He walked out the moment he found out my mother was pregnant, and we hadn't heard from him since.
"No," I shrugged. "Don't really want to either," I added honestly. "C'mon, let's move the boxes into the front hall and wait for the movers to get here. Then we can go down and see what can be done about moving stuff in."
"We could do it ourselves, you know," Rickie muttered. He was still sulking about having to leave his friends behind. He didn't make friends easily. Not because he wasn't social, but because he never seemed to fit in. I knew the struggle. I never had friends growing up. I had a few people I could talk to but no one I really considered a friend. Especially after our mom died and my entire life revolved around my siblings.
We made quick work of the boxes we had loaded into the trunk of the impala and waited patiently for the moving truck to arrive. When it did, we told them just to unload what they could. I left Rickie in charge of that, while I loaded Mackenzie back into the car and drove the short distance to Keith Scott's auto repair shop. I pulled in, unsure of what exactly I could expect.
"Riley!" Keith called eagerly as Mackenzie and I made our way up the sidewalk. He looked at the little girl in my arms for a moment, before grinning. "This must be little Kenzie, huh?"
"Yeah," I nodded, rocking the girl in my arms. "She's a handful," I laughed. "It's good to see you, Keith."
"You too, I just wish it was under better circumstances," he sighed.
"Yeah well, at least you stepped up. No one else wanted to deal with three kids they didn't know," I shrugged. "So where's this nephew of yours?"
"Lucas!" Keith called over his shoulder. I waited patiently until a tall, blonde hair, blue eyed kid walked out of the shop. He looked about my age. It was like seeing the male version of myself. His tall, lanky build was similar to my slender, graceful one, his sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes mirrored my own.
"Well damn," I muttered. "Definitely Dan's kid."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, a frown forming.
"Keith said you were Dan's," I shrugged. "I didn't believe him. But the look," I shrugged. "we actually look related."
"Like carbon copies," Keith laughed. "I think Luke's a few weeks older than you, right?" he asked.
"A month," I nodded. "I was born early though. Apparently I'm supposed to be the baby, instead of stuck in the middle." I had learned about the existence of both my half-brothers only weeks prior. "Does what's his name know I exist yet?"
"Nathan?" Keith asked. "No."
"Let's keep it that way. I don't mind being the shock of a lifetime, but I don't want to be the one to tell him that his father's a no good cheater either," I chuckled.
"It's a small town, Riles, it's gonna get around," Keith reminded me, using the petname he used in our letters to one another.
"Yeah well, with any luck at all, you and Luke can be the only two Scott's to know I exist," I said softly. "I'd love to be able to keep that bit of family history to myself."
"Fair enough. So, do you like the house?" he asked me.
"I love it. So does Raven, she was rolling in the grass last I saw. Rickie's with the movers now. Since Kenzie isn't going to be this sweet and quiet much longer, we might as well get this over with," I said.
"Good idea. Luke's yours. Just have him back in one piece by closing time, deal?" Keith instructed.
"Deal. By the way, I never did thank you for getting us a place here. Thank you," I said, giving him a one armed hug. Once we broke apart, I motioned for Lucas to follow me.
"You know, I always wanted an older brother," I teased as I buckled Mackenzie's seatbelt.
Lucas said nothing. Just climbed into the passenger seat, a brooding expression on his face. I sighed and started the car, driving carefully, ever aware of the toddler in the back seat. Once we reached the house, I was surprised to see Rickie bossing the movers around like a champ. He was carrying Mackenzie's toy box in by the time I parked the car.
"Careful kiddo," I called out, narrowing avoiding Raven's playful lunges as she tried to jump into my arms. I pushed the dog aside so I could get to my sister. "Make sure you put Raven in the back yard. She doesn't know Tree Hill, I don't need her getting hit by a car on the first day."
"Whatever," Rickie grumbled, pulling Raven away. "Who's that?"
"That's Lucas. My half-brother," I said smiling slightly. "He's going to help move the heavier shit in so we can have actual beds to sleep on tonight."
"You mean no more motel room floors?" Rickie teased. We'd been staying in motels since our grandmother passed, since her daughter inherited the house and wanted nothing to do with the "little orphans of the bad daughter" as she put it. Rickie was as tired as the rest of us were with sleeping in scummy motels.
"No more motels," I said brightly. "If we're lucky, we can actually get a home cooked meal tonight too!"
"Now you're just teasing me," Rickie laughed. "Hey Riley?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks," he said with a shrug.
"For what?"
"For never giving up on us," he motioned to our little sister who was resting on my hip. "You've been a better mom to us these last two years than mom ever was."
"Don't say that," I said softly. "Mom had problems, you know that."
"I know," he agreed. "But you're still a kid. Yet you've taken care of us and never once complained about it."
"That's what family does, Rickie. We take care of each other," I said, motioning for him to take Raven into the back yard. "Did you pick your room yet?"
"No, I figured you'd want the one with the window seat overlooking the yard though. And there's one next to it that would be perfect for Kenzie. So I guess I kinda did," he laughed. "I'll show you in a minute."
"Sounds good. Now, why don't you take Rave into the yard so we can get stuff done? Kenzie's going to be crankier than ever if we don't get her crib set up before naptime," I reminded him.
"Alright."
I watched as he dashed into the backyard. Lucas was making fast work of the boxes, not really needing any kind of instructions. I observed him for a few minutes before carrying Mackenzie into the house, setting her down in the playpen that Rickie had set up. I told him to watch his sister before I took a fast tour of the house, trying to figure out how we would ever be able to pay Keith back. The house was beautiful. It was something out of a fairytale. If it had been any other situation, I'd have dared to call it a dream come true.
"So you're all those two have left, huh?" Lucas asked as he set down a box of books. He looked at me with expectant eyes.
"Yeah," I nodded. "Or at least I was."
My words seemed to spark something in the boy. A smile played on his lips as he slung his arm across my shoulder and pulled me in for a hug.
"You're not alone in this anymore, little sis," he said in a husky tone. And then I knew. I knew this was exactly where we were supposed to end up.