A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews! I realize I have not gone very in depth on my stories thus far, but I have a reason for that. In the stories that aren't very detailed, that's because in another villagers story, the details about the other person will be revealed. It's going to be awhile before I can get them all typed and uploaded, but I have ideas for nearly every villager. Don't worry, your requests will be fulfilled.
Also, I apologize in advance for the swearing in any upcoming chapters, this one, and previous one. I don't swear for no reason, it ties into the story line. In my opinion it emphasizes someone's emotions.
Enjoy!
Chase
"Nice pins." Kathy snorted as she walked off with the tray of food to give to the customers.
It was probably the fifth time she said it to me just tonight.
Everyone always made fun of my hairpins. I could care less.
They thought it hurt me, they thought it would make me take them out. As if they had that kind of power over me.
I rolled my eyes and began cooking another dish, to give to these ungrateful bastards. They were rude to me even though I cooked grade A food for them.
I had thought about spitting on these dishes so many times, but that would go against everything I believe in as a chef. Not as a person.
I'm a pretty scummy person actually. I always have been.
I dug my fingernails into the palm of my hand as I did every time I had a thought like that. It distracted me.
"Can you mix a few drinks for me? We're pretty busy." Kathy called from over the counter.
Oh of course, bitch, let me drop everything I'm doing as if the food is the least important part of a restaurant.
"I don't deal with the alcohol, Kathy." I said, not directing my attention away from the onion I was dicing.
"Can't you please, just this once?" She groaned.
"No, Kathy." I snapped. "I don't deal with alcohol."
She rolled her eyes and came behind the counter to mix the drinks.
We didn't talk, I had nothing I wanted to say to her.
I wouldn't forget how often she made fun of my pins, she was a constant reminder of how horrible I am.
Once I left the bar, I began walking home. It was chilly tonight, I pulled my coat tightly around myself.
"Hey, Chase. You left this." I heard Selena say. I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head and turned around to see one of my pins laying on the ground behind me. My hand flew up to my hair, there were only two pins in it. I crouched down quickly and picked the pin up and tucked it into its rightful place in my peach hair.
I heard Kathy and Selena laughing as they re-entered the bar.
"Fag." I caught the familiar phrase get passed between the two.
I stood up and began walking home.
The streetlights were usually welcoming to people at night, but to me they were painful reminders of the night I ruined everyone's life.
I shut my eyes and walked down the path to the beach. The lights flickered behind me and I could have sworn I heard the tires squealing again.
"No… Not now… Please… At least let me get home first." I begged myself quietly.
"Slow down, Chase."
No, stop. Not now. I felt my shoes sink into the sand.
"I'm not even going fast." I heard my own voice this time. I sank to the sand, knowing there was no fighting this. Once it started, it took its toll.
"Listen to me, Chase! Pull over right now and give me the keys. I'm driving home."
"Shut up, Amber. We'll be home in like five minutes."
"Yeah, if you keep driving like this, slow down!"
I bit my lip, recalling the evening. I fucked up royally, and ruined so many people's lives in the process. I put my hands to my temples, why wouldn't I have listened to her?
"Mom and dad are going to be pissed. Listen, just pull over and I'll drive home. They won't even have to know."
We went out that night, we were at a party for our friend. Amber never drank, she was too responsible for that. I don't know why I didn't let her drive home that night. I guess I didn't want her to fuck up my car; what a sad case of irony.
She watched the road intently the whole time we drove as if to be a second pair of eyes. Her hair was the same strawberry blonde color as mine and it fell into ringlets. A few unruly pieces were always held back with three hairpins.
"You're drunk, Chase. This is so illegal."
"You're illegal, Amber." I said.
She rolled her eyes at me, "You're unbelievable."
I said nothing, just continued driving.
"Slow down, Chase." She said. I was sick of her telling me what to do.
"Chase! There's a red light, slow down!" She said louder.
"Chase!"
I slammed on the brakes, and laughed hysterically.
"You're so gullible."
She rolled her eyes, "You're seriously not funny, Chase. We could have been killed."
"Yeah right." I mumbled, gassing it when the light turned green. We drove silently down the wooded path.
I glanced over at her a couple times, she was crying silently.
"Hey." I reached over to tap her arm.
"Hands on the wheel." She snapped.
I glanced back at the road, I was in the other lane.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Let me drive, Chase. You're drunk. You're already a bad driver to begin with."
I narrowed my eyes at the road ahead of us, and pushed the gas pedal down to the floor.
"Chase." She said frantically. "What are you doing?"
"I'm a bad driver?" I taunted.
"Chase! Stop! You're being reckless!" She shouted.
I laughed maniacally to myself.
I shut my eyes and stared down at the sand beneath me, fighting back the tears behind my eyelids. No, no, no, no, no…
The headlights were in my face before I knew what was going on.
"Chase!" I heard my sister shriek next to me, and then everything went black.
The tears rolled freely down my face now, having broken through the barrier I tried to build.
Just like that she was gone. Amber was gone, because I had to prove a point.
I ruined her life, I stole her life. I killed my sister.
I ruined our parent's lives. She was always the good child, the responsible, respectable child. I was just Chase. Now I was the murderer. I haven't heard from my parents in six years. Six years ago I killed my sister.
I ruined her fiancé's life. Hell, he lost the love of his life; at my hand.
I ruined all of her friend's lives.
I ruined my own life.
I lost my sister. Sure we fought, what siblings don't?
We had our ups and downs, but we loved each other. We were very close, but I severed that tie faster than I could have imagined. I didn't mean to, it was an accident.
Accidents happen… That's what my mom used to say. That's also what Amber used to say to me. I was always the troublemaker, and she was always the one bailing me out of whatever mess I got myself into. She was so motherly, so nurturing.
God, she would have been a great mother.
What have I done? Why wasn't it me?
My hands flew unconsciously to the pins in my hair.
I fingered them gently, but didn't dare take them out. I hated when they weren't there. They held me together in a way.
It wasn't the greatest trait to have taken from my sister, but her habit of wearing these pins rubbed off on me more than her responsibility. I stopped drinking altogether after the accident. It wasn't because I admired the way Amber never drank, it was just because I was scared shitless that I would fuck up again.
That made me an even worse person. I hung my head and sobbed.
I let the cold night embrace me as I cried to the dark ocean.
Why couldn't it have been me? It should have been me.
I was the one driving, I was the one being reckless, I was the drunk one.
I let the tears flow, I've never been good at holding back my feelings on this particular subject. I looked up, shakily at the ocean.
I wished that it could swallow me up right now, drag me down to hell where I belong.
An anguished cry escaped my lips and I stood up on unsteady legs.
I glanced at the moon. It was so full and bright, exactly the way it was on that night. It was mocking me.
Everything was mocking me. The sand was the same color as Amber's skin. The ocean was the same black as my totaled car. The moon was bright and hopeful like Amber's future, and the foggy cloud that floated in front of it was me.
The light was suddenly gone from the scene and I realized this was everybody's life after I screwed up.
Everybody was ruined, and it was all because of me.
I hung my head and began the walk home to my house, with the orange roof, like the sweater Amber wore that night; the same house with the flowers that matched the bouquet that she was given after she was proposed to; the house that held her murderer.
A/N: Again, I adore your reviews. Let me know what you think of Chase's secret. I'll be posting the next one soon hopefully. Thank you so much!