Shattered By Broken Dreams

As I sat on my bed, procrastinating my unpacking, I thought to myself, “I guess this is home… California… Ugh.” This wasn’t exactly my cup of tea; I am a Texan, born and bred for the past 20 years. Though I’m from Houston, I have the twang that I picked up from my mother and grandmother.

I sighed at the thought of the two women who had molded me into what I am today and that neither of them could see what I had become. My grandmother died several years ago, my mother died in October while I was away for school. The father I had never gotten the opportunity to be close to requested a transfer to a different division of the company he had worked for since before I was born so that he could be home more for my two younger brothers. In his mind, he still had time to get to know his younger sons in the same way he had become friends with his eldest son. I, Rebekah Conway, was the only girl in his litter, the second born, and the one that shouldn’t exist. My father, Mark Conway, never wanted a girl. He wanted to carry on a proud tradition that had been for the past three generations of his family. His grandfather was the first of three boys; his father was the same, as was my father. He got his three boys; he just hadn’t counted on me breaking his family’s streak.
So my dad’s transfer request had come through, and it took my younger brothers, me, and my dad to Huntington Beach, California. My biggest complaint is that it relocated my family at the beginning of December, less than two months after my mom had died, the middle of my brother Gregory’s senior year in high school, and when I was 6 months pregnant with a child conceived in a rape that I had kept secret. I remember the day I came home for Christmas, intent on telling my family about my pregnancy.

I walked through the terminal at the airport right after I collected my bag from the carousel, my cell phone attached to my ear so I could find my dad.

“Daddy? I’m off the plane and heading towards the passenger pick-up area. Are you there yet?” I was looking forward to seeing my family. After being in a town that wouldn’t qualify as a pinprick on a map in the center of Kansas, I missed everything that suburbia had to offer.

“There’s been a change of plans, Bekah-boo. Go to terminal 16.” After that, he hung up
Confused, I turned around and found the terminal easily. My family, including the eldest, Mark Jr., was there with suitcases in hand.

“Is this a surprise vacation?” I asked.

“No. We’re moving... Right now...” My explained feebly. He had had trouble looking at me since the death of his wife. I was her spitting image.

“Where are you taking my brothers?” I asked my father in an eerily calm voice, barely containing the venom in my throat.

“I’ve been transferred to Huntington Beach, California.” He mumbled.

“So I get an ambush at the airport. Way to go, Dad. You’re an asshole. We have a flight to get on now, don’t we?” I seethed. He simply nodded at the temper flare that was so rare from me. “Then give me my ticket so we can get this over with, you selfish bastard.”

Here I sit, six months later, in the guest room of the house my father chose. At least it was close to the beach, not that I’d get to go too often. My dad’s way of kissing my ass was to line up a job for me as a touring nurse assistant at Warped! Tour. I’d be starting on July 2nd in my hometown. That meant that I got to go on a road trip to see family and friends before I started working. My older brother was the main person I’d be trying to see and he’s already arranged that I’d stay with him for about a week before I went to Warped! with some friends of mine. I only have to deal with my dad for another week before I’m back in familiar territory, two before I’m home.

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“Mark! I’m here, bubba!” I called into the house he and a few of his friends were renting while they went to school.

“Bekah! I’m glad you found your way here. Now get dolled up. I’m taking you out for a very late birthday party.” My 6’4, brown haired, brown eyed, surprisingly straight cheerleader brother grinned at me.

“Bull. You just want an excuse to go out and party and you’re using me since you celebrated your birthday for a week.” I laughed at him.

“Ouch! Bek, I’m hurt. Mostly because you saw through me, but still! You’re too smart for your own good.” He playfully glared.

“Nah, I’m just too smart for you.” I retorted.

“Touché!” I heard Mark’s best friend’s signature response from behind me. I turned and saw the epitome of “surfer boy” standing in front of me. Michael had blond hair, blue eyes, he was kind of built, about 6’2, and constantly without a shirt.

“Michael! How are you, hun?” I asked, hugging him. He was like another brother to me.

“I’m great. Now, really, make yourself club ready. I won’t take no for an answer!” He pushed me towards the room that I was apparently staying in.

I laughed and freshened my makeup, changed into a nice shirt, and the only skirt I own. I am, by no means, a twig; my lean legs seemed to be a mile long leading up to my curvy hips, my toned stomach, and full breasts. My clear skinned face was adorned with only mascara and eyeliner to enhance the near-blackness of my eyes and I left my long brunette hair in the ponytail I had traveled in, simply brushing it out and redoing the poof of my long-ish bangs. My heels clanked on the linoleum floor 20 minutes after I was pushed into the room.

Mark was on the phone telling people to go to this club if they were in town, that he wanted everyone who hadn’t already met me when he brought people to Cali for my Christmas break to meet me at some point this week.

“Mark, can I ask how the hell you already knew people to party with in California when you came for Christmas? That just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“They’re friends of Michael and me. There were only five of them from there, everyone else was from here. I just wanted you to know some good party people since you don’t get out enough anymore.”

“And why are you so into introducing me to all your friends? You just get mad if they think I’m hot, so what’s the point?” I laughed.

“I like showing my asshole friends what they can’t have because I’m just mean like that.” He laughed back.

“Remind me who the Cali guys were? I think I only had a conversation with one of them…”

“The super tall one is Jimmy, the one with snakebites is Zacky, the short one is Jonny, the one that wears a fedora almost all the time is Brian, and the big guy is Matt. Why?”

“Because I have this weird feeling that I’ve seen them before. Must not be anything too important, though.” I shrugged.

Mark and Michael laughed after exchanging a look. Before long, we were at a club. From that point on, my week was spent in a pleasantly tipsy haze.

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“Mark Christopher Conway! I swear that if you decide you have to throw a “Part 2” to last night’s send-off party, I’m going to kill you.” I groaned when I woke up on Saturday afternoon with the first hangover in my life. Mark was mumbling to people that I wasn’t leaving today, so there would be another house party tonight.

“But I have to! This is what I do best. Besides, Michael really wanted to give you a hell of a send off last night. But you kicked him out before he could.” Mark winked.

I gaped at him, horrified. “Are you high?!?!?!”

Mark laughed at that, then he saw my serious expression. Mark had gotten into coke a couple of years ago and nearly died from an overdose. Since then, he’d been clean as far as I knew, but I wouldn’t put it past him to fall into old habits again.

“No, Rebekah. I haven’t touched that shit since the OD.”

“Well, you’d have to be high on something to push one of your friends at me. You have always been a massive hindrance to my sex life. Always. What gives???” I asked, still horrified at the thought of me and Michael.

He sighed. “Michael hasn’t shut up about how you’ve turned into this 'hot woman' since you left for school 2 years ago. And I know you want him too.”

I laughed really hard at that. “I haven’t wanted Michael Brown since senior year when I saw him naked. Hairy asses are total turn offs.” I still laughed.

“Oh thank God! Don’t flirt with any more of my friends tonight. I’m having a hard enough time trying to make them realize that you’re off limits. And it kinda sucks having to punch your friends for that shit.” Mark sighed in relief.

“HA!!!” I yelled in triumph, instantly regretting it. “That’s the brother I know and love.”