+ M O O N T H O R N +
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// Author's Note: And so a new story begins, one that is ... darker, I'd say. So many of you probably know me from my Harvest High fanfic, but this is going to be rather different. Trust me. It's the story of a nineteen year old delinquent, Kayleigh Pewters (Pronounced like Kay-Lee, and yes, he's a guy!) and how he ends up living in Mineral Town and at a farm against his will. I kind of tried to make him differ from the other one thousand generic Jacks we get in fanfiction, so he's not exactly the "farmer" type of person XD. Also, this fanfic revolves around Karen, who is... well, I already spoiled it in the summary, so I'll say it again here... a werewolf. Yep. Though how that happened will remain a mystery until I write more of this fic! But anyway, It'll be different, and I think some people will like that. Others may not, but hopefully this will appeal to some people.
And without further ranting, here is Chapter 1 of Moonthorn, one chapter of (hopefully) many to come. End Author's Note //
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Chapter 1 - Hatred
The waves were jagged and uneven as they crashed along the bottom of the dingy boat. The sun was setting slowly, and Kayleigh Pewters felt as if he was exhaling the deadliest of venoms as the boat moved unsteadily forward towards his new home in Mineral Town. A home he didn't want. He cursed everything and everyone that had been in his life up until this point...
- - -
"Mr. and Mrs. Pewters, no doubt you see that this meeting is crucial. Your son's grades are some of the worst I've seen. He's been held back two years already, and at this rate he's not going to graduate from here at all." said Mr. Conners, the principal of Mundale High School.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Mr. Pewters asked, all the while consoling his hysterical wife.
"There's nothing we can do, Kirk. I've given up!" Mrs. Pewters sobbed, her words barely comprehensible.
"Honey, you can't mean that." he stroked her silky brown hair.
"There is a program for delinquents such as your son, one that I highly reccomend." Mr. Conners said, his stern gaze showing no hint of sympathy to the couple.
"Anything, anything will be fine with us." Mrs. Pewters looked up, her eyes puffy from tears.
Kayleigh leaned against a spare table in the principal's office, watching his parents discuss things over with his principal. He wasn't sure how he felt about this. Sure, he felt bad for his mom, and the hell she had had to go through raising a child like him. At the same time, however, he wanted anything that would let him break out of his messed up family and stressful school life.
"He is nineteen years old. Almost twenty. Too old for High school, I'd say, and yet old enough to make his own decisions in life." Mr. Conners said calmly. His gaze shifted to Kayleigh.
"Well? Would you like to stay and continue until you graduate?"
"Hell no!" Kayleigh said, more aggressively than he intended to. He knew that dropping out limited his career choices and his future, but he couldn't take it anymore. He just wanted out. Out of school, away from his family, somewhere where he wouldn't be bothered by anyone. He wanted to be a free man.
"Then I think this program will be perfect for you." Mr. Conners pulled out a dull-looking pamphlet. He handed it to Mr. and Mrs. Pewters.
Kayleigh watched his parents intently as they exchanged looks of worry and concern. They whispered to each other, discussing the contents of the pamphlet. He didn't care what was in the pamphlet, or what they were discussing. They both briefly paused, and looked behind them at Kayleigh. He turned his head and pretended he wasn't watching them.
"So?" Mr. Conners pressed, seeming eager for a response.
"Well... It is a rather ... drastic change." Mr. Pewters said. "One that, I think, we should discuss with our son."
Mr. Conners looked annoyed. "Very well, but keep in mind that our other alternatives are not quite as convenient as this one."
Kayleigh's parents took him outside and shut the door behind them. The blonde secretary looked up at them, and went back to her paperwork.
"So?" Kayleigh sounded as if he didn't really care.
"I know this seems... spontaneous, but your principal thinks you should be put to work on..." His Dad showed him the pamphlet.
"'Exciting Ranch Plan'?" Kayleigh read. He stared at them incredulously. "Is this a joke? You're sending me to work on a farm?"
"Kayleigh, with this program, you can at least earn a diploma in something. This kind of lifestyle would suit you better than that of a schoolboy." Mr. Pewters tried to explain.
"It's stupid!" Kayleigh spat. "Why would I want to be a country bum farmer?! I don't want to milk cows and cut grass and shit like that!"
"At least read the pamphlet, you might change your mind."
"Yeah, whatever." he slumped into a nearby chair and started looking over the pamphlet. He looked inside and read the first paragraph, then looked up his dad. Eyebrow raised, he asked, "Mineral Town? Isn't that... Wait..."
His father simply nodded.
"Grandpa's farm? But... I didn't know he..." Kayleigh started tripping over his own words. "When did he... When'd he die?" he asked quietly.
"It was only last week."
"Dad! Why the hell didn't you tell me?!" he asked, trying to sound angry, rather than sad. Not that I care. he thought to himself bitterly. I never even went to see him. It's not much of a loss.
"Would you have really cared?" his dad asked quietly. Kayleigh said nothing.
"I think... your grandfather would want someone of his own blood to take over the farm." Mrs. Pewters said, blowing her nose on a kleenex she took from the Secretary's desk.
Blood? Screw blood. We weren't close at all. Kayleigh had the urge to blurt that out, but knew he shouldn't.
"Farming isn't the stereotypical activity you see in cartoons and movies, you know. You'll have a lot of fun in Mineral Town." Mr. Pewters took the pamphlet back and started flipping through it. "Clean mountain air, sparkling ocean, restorative spas, an island rich with the bounty of nature..." he said. He chuckled, brushing back his black, greying hair. "I kind of wish I was going with you."
"I never said I was going." Kayleigh slumped lower into his chair.
"Well, I hate to put you on the spot, young man, but you have to decide soon. And I mean, within-the-next-few-minutes soon, not within-the-next-century." his mother said sternly as she sniffled.
Kayleigh started to think. His parents gazed down on him, waiting for an answer.
"Can you not stand their staring at me like a hawk?! I'm trying to think!" he said aggressively, frowning. They went to look at some of the awards people had won that were on the wall.
I can ditch this stupid school thing. was Kayleigh's first thought. There's nothing going on for me here. It's obvious that I'm a lost cause. he felt slightly surprised that he had even made it this far.
Farm work... I'm deffinitely strong enough to do it, but... Grandpa's old farm? What a crappy place to live! He lived in like, a three foot shack.
And then there's the girls. Ugh. I don't want to end up with some hillbilly country girl. What a crappy deal. Either stay here, study my ass off to complete exams about stuff I'll never use in life, or go spend a few years on a crappy farm in a crappy village.
Kayleigh spent time weighing the pros and cons of the situation. I guess the farm is the... lesser of two evils. Damn, I just want a place of my own, and some freedom. he began to think about how much freedom he'd have in Mineral Town. Enough to be on my own, without those two vultures around. he thought sourly, giving his parents a glare.
Whatever. If it doesn't work out, it'll just be one of many stupid decisions I've made in my life. One more won't hurt.
"Whatever. I'll do it." he said gruffly.
"Really?" Mr. Pewters looked slightly surprised.
"Anything to get away from this craphole." he looked around the school walls with disgust.
"Then... Let's go." His mother walked over and put her hands on his shoulders. He felt them tremble slightly. She can't possibly care that I'm leaving. I was probably the worst thing that ever happened to her life. he thought, looking up into his mother's eyes, wrecked and aged with years of having to put up with a little devil like him.
"Mr. Conners..." Mr. Pewters said, opening the door. Mr. Conners looked up at them, expecting an answer.
"We've decided... he'll go." Mr. Pewters said. Kayleigh's mom had tears streaming down her pale face again. Mr. Conners, however, grinned happily.
"Excellent. A boat will be there to pick him up, tomorrow at 6 PM. I hope you're ready for this, Kayleigh Pewters, because this is going to be quite a changing point in your life."
- - -
Kayleigh buried his head into his hands, his silver hair whipping in the wind wildly. Why did I ever agree to this? I'm just going to be miserable. I should've ran away or something... he said, his mind going wild with regret.
The man who had come to pick him up came out of the small cabin on the boat. He had brown messy hair and bushy facial hair that made its way around his mouth and chin. His eyes looked tired and old, even though he was extremely muscular and showed no signs of grey hair. His eyes made him appear older than he probably was.
"You planning to come inside?" he asked in his low, gruff voice.
"Nah." Kayleigh replied.
"What's your name, kid? I didn't catch it back at the port." he walked up to him. Kayleigh already felt irritated.
"Kayleigh." he said. He hated the name his parents gave him.
"Kayleigh? Isn't that a bit of an odd name for a lad?" the man asked, with a low laughter that couldn't be distinguished from a cough.
"Shut up." Kayleigh said, without meaning to be rude.
"Respect your elders." he said simply.
"I'm... urgh." he tried to appologize, but decided against it. This random stranger doesn't deserve it anyway.
"My dad chose it for me. I hate it, and I hate him for it." he said, his voice full of hatred.
"Hate's a strong word, kid. Someone your age isn't wise or experienced enough to be able to use it properly." he said, staring out at the sea.
"Shut up, old man. You don't know what it's like." Kayleigh said, turning away from him.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I've had a pretty rough life myself."
"Oh really? I bet you have. Let me guess, one of your corn stalks died one summer and you had nothing to feed your family over the winter?" Kayleigh snarled.
"... My family died in a blizzard. And don't go 'round telling people this like it's insignificant gossip, 'cause I don't just tell anyone." the man said. Kayleigh had a feeling he was hiding his real emotions.
"I'm ... sorry." Kayleigh stuttered. "I didn't mean to..."
"S'okay. It's not a big deal, kid."
"Well why did you tell me? We just met. I don't even know your name." Kayleigh said incredulously.
"...You're a lot like me, when I was younger." he whispered, barely audible over the waves below them.
"Yeah, I bet I was." Kayleigh said aggressively. "You think you have me all figured out, don't you? Well let me tell you something, no-name, you know jack about me."
"What'd I tell you? Respect your elders." he said in his calm voice.
"I don't have to respect anyone who pretends to understand me."
"Ah, the typical misunderstood teenager. And here I thought that you would have outgrown that by now." the man said, seeming to hit a nerve. Kayleigh stared at him, then looked away.
"You know nothing, old man." he said quietly. The man looked out to the ocean.
"See that on the horizon? That's Mineral Town, your new home."
"Exciting." Kayleigh said sarcastically.
They stood in silence together, watching the sun set behind the mountains of Mineral Island. It was dark as they approached the island.
"Looks like we made it." the man said as he and Kayleigh walked into the cabin to grab any luggage. The man who was steering the ship, Zack, had bronze skin and bulging muscles. He had an odd, goofy grin that spread accross his square face.
"Welcome, Kayleigh." he said, shaking his hand. "To Mineral Town."
"Yeah, great." Kayleigh said, his voice once again tainted with sarcasm. Zack boomed with laughter.
"I'm glad your excited!" he said, not getting the sarcasm at all. "I'm the shipper, so me 'n you will be workin' hard together to support each other. Anything that you produce on your farm, you give to me, who'll ship it to cities or companies and give you money for it."
Kayleigh's eyes suddenly lit up. He completely forgot the amount of money he'd be making with this job. Another upside for dropping out of school.
"Sounds good." he said, as Zack got up to go lower the anchor. Kayleigh joined the other man, who was carrying his bags.
"If you ever need help, visit me, you hear? With an attitude like yours, don't be surprised if the townsfolk don't feel like putting up with your shit. They're not used to your kind." he said gruffly.
"How hard can farming be?" Kayleigh smirked.
The man let out a low, rumbly laugh. "I suppose you'll figure that one out all on your own, right Mr. Big Bad Farmer?" he said, though whether or not he was joking or making fun of him, Kayleigh wasn't entirely sure.
"Sure. Are you going to tell me your name yet, or can I just call you Old Man?" Kayleigh asked.
"Name's Gotz. It'll take time, but you'll grow to love this town. Everyone else has." Gotz looked out affectionately at the small village layed out before them as they stepped off the boat. Kayleigh couldn't see much of the village, since it was too dark to make out all the houses and buildings.
"Doubt it." he stretched his arms. Gotz looked away.
"If I can learn to love this island ... anyone can." he said, and for a split second, Kayleigh saw a glint of youth in Gotz's old, tired eyes.