CHAPTER ONE
( SO LONG CHICAGO )
THE ROOM SEEMS to echo slightly as the dull morning rays of sunlight drip through the open window, causing the room to become radiate a pristine white. Something the family hadn't seen in a while. Something that in the case of a rebellious girl didn't need.
Her arms cross over her chest as she looks around the vacant room that used to be hers, slowly stepping onto the sheer wooden floors, listening to them creak under her feet. If her mother found out that she was wearing shoes in the house all the way up to her room she would be upset, but today wasn't a day for her to get on her nerves.
She knew her mother was busy. Busy trying to usher her and her younger sister out so she could place their burden on their father. It's not like they had a life in Chicago anyways. The thought of packing up everything and moving away so early in the school year made her want to gag.
She was never the new kid, in fact she was always the one to make fun of the new kid at first. She shrugs her shoulders at the thought of being new. Being new in a New York school would've been unsettling but this isn't New York, this is Hawkins, Indiana. It's basically in the middle of nowhere.
She wouldn't even know about the town if her late grandparents hadn't lived there, or if her father hadn't retreated back to his hometown after the separation. A small tapping sound from the doorway startles her, forcing her hand to fly towards her heart.
She's relieved when she sees the fiery hair and sweet smile of her boyfriend Brett. They had been openly seeing each other for about a year now, and had spent the rest of their high school years playing hard to get. He crosses the room an envelopes her into a tight hug as soon as her face becomes sour with sadness.
Tears begin to pinprick her eyes as she nuzzles her face deeper into Brett's chest, his grip tightens to ensure she's okay. She didn't want to leave him. She didn't want to leave anyone. "I don't want to go," she sniffles into his chest, voice muffled by the fabric on his jacket. "You're going to be fine, bug," he replies, his voice booming in her ear that was resting on his chest.
She grumbles to herself about leaving as she tries her best to take in his scent, trying to memorize what will be gone soon. She feels the top of her hair being pressed down by the weight of his brigade of nuzzling kisses, she can't help but grin and let a small laugh loose, causing him to chuckle in return.
"Help me pack up a few more boxes, and then we can continue this later, yeah?" he suggests, pulling out of her reach but keeping ahold on her hand. She's hesitant at first as he tugs on her hand, trying to lead her out the door. She sucks in a deep breath as she peers around the room once more before giving in and following Brett's instruction.
Her fingertips trace the light pink wallpaper of the hallway as she follows Brett's figure. He peers back at her for a short moment, watching her numbly make her way throughout the house. His lips press into a thin line. He was facing the fear of every high schooler were to know. She was moving hours away, to a different state nonetheless.
It was a five hour drive to Hawkins from Chicago. They could possibly see each other once a month, or at least that was what the agreement was. "Bunny," he coaxes, grabbing the girls attention. She absentmindedly shakes her head to clear her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I'm just...thinking," she excuses herself, forcing him to crack one of his sweet smiles at her. "You've been thinking a lot lately," he states as he picks up a discarded box at the end of the hallway.
Filled to the brim with horse figurines. It unmistakenly belonged to her younger sister, Alexandria. Brie rolls her eyes at the statement, picking up a smaller box next to his. "I have a right, you know," she defends herself. "I mean, I'm almost eighteen. It's stupid to move this abruptly in the middle of senior year,"
"Right, because this has nothing to do with not seeing me or even Erin anymore?" Brett questions in a playful tone. Brie shrugs, returning a sly smirk as they make their way down the stairs towards the front door. "I mean, that's part of it," she admits.
"Well, you'll still be coming up next weekend, right?" Brett asks, causing Brie's brows to raise. "It's Michael's New Year's bash, we've known about it forever,"
"Forever, huh?"
"Since Thanksgiving," he corrects.
Brie's brows raise at this. Of course she was more than excited to ring in the new year with Brett, she couldn't imagine doing anything else. It's just that Hawkins and Chicago are so far apart. As she deducted the math in her head it makes her eyes roll.
Five hours in the car with her mother who was ripping their lives up so she can continue her career.
As she places the box in her hand on to the moving truck a small feeling of anxiety started to burrow it's way into her stomach. She didn't want to start a new life all over. She most certainly didn't want to start a new life in podunk Hawkins with her lonesome father.
The thought of her being the certain of attention at the new school for a week made her want to cringe. A small hand creeps into hers, squeezing it gently. She peers down into the chocolate eyes of her younger sister, Alex - or Alexandria as her mother insisted, even though Alex didn't want to be called that.
Even her eyes are filled with worry as she watches a moving man bring out a dresser and loaf it into the truck. There were no private schools in Hawkins. She was giving up her grand education for the public elementary school in Hawkins. Obviously, she'd be ahead of everyone. Even if they did have a private school her father wouldn't be able to afford it. He could barely provide the child support for them.
"Do you think they'll have a beach?" Alex wonders, causing Brie's brows to furrow. She crouches down to her sister's height, leveling herself eye to eye with her. "Indiana is almost a completely landlocked state," she informs her. "There probably isn't a beach in Hawkins. We'll have to drive to the lake,"
"How long will that take?"
Brie shrugs her shoulders at the question. Alex had always been the more inquisitive one out of the three siblings. "I guess we'll have to find out," she states with a small wink. The moving truck slams shut, startling the two siblings as they were caught off guard by the sound.
Brett takes no affect by it as he is still leaned up against a car, admiring the interaction. "Why don't you go find mom," she suggests, a small encouraging smile makes its way to her lips. Alex wants to protest and say no but she knew the rules. Always listen to your elders. Her feet drag in the snow covered street towards the stairs that lead to their home.
Her knees pop as she stands back up, ushering Alex to find their mother. As she turns to face Brett, she's taken back by the warm smile that has appeared on his face. This makes him utterly more handsome than he already was. She loved it when he smiled. It always made her flustered. She couldn't believe she was his.
"What?" she questions with a light blush streaking her cheeks. She's thankful that it's the middle of winter, she could blame it on the cold. Otherwise, Brett would tease her mercilessly. "You're good with your sister, that's all," he states shortly.
There's something about his tone that makes her want to melt on the spot. It was low but it wasn't seductive, it was more alluring than anything. "Wish I had someone older than me to talk to me like that," he jokes, making her playfully slap him in the arm.
He knew how much of a burden it was to have someone look up to her. Not only that but older siblings could be flaky like her older brother, who was nowhere in sight to bid them farewell. She hated to be envious of Dylan, Lord knows he lived such a luxurious life after her mother kicked him out. Yet, he was free, and he didn't have to give up everything on their mothers whim. It was something that she desperately needed at the moment. Freedom.
"Briana?" her mother calls out for her as she exits the house, the lush fur coat barely scraping the snow covered ground. Alex followed closely behind. "Briana, honey, we need to get on the road. I have to be back here and at O'Hare by tonight,"
Brie rolls her eyes as she tries her best not to scoff at her mother. She's making this while move seem like a life changing event for, not only them, but for her as well. She was going to get rid of her children essentially for a whole year and a half while she was away. They'll be stuck in cornfields in Nowhere, Indiana while she'll be eating caviar by the French Riviera - potentially finding a new husband.
Alex hands her the vibrant red winter coat that was once perched up on the armoire. The hem of it had lightly been tracking patterns in the snow with each step Alex took. Though she hated feeling the soaking wet bottom of the coat, she thanks Alex and puts it over her sweater.
"This is it, huh?" Brett speaks up, placing his hands in his vest pockets to keep warm. Brie furrows her brows as she places a lopsided grin on her face. This wasn't the end of their relationship nor was it the end of the world. "I was hoping to see Erin before I left,"
"You know Erin," Brett shrugs. Erin had been one of Brie's closest friends since junior high. They basically lived at each other houses for the past few years. Up until they were old enough to get jobs.
While Brie was busy being cooped up in a box, selling tickets to avid concert goers downtown, Erin was at her families flower shop, spending most of her days organizing and planting bulbs. Erin was also heavily infatuated with getting as high as she could with whatever she could get her hands on.
She wasn't the best influence for her but she never tried anything that was too hard on the body like her best friend. She was either at her parents shop or she was incapacitated to the point where she was drooling. She shakes her thoughts away from Erin, she didn't want her whole day to get even worse by thinking of her best friend not being there when she left.
Once again her heart falters when she sees Brett's smile. Although, it isn't a genuine warm smile, it almost sad and has a lopsided nature to it. He didn't want her to go. She didn't want to leave. She steps forward and is immediately welcomed into a strong embrace by him. Her mind instantly runs to 'this is the last time she'll hug him' mode and her eyes instantly well up with tears.
He places his head on top of hers before swaying her from side to side to try to calm her down. He knew this was the day she had been dreading for a long time. He was nervous as well but he tried to not let it show through. "Are we ready to do this?" Her question comes out muffled from the thick material of his vest. He hums out a light chuckle as he pulls her off of him. "Of course, I'll try to be down there every other Saturday,"
"Just don't get lost," she heeds him.
"And you can come up to see my baseball games, and we're still going to prom together,"
"Yours or mine?"
"I don't know," he states, peering down at her. "We'll figure that out together,"
"And you'll call me everyday?"
"Brie," his voice is starting to grow annoyed. All the insistent worrying about their relationship was only coming from one party - Brie. However, he did understand her worries, he just wished she trust him a little more.
She lets out a playful chuckle as she steps up on her tiptoes, planting one final kiss to his lips. She wanted this moment to last forever. Just to be with Brett and to be happy, living where the buildings touched the sky, and people were always talking fast.
She'd miss the lake the most, aside from the people. To be near that large body of water, look across it and to not even see Michigan's coastline residing across from it. She instantly grew jealous of everyone in Chicago for being so close to Lake Michigan. She'd have to settle for second best - a pool.
"Brie," a tiny voice calls out from behind her, beckoning for her attention. She regretfully parts lips from Brett to gaze upon Alex, who was holding her Walkman in her mitten-covered hands. "Will you sit next to me?" Alex's voice is meek as she tries to avoid her eyes by looking at the ground. "Of course, Lex," she affirms with a small smile.
She turns back towards Brett and pats him on the shoulder. "I guess this is goodbye for now," she mutters out listfully, gazing into his golden eyes once again. "I guess it is," he hums out in response before giving her a small peck. "I'll see you soon,"
He unravels his grip on her, letting her slide out into the snow covered street. Alex gives a small wave towards her older sisters boyfriend, not understanding the connection the two had to make Brie sob into her pillow each night.
She grabs tightly onto to Brie's hand as she escorts her towards their mothers car. By the looks of it the movers were going to beat them to Hawkins, as they have already pulled away from the house. Brie let's Alex go in through the door closest to the sidewalk, helping her into the grey car with plush leather seats.
Her mother would die if she found any mud from their feet on the white leather. Apparently it made the car look tacky. Brie watches Brett lean back onto a car, watching them from across the way now. She isn't sure if he can see her give a faint smile but she attempts to throw him one out of generosity before she slides in the opposite side of Alex.
As soon as she shuts the door she's embraced by the warmth of the car. Standing out in the freezing cold didn't effect her until now, as she shivered in her jacket. She tries her best to avoid her mother's judgemental glance in the rearview mirror as she smeared her bright red lipstick on, instead choosing to look at the fresh snow and towards Brett.
She would've expected him to leave by now but he still remained perched against the car, waiting for her to leave. "Honestly, Brie, I thought I taught you not to look desperate," her mother's detests, causing a pain to string through her heart. Did she act desperate? She didn't mean to.
Her lips pull into a frown as she fumbles with her thumbs before noticing the backpack she had thrown in the car earlier for the trip. Her Walkman would keep her insane instead of listening to her mother yap for four and a half hours.
Her eyes dart over towards Alex who has slid halfway down the seat in an attempt to get comfy, her feet were dangerously close to smudging snow onto the passenger seat in front of her. She can hear her mother mumble something to Alex, causing her to flip her headphones off her head. Alex slides over to the middle of the seat and stands up, leaning forward to touch the map in her mother's hands.
A detailed map of the Midwest, more specifically lower Illinois and Indiana. Alex's fingers trace the highway that runs down through Chicago and to Indiana before touching a place in small letters. Hawkins. Her mother had dragged a pen down the path they were supposed to take, so many times that it almost looks as if it will rip with the next stroke she draws. Alex looks back at her, her mouth moving with no words. Brie takes off one headphone, asking Alex to repeat what she had said. "Mom said no pitstops,"
"Are you able to go that long without a pitstop?"
"I'll be fine," Alex affirms, wiggling a bit in her seat forcing Brie to roll her eyes. She most definitely wasn't going to be fine. She was only six, and asking a six year old to not take a pitstop on a four hour drive seemed cruel in a way. No doubt her mother would have her head. That was the only good thing about moving - she didn't have to deal with her mother anymore.
Once she places her headphones back on she feels her mother throw the car into drive, following the lead of the movers in the truck who had a good lead on them. The window is cool from the outside air as she places her head against it, listening to the sound of The Beatles to lull her to a soft sleep as they pull away from Chicago.