Chapter 1: Good Morning

August 11th, 1995

06:45 A.M.

Los Angeles, California

The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.

John Connor's pale green eyes opened slowly at the sound of his alarm clock ringing throughout his bedroom. He groaned as he reached his arm out from under the covers, slamming his hand down on the snooze button. He closed his eyes and shifted in his bed so that he was lying on his side, fully willing to go back to sleep and not worry about the day to come. A few minutes later, John could feel himself drifting back into the darkness of his dreams but one shrill cry ended it abruptly.

"GET UP NOW OR YOU'LL BE LATE!"

John shifted onto his back and mocked his foster mother's cry as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Get up now or you'll be late."

He rolled his eyes as he tossed the covers off of him and walked to his open dresser drawers and grabbed whatever was on the top. He shuffled aimlessly to the bathroom and closed the door, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. He quickly changed out of his pajamas, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and emerged wearing blue jeans with holes in the knees, a plain black t-shirt, and the big camo jacket he had gotten from Enrique. That jacket was one of the only things he had been allowed to keep since he had been relocated to the United States and he had hated every second he was there.

As he walked out of the bathroom and back to his bedroom, he could hear his foster parents, Todd and Janelle Voight arguing and let out a long sigh. He bent down and shoved his worn sneakers on his feet and slung his blue backpack over his shoulder as he walked to the stairs. Todd and Janelle's voices only escalated as he walked past the living room into the kitchen with no interest in their conversation. They argued more in one day than John and his mother had for years in Mexico. It was loud, frustrating, and he was often dragged into it for no reason at all.

John set his backpack down on the floor next to the kitchen island and grabbed a bowl from one of the cupboards. He then walked to the pantry and grabbed a box of cereal without caring what it was and poured it into the bowl. John then poked his head out of the kitchen to see his foster parent's backs turned away from him and a sly smile spread across his face. John softly opened the fridge and checked again to see if anyone was around him. Then he grabbed the milk carton and to further annoy his foster parents, he began drinking out of it before he poured it in his cereal.

"What is wrong with you!?"

John swallowed quickly, almost choking, and slammed the carton down on the counter, drawing in a deep breath. Janelle's brown curls were unbrushed, her dark blue eyes looked more tired than he had seen them before, and she stared at him with annoyance. John smiled at her expression and Janelle dumped some milk in his bowl before she shoved it back in the fridge. She shook her head quickly as she turned back to him, throwing her arms in the air.

"I've told you a thousand times not to do that, John. It's disgusting. Now we all have to drink after your germs!"

John slid his cereal bowl off the counter and shrugged his shoulders as he walked to the kitchen table.

"Todd does it too…"

John set the bowl down on the table and realized he didn't have a spoon. He turned to grab one but saw Kathy come from behind and slam a spoon down on the table as she growled in frustration.

"Just eat your cereal."

John did as she said and began eating his cereal, watching Todd open the curtains to the glass back door. John's dog, Max, was barking incessantly and knew that he had either seen a cat or a squirrel. Todd poked his head out of the door and shouted back at the dog.

"Shut up already!"

John rolled his eyes quickly before Todd closed the door, turning back to his wife and foster child.

"If you can't get that dog to shut its mouth, I'm going to throw it out!"

John locked eyes with his foster father and set his spoon down in his bowl.

"And if you throw it out, I'm only going to be more of a pain than I am now."

"I didn't think that was possible."

John walked back to Janelle who handed him his backpack as he glared back at Todd.

"Trust me, it is."

Todd turned away from John and shouted to Janelle as he walked up the stairs.

"I'll drive him to school."

Janelle didn't look up from her newspaper as she replied.

"Great!"

John set his bowl down in the sink and walked to the back door to get in the car as soon as Todd was ready. He waited at the door when suddenly a loud thump was heard and John realized that Todd had tripped on a couple of the stairs and had shouted in frustration. John pursed his lips together trying not to laugh as Todd shouted a string of curses, kicking the bottom stair. John, knowing that Todd's mood was going to be unbearable, shouted back at them.

"I'll walk today!"

No one protested as John ran out the back door and down the street to the stop sign where his best friend Tim Berkley waiting for him. John slowed to a stop, still laughing, as he smiled at his friend.

"Someone seems to be in a good mood today. That's a first."

John shook his head slowly, clapping a hand on Tim's shoulder as they began to walk to the school.

"I wish I'd seen it. Todd tripped down the stairs again."

"Why? Did you set something up so he would?"

"No, he did it all by himself! Man, he was so mad."

Tim ran a hand through his long red hair before he gripped the straps of his backpack.

"Were they arguing again?"

"They're always arguing. It doesn't really bother me anymore. It's been a couple months now since I was transferred to them."

As the two walked along the sidewalk, waiting for cars to pass before they could cross, a moment of silence fell between the two boys. Tim pressed the button and they waited patiently as cars rode by.

"Have you heard anything about your mother?"

John's smile quickly faded from his face as he rolled his eyes.

"She's not getting any better. She's still crazy."

"She'll get better, John."

"She's supposed to convince them that she is better so she can get out quicker. She promised me that's what she would do. But she's only making everything worse. I can't stand living with Todd and Janelle."

Tim nodded as their light went off and the two boys darted to the other side of the street, running toward their school.

"Hey, they could be worse though. At least they don't beat you."

"Not yet they don't. They're probably too afraid to do it because the police are breathing down my neck, waiting for me to make a move so I can be in the same place as my mom. At least they won't have to worry about paying people to watch me because I'll be in a cell all day."

"Don't even say that, man. You're not going there and your mom will get better. You just gotta give it some time. So… what do you say? Race you to English?"

John grinned as he gripped the straps of his backpack.

"You bet!"