(The songs in this fic belong to their writers. I have one huge disclaimer for everything I don't own)
"I'm just a breath away, I'm just a step away. Loosin' my faith today, fallin' off the edge today." Jake and I sang as I ripped the hell out of my guitar. Mike was pounding the shit out of his drums and Aden was 'bom'-ing away on his bass.
"I am just a man, not super human. I'm not super- Hey!" I yelled when my four year old half-brother came in and unplugged the power strip that had all our equipment plugged in.
"Brett, what do you think you're doing?" I raised my voice only slightly
"Mom wanted you." He said and took off running.
"What did you need mother!?" I yelled.
"Come here and send your little friends home!" She called back. I huffed and walked back out to our garage.
"Sorry, guys. Gotta go. Mom's mad." I waved my hands in a dismissing motion.
"Bye, Bells." They waved and got in Aden's crappy old van. I closed the garage door and jogged back inside.
"So..."
"Have a seat." My mom gestured to the uncomfortable wing-backed chair. I skeptically sat and looked at her and my step-dad. He looked in disgust at me, as usual.
"We were thinking, that you aren't the best influence on your brother." Phil started but I cut him off.
"Half-brother."
"Anyway, we think you should go to this reform school we were looking at."
"There is no way in hell I'm going to a school where every kid was shoved through a cookie cutter."
"Isabella, you don't speak to your father and I like that." Renee scolded and I looked at her in astonishment. Was she really that crazy? I wished I lived with my real father and brother. I missed them.
"He's not my father, you crazy bitch. He is in no relation to me. I don't like him, you know that?"
"Give me your guitar. Hand over your laptop. Cell phone, iPod. Everything. You are here on out grounded. Until you leave next week."
"Why?" I nearly screeched, showing my fury through my face.
"Because. We're flushing the bad out of you. You listen to that devil music. You talk back. You're not a pure soul. Evil and vile words spill from your mouth every day and I won't allow it. Go to your room. We'll speak with you later."
"No. I'm calling Emmett. He won't let this happen."
"What makes you think he wants you?" Phil sneered. His face was so close to mine during this shouting match, he spat a little bit when he yelled. I pulled my fist back and let fly right at his nose. Blood gushed as he stumbled backwards.
"I HATE YOU!!" I screamed as I stomped out the door, towards Jake's next door.
I flung the door open and flopped on his couch.
"Hey, Billy." I nodded to his dad, who only smiled. "Can I use your phone?" He handed me the wireless and I ran to Jake's attic bedroom.
I dialed the number to my brother's in Seattle. I walked in and lied down on Jake's bed as my older brother picked up the phone.
"Hullo?" A bored voice answered.
"Emmett?" I asked.
"Hey, Bells."
"Em, they're sending me to a reform school. Save me."
"Come stay with me. I've still got an extra room. And I'll pay for everything." Oh, I forgot to mention that my brother was loaded. He played football for the Seattle Seahawks. "Well, you're eighteen, aren't you?"
"No, seventeen." What's he thinking?
"Fuck. You could come up here."
"Really?" There was so much hope in my voice.
"Sure. So when do you want to come?"
"How about tomorrow?"
"Okay. I'll arrange for your flight. For tomorrow morning. Send anything you have before hand and I'll get it."
"Em, thank you. Love you."
"Love you, too."
"Bye."
"Bye."
I hung up just as Jake walked out of his bathroom and I tackled him. "I'm leaving. Living with Emmett!" I squealed, bouncing up and down. Even though I would miss him and the others, I was so happy I was leaving.
"I've gotta go pack." I hopped down the steps, leaving a dumbfounded Jacob in my wake.
I skipped in my house, right passed Renee, who was trying to push Phil's nose back into place. I giggled and waved. "I'm going to Em's!" I squealed happily and went to pack my room. I was walking on air, elated, the happiest I've ever been in my life.
Placing the ear buds in my ears, I danced around my room, putting things in boxes. My pictures went in one box. Cd's in one. DVD's in another. My clothes filled all my suitcases. I smacked some duct tape on the boxes and took them down the street to the post office.
When I got back, I packed the rest of my stuff and put them in boxes also, figuring I could take them on the flight tomorrow. My cell buzzed in my pocket and I answered.
"Speak."
"Bells, I've got your flight set up for tomorrow. I have your ticket waiting at the airport for tomorrow. Flight 379."
"Oh my god, Em. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"No. It's fine. I missed you so much. This'll be fun." I could hear him chuckle on the other line.
"Okay. My stuff will be there in a week or so, I sent it just now. Bye." I hung up when I heard Renee stomping up the stairs.
"Isabella Marie. What you did just now is unacceptable. You will not be living with your brother. I forbid it."
"Shove it. I'm leaving tomorrow at ten in the morning." I slammed the door in her face and locked it.
Climbing out my window and across the roof, I knocked on Brett's. He opened it and motioned for me to come inside. I love the heck out of this kid.
"Hey, Bud." I ruffled his hair and sat on his bed.
"What just happened down there?" He asked, looking at his hands.
"Nothing for you to be concerned about. I'm just going away with my brother for a while." I hugged him and kissed his head.
"Why'd you punch daddy?"
"He said some very mean things to me."
"Oh." He said.
"Yeah. Do you want to come watch movies with me in my room?" I asked.
"Nope. Daddy said I had to read my little kid Bible." This poor kid's dad was worse than the preacher himself. I mean, I'm a Christian and everything, but I'm not into the whole going to church, spiritual healing, chastity until marriage, kind of thing.
"C'mon. I'll protect you." I laughed. He smiled a toothy grin and followed me back across the roof to my room. We sat on the rug and flipped through the On Demand movies on my TV. The preacher and his wife banned everything rated above G. Luckily, I knew the security code.
"What to watch?" I asked him.
"How 'bout that one?" He pointed to the one on the screen called 'National Lampoon's Van Wilder.' I shrugged and clicked it, never seeing it before.
Oh! Bad idea to watch with a small child sitting beside you. Within the first twenty minutes, I covered his ears and fumbled to turn it off.
Okay, now I looked through my saved movies and clicked one that I knew was appropriate, well, mostly anyway. 'They Live.'
When my favorite part came, I said the line with Roddy Piper. "I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And I'm all out of bubblegum."
The morning came almost too quickly. Brett and I were still laying on the rug. My alarm clock beeped and I shut it off quickly. I took off the small silver cross that I always wore, that I've had since I was born, and put it in Brett's small fist. I kissed his head and gathered my backpack and left for the airport with Jake, who was driving me.
"Bye, Bells." Jake hugged me and I ran down the gate to sweet freedom.
Playlist:
Hero-Skillet
Better Off-Theory of a Deadman
All I Ever Wanted-Shinedown
Hate My Life-Theory of a Deadman