***CW: Parental abuse***

Rainie

Ditching was a surefire way for Rainie to get in a ton of trouble when she got home. But she was absolutely against the idea of facing down Mrs. Haroldson when the only reason the hag was so pissy was because she was a prude that didn’t appreciate Rainie’s colorful use of the word fuck.

Gotta love these religious cities. It’s like a prison that you can’t escape and you have to pretend to appreciate to get anywhere.

Rainie’s tongue kissed the back of her teeth at the thought of it. A word. An arrangement of letters that, for some unbeknownst reason, got people so riled up that they felt it necessary to yell across the whole school. Sometimes, Rainie wanted to string together an elegant sentence of curse words and shout it in the middle of Mass. But she knew that—unlike the verbal lashing she’d get for ditching—it’d get far more physical after a stunt like that.

A rise of fury consumed her long enough to sprint down the field with the orange and yellow ball at her feet before taking a heated shot into the empty net. Rainie’s corner shot wasn’t nearly as flawless as her brother’s, and even then, she doubted she could make an accurate shot in the middle of a heated game. Caleb’s crazy accuracy, especially under pressure, was a mystery to her, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t jealous.

While the boys’ games would be on home turf, Rainie and the girls’ teams would be traveling an hour and a half away to face the White Mountain City’s Snow Owls. They were an okay team, but the Blue Fields’ Blue Jays would take the win for this game. Even before Caleb and Rainie entered high school, the soccer team had been strong enough that—aside from football, a sport she despised with every fiber of her being—soccer was the most cared about sport in Blue Fields. Pre-game parties, tailgating, and post-game parties, sidelines stuffed with spectators, both in and out of town. Even some of the pep rallies rivaled the football teams. With all that going on, it was impossible for Rainie not to be excited.

Her legs were nowhere near their limit, and she certainly wasn’t tired despite the line of sweat forming at her temples, but Rainie felt herself collapse into the soft embrace of the lush moss at her feet. She knew for certain that their parents would take the drive to watch her game. They always did. Rainie wasn’t oblivious to their abhorred favoritism. How they never attended Caleb’s games unless they didn’t coincide with hers, so, never. It made her sick to her stomach, yet also relieved. Caleb didn’t have his parents watching him play soccer like his peers did. He hadn’t since they both played junior soccer when they were kids. But Caleb was also a favored target of their father, and he had Jenny and Spencer there to cheer him on, so maybe it was for the better.

Which made it all the worse whenever Rainie felt a pang of spite towards her younger brother because he got the two she wished would attend her games. Spencer and Jenny did well by her brother. Cheering him on in place of parents that would never show. Now and again, the duo would bust their ass to make her games when they could, but it wasn’t often. Rainie absorbed every moment of Spencer’s eyes watching her—only her—as she protected the goal from the other team. Caleb was a phenomenal striker, but Rainie’s defense was like a solid brick wall that nothing could topple. She took a lot of pride in that and wished she could show it off more to the boy with those pretty sea-green eyes.

Not to mention that Jenny was literally the nicest parent Rainie had ever met. Even when the strict parenting act surfaced to snap at their vulgar language, Jenny still managed to reprimand them kindly. Or maybe it was a simple misinterpretation. For the twins, stinging slaps across the face and beatings that left Caleb bruised for days were normal. It was all they ever knew, so seeing parenting done differently through Jenny had been a welcome surprise. One the twins readily reveled in.

Regardless of her desire to attract the attention of the gorgeous dirty-blonde boy, Rainie purposefully restrained herself. Caleb hadn’t come out of the closet—for good reason—not even to her. But she could read her twin like a book that didn’t realize it was being read. How her brother’s gaze softened, how his body relaxed whenever Spencer was in the vicinity. Caramel eyes that scintillated as soon as they landed on Spencer entering a room. Caleb was harboring a major crush, and Rainie wouldn’t be the person that hurt her baby brother. Especially when she could so clearly see the feelings were mutual, even if the two idiots refused to admit it.

As the bell for the fourth period rang clear and true across the field, Rainie managed to shake the swirling thoughts from her head. Her violin class was next, which certainly beat out the calculus class she just missed. She was pretty average with the instrument, but the smooth wood of the neck, the soft brush of the bow was so incredibly calming to her. Soccer was quick, aggressive. Violin took patience and a tender touch. The dichotomy of the two made Rainie feel balanced. A feeling she’d never achieve at home.

Despite the class being on the other side of the school, Rainie managed to swipe her ID with time to spare. It took less than a minute to assemble her instrument and activate the holographic music sheets, and by the time the tardy bell rang, she was ready to play. Mr. Forbes gave an appraising nod in her direction, his chubby red cheeks rounding as they were pushed up by a smile.

As the class ran through the exercises, Mr. Forbes was interrupted by an abrupt knock at his door. Waiting on the other side was a face Rainie had hoped not to see for at least a single run-through of the sheet music in front of her.

“Kowalczyk.”

Rainie already had her sheet music switched off and her violin packed by the time he finished saying her name.

Damn it, Autumn, she cursed to herself as she met the coach’s assistant at the door. She knew it was coming. Away games always took Rainie from one of her favorite classes.

Mr. Forbes offered a sympathetic smile every time it happened, at least. Like he, too, didn’t want her to miss his class. It was a small comfort but comfort all the same.

“We’ll be stopping by the office to grab Kayla and then we’ll head out to the bus,” Autumn’s monotone voice informed Rainie as they walked through empty halls.

Of course it was Rainie and her best friend (aside from Spencer and her brother, of course) that were holding up the team. Kayla ironically disliked missing class just as much as Rainie did, albeit for different reasons. It was quite easy to see the absolute malice in Kayla’s frown and narrowed eyes that she was far more pissed than usual.

“Damn,” Rainie snickered, “what’s got you more sour than usual?

Despite her mood, Rainie couldn’t help but smile at it. Kayla’s misery was often paired with over-dramatic facial expressions that made her right eye slightly twitch and her dimples following the shape of her deepening scowl.

“I literally just got Jeremy to talk to me and we were flirting hardcore when Autumn made me wait in the office,” she pouted dramatically, keeping her voice low as the duo followed Autumn out the doors of the school.

Rainie chuckled to her friend’s dismay. “What could Jeremy have to offer? He has the intelligence of a bullfrog.”

Kayla’s hardened expression broke with a chuckle. “Rains, I’ve given up finding a guy as smart as I am. If I’m gonna be with someone dumber than me, they might as well be smokin’ hot, ya know?”

“No, I don’t know,” Rainie replied, shaking her head. “Come on, Kayla. There’s bound to be guys out there smarter and cuter than Jeremy.”

“Well yeah, there are.” A sly smile turned up her glossed lips. “But you told me Spencer was off limits.”

Warmth rushed over Rainie’s cheeks. She tried to hide the embarrassment by swatting at Kayla and saying indignantly, “I did not say that.”

“Not out loud, sure. It’s all in the way you look at him, the way you talk about him, and the way you do all those dangerous ass tricks on your bike when he’s around, but the pinnacle of safety when he’s not.” Kayla snickered behind a swiftly lifted hand. “You’re not fooling anyone, Rains.”

Kayla didn’t wait for a response, leaving Rainie behind, flustered, with a quick burst of speed.

Rainie shook it off despite her heart having come to an abrupt, skidding halt. Was it really that obvious?

Sure, Rainie knew all about Caleb’s crush on their childhood friend but that was the work of tiny indicators that only his twin should be able to pick up on. And she made damn sure that he didn’t pick up on those same signs from her. It’d break his heart, something that was already beaten to pieces.

But, then, how did Kayla pick up on them? How did she know? More importantly, who else knew about it?

Worry tugged at Rainie’s stomach lining, urging forth nausea and sudden dizziness. Even if no one else could see the signs Kayla had, it didn’t mean that Kayla was careful with her newfound knowledge. With this school, something like that would be the talk of the day by tomorrow.

Frowning with her immediately soured mood taking root in her, Rainie stomped up the short steps of the bus and strode quickly to the far back where she plopped down in her seat. It creaked, and the leather agitated her bare legs. Neither of which helped her fearful anger.

Luckily, her teammates had long since learned of her desire for quiet before games. Time to ground her and prepare scenarios for the coming game. They also knew of Rainie’s renowned temper and how quickly it could be lit. One that no one—not even Kayla—wanted to risk by crowding Rainie’s space and interrupting her peace.

Coolness brushed over the back of Rainie’s head as she leaned back against the window. She must’ve dozed off at some point, lulled by the gentle vibrations of bus tires over asphalt because her eyes open again to her family living room.

She’s in front of the tv watching cartoons on the small holographic display. An eleven-year-old Caleb was carefully dribbling a plushie soccer ball around and smiling whenever he made a “goal”, which was just the spot between Rainie’s dangling legs over the couch. For one brief moment, it was peaceful. Serene. An image Rainie painted to keep forever in her memory.

It was never meant to last.

“Caleb!”

The duo jumped and flinched at the sudden roar of their father’s enraged voice from the kitchen. Where her brother’s caramel eyes were alight with joy seconds ago, now they were dark with unparalleled fear as he looked to his big sister for guidance.

“You know what happens when I have to call for you twice, young man!”

Slipping off the couch, Rainie slung her arm around Caleb’s shoulders and nodded as they walked hand in hand toward the kitchen. She could feel his violent tremble beneath the stretch of her arm, could hear the hitched breaths.

How she hated this man.

The second their father laid his dark navy eyes on them, he asked, “Rainie, did I call for you, young lady?”

When Rainie’s only response is a harsh glare of her own, he snarled. “Answer me!”

The man had only the courage to shout like that because their mother was away. Not because of his behavior toward her children but because the neighbors would hear and it’d be “embarrassing”. Unbecoming of their faux-perfect family.

“No,” Rainie barely managed to hiss through her clenched teeth.

An eery smile crept over his lips. “Then you may take your leave,” he said, his voice softer but his eyes just as dangerous. “I must speak with your brother. Alone.”

Rainie’s hold on her brother grew tighter as she stood her ground, fully intending on cementing herself there before Caleb carefully removed himself from her embrace. His eyes were filled with terror as he took a deep, stuttered breath.

“I-I’ll be okay, Rainie. It’s, um…it’s okay….”

“Rainie!”