Chapter 1: A Bad Boy with a Tainted Heart
(Marshall)
I knew it was wrong the moment I thought of it, destroying her safe place was unforgivable but so was what she did to me. I wish I could get back at both of them but for now this was enough, one match was all it took and the shed went up in flames. Admittedly I may have enjoyed the sound of the windows shattering a little too much and everyone ran outside to put out the blaze. Kate shot me a sideways glance when I didn't move from the lawn chair. When everyone was by the shed I was able to let loose the first of many tears, it wasn't fair why can't I be happy for once? Eventually I found myself outside of the church, where his dad was the pastor and on the steps stood Jason. His eyes were rimmed in red and his face was full of fear and remorse.
"I hate you" I whispered falling into his arms. He led me away from the front of the church into a secluded area behind it hidden by the glowing white of the church and sparse trees. He sat us down against the wall of the church, the ground was soft with well kept grass that allowed a distraction from the look Jason gave me, a look of compassion and sorrow
"We could leave together, go somewhere far away so we can be together" he whispered looking down at me
"Where would we go?" I asked seriously, I'd thought about leaving before but there was always the fear of being alone
"Isn't there a place in California we can go to? Castro, would that be a good place?" he whispered, he seemed desperate to get away, not that I was any different but did I really want to risk it?
"It's a long way from here to San Francisco, I don't know how to drive, let alone how to get there" I responded finally looking him in the eye, he was serious about this
"I know enough, my parents won't be home until late tonight and my mom will be with my dad so we can take her car. I can get you at eight and we can be in Colby by one in the morning. We can stay there until six and then it'll be a fourteen hour trip from there to Elko Nevada which is seven hours away from San Francisco tops" he explained with a glint in his eye, he's thought about this, a lot
"How do you know all of this?" I asked separating from him and looking him dead in the eye
"I've been planning it out since we kissed, I know it's creepy but I know neither of us like it here. It would be so much easier if we could just leave" he whispered getting a far off look in his eyes
"I want to go, I've wanted to leave for a while" I responded moving with him as he stood. He kissed me softly as his face lit up before running off. The walk home was quiet and oddly enough no one was home, or so I thought
"So where were you?" a familiar voice asked making me spin on my heel, T. Of all the alters that I could have encountered why did it have to be her?
"Nowhere" I muttered walking into my room
"That's not the right answer Marshall, you were with Jason huh?" she asked as I pulled a backpack out of my closet and put it on my bed. I attempted to ignore T as I packed clothes, money, a camera, and my laptop into my backpack but her silence drove me to look at her
"You're running away? Follow me" she stated grabbing my wrist and pulling me into my parents room. She opened my mom's closet and pulled out a pair of shorts that were too tame for her but definitely too slutty for mom, Alice or Buck. She paused before pulling a wad of money out of the pocket and handing it to me
"What is this?" I asked staring in awe at the money, it was all hundreds
"Thirty grand, I've been saving it up since Tara was sixteen. Stealing jewelry from her friends, pick-pocketing drunk guys, you know petty theft stuff. I was gonna use it to leave on my own but when Kate was born I figured she needed to get out of here but it looks like you need it now… Take all of it and find somewhere you'll be happy, okay Marsh?" she hummed forcing the money into my bag
"I'm not leaving yet, Jason will be here in a couple hours though" I responded walking down to the garage and putting my bag next to the door just as a car pulled into the driveway, thankfully the garage door was shut so I could only hear the car and whoever was in it couldn't see me. I ran to the kitchen and picked something random to make for dinner out of a box of recipes
"Hi Moosh, look dad's really pissed about the shed but he's acting weird now so just roll with it" Kate whispered as she entered the kitchen followed by mom, who'd abruptly recovered from being T and managed to get dressed, and dad who was oddly calm
"Hi Marshmallow, I'm sorry about T" mom stated hugging me as I continued to cook
"I talked to her when I got back, we talked things out and I've decided to forgive her" I responded, that received a strange look and mom paused trying to remember anything from when T was out, I prayed she couldn't
"That's weird… what are you making?" she hummed after a moment glancing at the pot of pasta and the chicken that had just finished cooking
"Chicken Puttanecsa with angel hair pasta" I responded, it cooked quickly and after a few more minutes we were eating dinner in total silence, no one was willing to say anything and it was fast approaching eight. Mom and dad went to bed after dinner and Kate ended up looking herself in her room while I sat on the front porch with my bag waiting for Jason. When eight rolled around a black car with its headlights turned off stopped in front of the driveway and I walked over to get in the passenger seat
"Do they have any idea where you are?" Jason asked pulling back into the street and turning on his headlights
"Locked in my bedroom, I went upstairs before everyone, locked my bedroom door and hid in the laundry room until everyone went to bed. It's been a long day" I responded slouching
"Want me to wake you up when we get to Colby?" he asked smiling softly
"Sure, I could use a nap" I whispered before dosing off
(Kate)
"Hey Moosh, you okay in there? I haven't heard anything out of your room since last night" I asked knocking on Marshall's door, it was locked when I came upstairs the night before and it still was so I at least wanted to ask before barging in
"Come on Moosh, I know you can hear me!" I snapped knocking harder before going around through our connected bathroom. His room was empty, his laptop was gone and so was half of his clothes
"Mom! Dad! Marshall's gone!" I screamed as a wave of pure fear washed over me, he'd left of his own free will but where he went I wasn't sure. Dad, not bothering to go through my room like mom, took out Marshall's door with his shoulder and began searching the room as mom wept. This could not be real, I expected something like this from me or T but not Marshall though I could see why he did it in some weird way
"He ran away, he told T"
"Alice… do you know anything else?" I asked gripping her shoulders as tears continued to roll down her cheeks
"T gave her thirty thousand dollars, gained through her delinquent actions and that…" Alice started before moving to grab at something near her face as though someone was trying to make her stop talking. Suddenly her head flew back and she had a new look in her eyes
"Shut-up Alice! I haven't seen Marshall since the shed became a bonfire, wherever he went has gotta be better than here though" T snapped crossing her arms
"The shed… Jason should know where Marshall is, he'd definitely go to Jason first" dad snapped moving to leave the room when T leapt over Marshall's bed and onto his back in an attempt to keep him from leaving
"I can't let you! I won't let you ruin this for him!" T snapped trying her best to pin dad who continued to drag himself to his bedroom
"Ruin what T? What could I possibly ruin?" he growled as he got closer to the phone
"Marshall's one chance to be happy!" she yelled making everyone stop, whatever T meant by that it obviously was important to her. I can't lose him T, I could lose everyone else but if Tara, Kate or Marshall disappeared I would die" dad whispered, his body shaking with suppressed sobs
"Max… our baby ran away" my mom cried, finally regaining control of her body