CHAPTER TWO
( SWEET HOME HAWKINS )
AFTER SEVERAL HOURS of listening to her mother sing uncharacteristically well to her french songs, they pull off of the highway. Brie had to hand it to her sister, she really hadn't used the restroom since they got in the car, however, given that she was squirming in her seat next to her she would say that she'd have at least a half hour before she has an accident. Hopefully it shouldn't take too long to get to her father's house. A groan of disgust musters its way up through her throat as she looks at the bland scenery of Indiana.
Nothing but barren cornfields and woods, perhaps there'd be the occasional cow farm in passing but those never stayed for too long, and thankfully they didn't as the putrid smell would enter the car, causing her sister to giggle and ask who passed gas. "Are we there yet?" The question had escaped through her lips a handful of times since they've gotten off the highway.
She could see her mother's grip on the steering wheel become tighter with the question. It's not like she had answered it several times to reach of them already. "A few more minutes," she hisses out though clenched teeth, her hands tightening around the steering wheel. This peeks Brie's interest. Finally their journey was coming to an end. She lets out a loud yawn as she stretches from the relaxed position she had been leaning in for the past few hours. Her muscles screamed from the soreness and irritation of sitting still for so long.
Her gaze lazily drifts over to Alex, who seems way to interested in the views of the trees that whipped by them in passing. Yes, she supposed the scenery of the small rural town was beautiful in its own way but it didn't compared to the snowcapped tops of the skyscrapers, or the ice that covered the top of Lake Michigan, the waves frozen in place against piers that lined the city held a certain ferocity with them. Like they could and would crumble at any time and take you into the water beneath. Every year they'd hear about some poor fool who had walked out on to Lake Michigan and drowned after the ice gave way under their feet. Although, Brie never felt pity for these people. It was common sense not to go on ice that wasn't thicker than eight inches.
The closer they approached her father's house, the more familiar the surroundings started to be. They had passed through the main street, where all the tiny shops were, a movie theater (which was bound to be the only form of entertainment in the town). Although, it looked somewhat clustered with people she couldn't help notice that these weren't the kind of people she'd often see scurrying around in the winter time. There was absolutely no rush to get presents or to get to places. People took their time. For some reason it irked her.
People who took their time meant they had nowhere to be, which means they weren't that important, which means she wouldn't be that interested in them. The Podunk lifestyle wasn't going to suit her. She also had very little faith in her father and how he had decorated his house for Christmas, if he even did. Usually around this time of year, her mother would hire people to hang lights on the outside of the house, while herself and Alex decorated the inside. Of course, her mother would have full dictation on what was going up inside the house in the end. She was always micromanage them.
Her father, however, didn't micromanage them. If anything he didn't have any parental guards at all. That's why they rarely visited him - or at least that's what her mother would tell them. If only the roles were reversed in this situation, where she was moving to live with her father in Chicago after living in Podunk, Indiana. No parental control in Chicago, meant living the life she was supposed to live, that she thought she was born to live. But then again this was real life, and it was cruel.
She leans her head up against the cool window again to soothe the oncoming headache she was about to have. No doubt the moving truck was already at her father's house, there was no telling where they were putting her stuff. Nonetheless how they were handling it. All her valuables, just being thrown mercilessly by the burly men who agreed to help her mother. Her gaze drifts out to take in the scenery of the small towns bustling area. Snow had just started to fall. Something inside her begins to warm her up. The small town looked peaceful and loving as the snow started to drift down. It was like she was in a Christmas movie.
Her people watching is disrupted when a car pulls up next to her mother's car, blocking her vision from the small convenient store. The roaring of the engine caught her interest though, it sounded as if it were a sports car. She narrowed her eyes at the sleek blue Camaro. No sports car would be any good in the winter time, anyone who had lived in the Midwest would know that. It's common sense. Not only did the car catch her attention, as it was odd to see a sports car in the winter time, but the owner caught her eye as well.
A boy no older than she was, was in the driver's seat, taking a long drag of his cigarette, his blonde hair curled that to his shoulders looked somewhat dirty. Everything about him reeked of bad boy material. She could practically hear his music blasting from his car. He looked so much different than what she was used to seeing. If anything, he had the same style that her older brother Dylan was accustomed to wearing. She hadn't noticed she had been absentmindedly staring at the mystery boy until she saw him wink at her. Brie returns it with a blatant eye roll, showing she wasn't interested in the very least. The last thing she wanted was to start her first day getting hit on by a redneck.
As soon as she tilted her head to look down at her walkman, she could hear the engine of the sports car revving next to them. He was trying to gain her attention. Like the louder he revved it the more she wanted him. A scowl begins to form on her face as she turns to look out the window, to see him smirking at her. She shakes her head, a silent but inevitable rejection as she turns her attention elsewhere. She knew the bad boy type all too well, knowing there was nothing to do in this town, she could decipher that he was probably the local bad kid - the one more likely to drop out of high school. "Brie, stop making googly eyes at the boy," her mother lectures.
"As if!" Brie retorts, insulted. "Not giving anyone in this town googly eyes," she says under her breath. As soon as the light turns green, she gives the boy one last look, out of curiosity. He's turned his attention to lighting another cigarette, before locking in to gear and speeding off ahead of them. Even in the snow the car takes off like a bullet. "Oh my god!" her mother shouts from the front seat. "Does everyone in this town drive like a maniac?"
This earns a light chuckle from Brie in the backseat. Anyone who could make her mother uneasy was a blessing. Perhaps that boy could be her knight in shining armor - if she ever saw him again. At least he was today and for now. "Brie you better not hang out with that boy," her mother threatens.
"I wasn't planning on it," she answers in a monotone voice, forcing her mother to roll her eyes. "I'm serious, I'll have your father tell me,"
"Oh would you chill," Brie speaks up, her tone becoming defensive. "I'm only here because you made us move here. I don't have any intentions on making hick friends this close to the end of the year,"
Brie sends her mother a glare through the rearview mirror, her mother's eyes echoing the same. It was a miracle that she hadn't told her to move out like Dylan yet, not only did she rebel like he did, she had the gull to point out her flaws when she didn't ask. Corrine couldn't believe she raised such a despicable bitch. Like mother like daughter. Brie finally released her glare once she placed her headphones back on, drowning out the world once again, stewing in her anger as she watched the town pass by to neighborhoods.
They would soon be approaching their father's house, and she would be in for another headache as her job would soon become the mediator between her parents. While her mother was catty, her father could get as equally hostile if her mother pushed the right buttons (which she usually did). Her father always wanted to mend their marriage, wanted to try, wanted to be there for them through thick and thin but her mother wouldn't let him in within a twelve foot distance.
Sure, her father came up from nothing but her mother couldn't ignore the fact that they were married for fifteen years. That's what burned her mother the most, wasting her time with a bafoon of a man who was more interested in caring for his children rather than his job. That was what they primarily fought over. Her mother worked too much, went on too many business trips, while her father was neglected of any time to himself - if he even wanted any. Brie was more of a daddy's girl than a fan of her mother.
They had pulled up to her father's house, her new home for the next few months. It was not as as pristine, not as beautiful as her house in Chicago, but it was more than what she saw other houses looked like more towards the rural areas. The large, orange moving van already in the driveway, back door open revealing what her and her sister needed to survive. Clothes carted all the way down from Chicago to Nowhere, Indiana. Her mother's checkbook must be stuffed with the expense, something her father wouldn't be able to afford.
And there on the steps, smiling from ear to ear was their father. Each of his hands were preoccupied with a bouquet of flowers. Of course, he'd do something as cheesy as this for them. Alex moved the fastest she's been all day as she slammed her car door shut, earning a yip of protest from her mother about no slamming car doors. Alex bolted up the steps of the house, and jumped right into their father in a bone rattling hug that knocked the wind right out of him. It's no surprise that Alex would be excited to see him since she's only allowed to see him a handful of times a year.
To Brie, seeing her father was like seeing an old friend who had abandoned her and left her for the wolves. She was still happy to see him, but a part of her would never forgive him for losing the custody battle - which he claims wasn't even a battle. She proceeds to give him a small smile, as she places a bag from the moving truck over her shoulder, leaving her mother to chew a movers ear off. "It's good to see you girls," her father croons, unwrapping an arm from Alex to embrace his eldest daughter as well. Group hugs were always a thing when it came to visiting her father.
"These are you for guys," he states as he lets both of them go and hands them their own bouquet. Brie smells the fragrance of the lilies and carnations in appreciation, although she knew her allergies would act up afterwards. Alex immediately begins to sniffle as she stops smelling her daisies. "How was the ride down?" he asks. "Great!" Alex instantly replies, while Brie rolls her eyes. Her father gives her a questioning look, he knew something was bugging her.
"I've already been banned from making new friends apparently," she says in a low voice, a jab against her mother. Her father merely chuckles for a moment. "Don't worry the wicked witch of the west will be gone soon," he tries to reassure her but as soon as he does someone clears their throat from behind. Brie spins to see her mother with an annoyed look on her face, her jaw clenched and her brow raised. It was obvious that she had heard.
"Charles," she greets with a firm edge to her tone. "Corrine!" he exclaims trying to sound excited when it was obvious that he would rather be doing anything else. "How are you? Packed for Paris?" Forced questions asked by a desperate man trying to get himself out of a dug grave. "The wicked witch of the west is fine, thank you," her mother snaps back matter-of-factly. Brie instinctively pushes Alex up there steps of the house and on to the porch. She always tried to hide her from the dangerous language her parents used when they fought. She tried to give her a reassuring smile but she was more focused on her parents.
She stumbles over to her parents just as her mother begins to start bickering with her father. "Hey, dad, can you show us our rooms?" she quickly butts in, trying to gain her parents attention so they'd stop arguing. Her father glares at her mother for a half a second before pressing a tight lipped smile of frustration to his face. "Absolutely, sweetie," his voice is low but caring, like he didn't want her mother to hear. He ushers her in the house by placing his hand on her back before bounding up the steps to meet Alex. Her mother unenthusiastically follows in her children's footsteps up into the house.
The inside of the house is dark, and dank, like it had once been underwater. There were no tracing of sunlight anywhere, but that could be because it's cloudy and the middle of winter. Brie's heart sank. She missed home so much, even if it meant having to live with her mother. She flings the bag to the floor, looking around the small living room. "I love what you've done with the place. So dark, so depressing," her mother hums out sarcastically, her heels clicking against the carpeted ground. "Thanks, I designed it after your heart," her father replied from the kitchen. Brie supressed the urge to laugh at her father's comment, instead focusing on her mother's face that was turning a bright shade of red.
"So you can see, the living room hasn't changed," her father states to her and Alex from the doorway of the kitchen. "Kitchen is the same, bedrooms are the same, sleep in the same rooms you'd sleep in when you visit,"
"Do you have any rules?" her mother asks, her arms crossing her chest. "I'll go over them when you're gone -" her father tries to plea but her mother quickly cuts him off. "No. Now so I can tell you what's wrong and right,"
"I don't see the need to,"
"I do, they're my children. I know what they're like,"
"Our children," her father clarifies. "I think I know what's best for them. I am their parent,"
"Oh do you now? You think you know more about parenting than I do?" her mother asks, inciting a challenge she knew her father wouldn't back down on. Although he hesitates as he makes it look like he's thinking way too hard. "I think I do. I know I'll do better than you," he replies nodding his head. "Ha!" her mother cruelly exasperates. Her father falls for her trap, standing up straighter than her had before. "For starters I know it's, damaging to a child's mental health to rip them out of school in the middle of the year, and abandoning them to go to Paris,"
Her mother narrows her eyes at him. "Oh I would never just abandon our children -"
"How's Dylan?" he cuts her off, leaning on the door frame of the kitchen. Brie watches as her mother's mouth opens and closes as if she has a million things to say at once but can't even form a sentence. Instead, she gives out a sigh of defeat and frustration before looking at her daughters. "I'll be outside when you want to say goodbye, mommy can't handle this toxicity," she informs them, before spinning on her heel and retreating to the cold. "It's okay girls, it's just because mommy can't handle the truth!" her father exclaims as he shouts out the door so her mother could hear it. He quickly shuts the door before she has a chance to say anything more.
As he turns he's greeted by a scowling Brie and a dazed Alex. A meek smile tries to cross his face as he realizes that he bashed their mother in front of them. "Why do you entertain her?" Brie questions, baffling him. Every time he saw her she was beginning to act more and more like an adult. She knew it was wrong for her mother to throw petty comments at him but she also knew that it wasn't fair of him to stoop down to her level. He merely shrugs, trying to convince himself that what he did was right. "Adult stuff, that's why," he tries not to sound frustrated when he answers but fails as he huffs out a sigh. "Why don't you go see the backyard. Someone's waiting for you,"
With an eye roll, Brie taps Alex on her back, indicating to follow their fathers instructions, leading then through the kitchen towards the backdoor. They're both met with the icy wind once again, biting their cheeks and turning them a rosy color. It was a massive temperature difference from the house. She almost argued to come back in the house until she spotted a golden fur ball near the back fence of the yard. Her heart, which had been permanently frozen from the temperature and her parents actions, completely melted and all ill will seemed to vanish as the fur ball had caught notice of them and had started to bound towards them.
"Kip!" Alex squeals as the large dog leaps towards them before coming to a complete halt and whining with his tail between his legs. He had missed them sarrowly so. So much to the point that when Alex touched him, he went belly up in the cool, wet snow. Brie remembered when her parents had gotten the dog for Christmas one year, she remembered seeing nothing but a little fuzz ball bounding across the floor towards them. Back then his fur was completely golden but over time it matured into a deep copper. Sure he belonged to pedigree, he had no papers, he was no purebred like the rest of the kids at school had, but she loved them the same. Her mother had wanted him for protection against the crazies back in Chicago, a guard dog. While her father wanted mans best friend, a dog who wouldn't be afraid to be warm to new guests.
Two polar opposites, one dog. Kip: the German Shepherd-Gold Retriever mix. He was the only thing that her father got to keep in the divorce, her mother saw the dog as a nuisance who would get into trouble and make a mess - much like how she deemed her father. It had been so long since they had seen him, yet, he wasn't angry with them being gone for so long. The dog was clearly undeniably loyal. "Is this what she does?" Brie questions, her father peering over at her while Alex still wrestled with the hyper pooch. "Abandon the things that depend on her the most here,"
Her father snorts in agreement but the gives her a slight nudge with a deadpan look on his face. "Don't talk about your mother like that," he scolds half-heartedly. Although, he was acting like a supportive second parent to where he thought he could trick them into the "you're mother and I are on the same team" routine, she knew it was bullshit. Brie lightly rolls her eyes as she trudges her way back inside, being sure to knock the snow off of her boots in the process. Her father is quick to follow her lead, leaving Alex and Kip to play outside. She shuffles her way to the kitchen table, perching herself down in the chair. The whole day had been exhausting and she couldn't keep it to herself that a headache was starting to roll in.
A hand rubs her back between her shoulder blades. She peers up at her father who gives her a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay," he coaxes her. She lets out an exasperated sigh. "I just have a headache. Do you have any Tylenol?" she asks him in a semi-hostile tone. Her father jumps at her tone but realizes it's only because she was in pain that she was acting this way. He reaches into a squeaky cabinet and places the Tylenol in front of her. He runs a glass of water under the faucet before handing it to her as well so she wouldn't choke on the pills. She places her head in her hands after taking the painkillers, trying to choke down a sob that was attempting to ripple its way out.
Once again something else is set in front of her on the table, making a tapping sound in the process. She peers up to see a small tube that almost looked like chapstick in front of her. "It's a peppermint rub. It'll help relieve your headache," her father simply states. His heart breaking when he sees that her eyes are starting to swell with tears. He didn't know if it was from stress, or if she was depressed from moving. He attempts to cross the kitchen to comfort her but he hears his name being called from the living room. He bites his lip as he looks between her and the living room. Her eyes pleading for him to stay and to whisk whoever it was away. But instead she gets let down.
Her father skips out of the kitchen and to the living room where the movers had called out to him. They wanted to note that they had finally finished. And it was official. She was staying in Hawkins until she graduated. More tears started to prick at her eyes but she fought them from crossing her lash line. She'd be damned if she was seen crying. "Good news they finished with your things," her father cheerily yips as he comes back into the kitchen. "How is that good?" she spits out, still bitter about the fact that she had to live in this stupid town. "Well, you're mother can finally leave us alone,"
Brie shrugs at this. He had a point and there was no reason with trying to argue or stick up for her mother. But at the same time her mother was the ticket to getting out of Hawkins and seeing Brett again. Her father sticks his head out of the backdoor, telling Alex to come say goodbye to their mother. Brie huffs out a long sigh as she raises herself up from the kitchen table. It was time to put this beast to bed. There was no way her mother would miraculously have a change in heart and whisk her back home on such short notice. After all she did just pay the movers to move everything to their father's house.
Begrudgingly, Brie begins her trek to the front yard. She could see her mother short blonde hair blowing in the winter breeze under her hat. She couldn't believe she was actually standing out in the cold and waiting for them to say goodbye, she figured she'd at least wait in the car. She pushes the door open, letting the cool air takeover her body just as she hears a clattering from behind her. A blurry figure races past her and out the door, darting towards her mother. Her eyes widen in surprise at what - more like who - it was. "Kip!" she calls out to the dog just as he rears up on his hind legs and jumps on her mother. Her mother lets out a surprised, yet horrified shriek as the dog begins to lick her face.
"Oh you loathsome creature get off of me!" she shouts, heaving the heavy dog off of her chest and back on to the ground. The corner of Brie's mouth twitches up into a half smile. Only Kip could get the best out of her mother. Her father rushes past her, clamoring to grab ahold of Kip's thick red collar and drag him inside. "You're lucky I don't call animal control!" she hisses at their father as Brie and Alex approach her to see if she's okay. There's no visible scratches or claw marks, only wet paw prints on her jacket, and mud on her purse. Her hair was disheveled and her expression was less than happy.
She attempts to compose herself, all the while glaring at Charles who stood back on the front steps of the house. "Mummy has to leave. Come say goodbye," she breathlessly coos at her children, attempting to throw her arms haphazardly around them. It's brief as she pulls back not even five seconds later, looking down at her jacket worried. "Call me if you have any problems. Wrack up the long distance bill," she instructs them with a smile, knowing damn well their father was lingering behind them. She shoots him a glare. "Charles," she bitterly spits out. "Corrine," he responds with the same bitterness.
They watch as she attempts to walk down the steps of the sidewalk without slipping. It's entertaining for a moment but a sudden pang of sadness hits her right in her heart. She feels lonely, abandoned as she watches her mother drive away. Now she was truly stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way to get out.
"That was quite a scene!" a friendly voice calls out to them, surprising Brie in the process. She twists her head to see two redheads with grocery bags looking over the small chain link fence at them. A mother and a daughter she presumed. The mother was smiling, while the daughter stared cautiously from behind her, investigating the situation. "Susan, hi!" her father greets the woman, a wide smile splaying across his face. "That was my ex wife, making a graceful exit," he notes, pointing to the car driving away in the distance. Brie curiously looked up at him and then towards this Susan woman. Was something happening right now? Why is he getting all bashful and over sharing like he does when he likes someone? Did he like her? "And who are the darlings?"
Brie notes that her voice is sickeningly sweet, like she was trying hard to play nice with them. She particularly didn't like to be called 'darling'. She feels her father's hand on the back of her shoulder blades, pushing her forward with him. Her arms instincts cross her chest defensively, she didn't feel like making nice with the locals. "These are my daughter's. Briana and Alexandria," he introduces them, but they quickly correct their names.
"Brie," she grumbles out bored.
"Alex," she copies her sister, looking up at her for reassurance.
"It's nice to meet you," Susan kindly responds before moving slightly to show the younger redhead. "This is my daughter Maxine -"
"Max," her daughter corrects. Brie examined her daughter. She wasn't quite as old as her but she also wasn't as young as Alex, she was more or less in the in between of their age groups. "Mom, these groceries are heavy. Can I take them in?" Susan turns to look at her daughters disapproving face as she struggles to hold on to the bags. She presses a tight lipped smile on and nods her off. "Susan and her family just moved here too," Charles informs them, trying to give them confidence. Susan happily nods her head but there's a sense of being trapped here in her eyes as well, like a fleeting moment of terror. "Yes, all the way from California," she answers breathlessly.
Brie perks up her brow. Who moves from perfect, sunny, California to this shit hole? Things were starting to get interesting for her. It was obvious that they were moving to hide something - but what is something she didn't know but wanted to find out desperately. "If her kids can make it here, I'm sure you two won't have any trouble fitting in," her father tries to encourage them, giving them a slight pat on the back. Brie's brows raised a little from what she had said. Kids? As in plural? Brie had only seen one of them and she seemed less than excited to meet her. She could only hope the sibling was much nicer and more approachable.
Susan's eyes seem to melt as she watches Alex look up at her father and let out a giggle of excitement. The ways single dad's could woo married women made even Brie roll her eyes. However, the moment is cut short when a new voice rings out from their garage, calling for her. Soon a man appears from within its depth, a permanent scowl placed on his face. "Susan, I've been calling for you for ten minutes. Where've you been?" he presses as he crosses over to her.
The hair on the back of Brie's neck stands on edge. Although he hadn't done anything hostile there was something about him that screamed danger. Maybe it was the tone of his voice when he called out to Susan or the way he stalked over to her, but something didn't sit well with her. "Well, I went to the grocery store. You know that. Then I watched the spectacle unfold in Charlie's front yard," Susan explains.
Brie could hear the nervousness in her voice. Could she possibly be scared of him as well? Was there a reason to be on alert? His gaze locks on to her father, intense and brooding. The opposite of what her father was like. He lets out a soft chuckle. "My ex wife. She came to drop off the kids while she's in Paris for the next year," he tried to explain. At first, Brie doesn't think the man is going to buy into his explanation with how sense his glare bore into him but it quickly recedes as the man grins underneath his mustache. "Women, huh?" he teases as he shakes his head. "Can't live with them, can't live without them,"
Her father attempts to chuckle along with him but something in her gut told her that it felt wrong to agree with him. Perhaps her father was just humoring him, especially with the way he doted on them whenever they visited. "Ladies this is Neil," her father introduces them, clasping on to the sides of their arms tightly. Brie understood the hint. She was being forced to act nice to the douchebag neighbor. "This is Brie and Alex," Susan informs her husband. His eyes scan over each of them, lingering on her for just a half a second longer as she forces herself to smile at him.
His gaze drifts back to her father, whom she felt sorry for. He was putting on a great façade of tolerating him, she had to give him props for that. "Tell you what Charlie, why don't you and you're family come over for dinner?" Neil offers, sending a small panic through her heart. Her breath hitches in her throat, enough to where she thought it would be noticeable but thankfully it isn't. She was more so looking forward to eating pizza with her father while unpacking and reading stories of what's happened since the last they'd all seen each other.
"Oh, Neil that's not necessary. We'd hate to impose," her father attempts to decline, making Brie's nerves settle back down. Her father was a knight in shining armor. "No, no, I insist," Neil protests. Brie was starting to get emotional whiplash from the back and forth. Her nerves stood on high alert. "Susan's cooking up her famous meatloaf. It really too much for us to eat. It can also be a celebratory dinner so your daughters can get to know us,"
Even though she presented a thin lipped smile she hoped her father would see through the veil of fraud happiness and decline the invitation. "Well if it's all right with the missus, we'd love to join you," her father agrees. He had failed her in the one thing she depended on him for.
She looked up at him with a smile but her blue eyes read they were displeased by his actions. He dug his fingers into her arm a little tighter, enforcing that his word was law and to not question it. "Great. It should be ready by six," Susan hums out delighted, giving each of them a polite smile. "That gives us just enough time to get them unpacked," her father hums out.
"Girls?" he urges them as they stand still by his side not wanting to budge or even say a word to the new neighbors. But reluctantly they both murmur out a, "Thank you." Her father dismisses them back to the house, following closely behind them. As she turns to look back she could see Susan and Neil, Neil putting a protective arm around her as they walked into the garage. She couldn't help but this that Neil had something up his sleeve that he wasn't telling them about.