you're the flavor of the future i wish to taste

It didn't take long for Thalia to notice that despite how perfect Springwood looked, it was the opposite. It was like any other shitty town you entered, with its picture-perfect people acting as if there's nothing wrong in the world.

Thalia hated it. She hated how not only did she have to deal with it being her home now, but her parents somehow managed to fit in perfectly.

She'd only been in Springwood for a few weeks, but it felt like an eternity to her. She mostly spent her time exploring the town, avoiding her parents, and doing anything she could to get her mind off of the fact that she'd rather be anywhere but there.

Not to mention, her grandfather was creepy. All he did was stare, or spout some nonsense about how 'it never should've been like this'. He would say things that weren't outright rude but were very backhanded comments that you could just tell had a meaning behind them.

Thalia sat in her room, listening to the yelling downstairs. It was her Lori and Will - no surprise there - arguing about who knows what. It had started as soon as Vernon had shown up to take her grandfather to one of his appointments, almost instantly as the two had walked out of the door.

Despite Will and Lori both promising to stop their fighting, Thalia knew nothing would change. That's exactly why she laughed in their faces when they went on their lecture about how all three of them needed to work on their attitudes. She knew nothing would change, she knew they would just do their best to keep it hidden from Lori's father.

She didn't care to listen to what was being said, she just knew it was pointless. They'd argue and argue until their throats were raw, and then they'd ignore each other until it was time to go to bed. Then they'd 'make up' just to go through it all over again in the morning.

It was an endless cycle, and Thalia was tired of it. She still had a few weeks until school began, and the time couldn't come soon enough. Not that she wanted to attend school - she didn't - she just wanted an excuse to get away from her home life.

Sighing, she grabbed her shoes from the floor. It didn't take long for her to slide them on and once she did she grabbed her bag before exiting the bedroom. 

As much as Thalia didn't want to interact with the outside world, anything would be better than listening to this for most of the night. It was one or the other, and at least she'd be alone for most of the time if she were to leave the house.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Lori asked as soon as Thalia's fingertips touched the doorknob.

"Out," Thalia responded, pulling the door open.

"You need to ask where you're going before you just leave." Lori snapped, resting her hands on her hips.

Thalia rolled her eyes, "You only bothered to notice because you're arguing in front of the front door. If you weren't standing here, you'd be too occupied with cursing at Will to notice my absence."

"Shut the door and come back in here, Thalia Jo. We're not playing this game today." The older woman sternly said, pointing in the direction of the stairs.

Thalia sighed before looking back at her. Lori attempted to look intimidating, but it didn't affect Thalia at all. "Disrespectfully, Lori-" She began to walk backward. "Eat shit."

Lori's jaw fell but didn't say anything, and instead watched her daughter walk out of the door. 

Will sighed as he glanced from the door to his wife. He held a hand up before following the young girl outside. He gently shut the door behind him and watched as Thalia began to walk down the steps. "Thalia," He called out.

Thalia rolled her eyes, turning back. "What, Will?"

"Let's just talk for a minute, okay?" He asked.

"Talk about what? Our feelings? Cause I don't remember a time where we ever did anything like that as a family." Thalia waved her hands around dramatically.

"You really hurt your mom's feelings, saying that you know," Will started, despite her response.

Thalia scoffed, "You- you guys are unbelievable, you know that? You- you guys say the shittest things to each other - in front of me, might I add - and then get all butthurt when I talk the exact same way as you? Be so for real right now."

"We do not say the shittiest things to each other," Will defended. Thalia just raised her brows at the man, and he sighed in response.

"Look, TJ-" He paused, stepping closer to the girl. "Your mother and I just disagree on a lot of stuff, okay? We don't- we don't treat each other with the hate you treat us."

"Well, you had me fooled." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Just- just be easy on her, okay? She's trying and this is all new to her-"

"New to her?" Thalia scoffed, "Right. I forgot that only Lori's feelings matter."

"That's not what I'm saying, TJ-"

"No, really, I get it." Thalia continued anyway. Her voice was laced with sarcasm, and she didn't take notice of how Will's eyes looked at her in a softness she never noticed before.

He could see right through her, which only angered her more. She hated showing emotion - how she truly felt. 

She hated how bothered she was by this, and how it was so obvious that her father - who hardly spoke to her - noticed it easily.

"Lori's feelings matter, your feelings matter, everyone's feelings matter but mine. Right? Right? Did I get- did I hit it right on the spot?" She asked, "I think I got it perfectly."

Will sighed, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. He finally shook his head, waving her off. "Do what you want, Thalia. You're not going to understand and you're just going to do what you want anyway."

Thalia pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek, nodding. "Yeah. You're right. And you're just going to go in there and continue to argue with Lori as if nothing happened."

Will crossed his arms as he stared at his daughter. He nodded a few times, deciding the fight wasn't worth it. He'd already been in an intense argument with his wife, the last thing he needed was to allow Thalia to come into the mix.

This would lead to Thalia finding out way more than she should. They didn't need this - both Lori and Will knew that. So he just sent her one last look before turning around and heading back inside.

Thalia was left alone after this. She didn't care, because this meant she was free to do whatever she wanted without a care in the world. She could walk wherever, go wherever, and see whatever. She didn't have parents to control her every move - which is just how she likes it.

She turned around, continuing the short walk down the pathway leading from the house. She looked at her dirty shoes as she walked, her focus on anything but the world around her.

If it had been up to Thalia - she'd run away. She'd run and never look back. She knew she couldn't, however, because she had nothing going for her. She had no car, no job, and no steady home that wasn't owned by her 'family'. She had nothing, and if she were to leave with the two dollars she had in her piggy bank, she'd end up homeless... Or worse.

However, as soon as she got her high school diploma and chose some shitty community college to attend, she could get her own career and find her way through the world on her own. She didn't have to rely on people who didn't truly care about her, and she didn't have to depend on people who were only taking care of her simply because they 'had to'.

Her eyes shifted ahead, catching sight of the house across the street. It was the same house with the boy she caught mowing the lawn, yet she hadn't spotted him since that day. Truthfully, she hadn't really cared to look. It was a one-and-done type deal, and she told herself that anytime she curiously glanced out of her bedroom window.

So to look up and see the same boy sitting on his porch with another person shocked her. She stopped for a moment, glancing between him and the other boy next to him. The boy he was with was attractive - yet in Thalia's eyes didn't compare to the boy who mowed the lawn. They hadn't noticed her yet, which gave her more than enough time to tear her eyes away from the two.

She didn't as quickly as she should've. Just as she began to look away, the boy she'd spied on glanced her way. He watched her as she exited the pathway to the house and hooked it to the left, moving quickly to get out of sight of the boy.

"Who's that?" The boy asked the other.

"Hmm?" The second boy asked, looking over. "Who?"

"Her," The boy pointed toward Thalia, his eyes never leaving her. "I've never seen her around before."

"Well, she just came out of Dr. Campbell's house." The boy responded, "Maybe a relative."

The first boy nodded, watching the girl. She glanced over again and her light eyes met his. He couldn't help but send her a wave, one that caused her to stop walking.

She was beautiful, but he'd never admit it out loud. He just continued to awkwardly wave at her, the girl watching him with a look he couldn't describe.

"Sean, are you even listening?" The second boy spoke, nudging his friend.

Sean nodded, his curly hair bouncing from his forehead. "Yeah, yeah. Keep talking."

The second boy looked from Sean to the girl, rolling his eyes in response. Before he could say anything, however, he watched as the girl across the street held up her middle finger before walking again.

This caused him to laugh as Sean looked away in embarrassment. "Man, I think that's the first girl I've ever seen deny you so loudly like that."

"Shut up, Andy, like she'd go for someone like you," Sean grumbled.

"She might. Especially since she didn't want anything to do with you." Andy joked, earning a dirty look from Sean. "Besides, aren't you and Cindy like - a thing? Or something?"

"That was a long time ago." Sean shrugged, "Done and over with."

"Are you sure?" Andy asked, looking at his friend in worry.

"I'm as done with Cindy as that girl was with us, okay? Let's just- let's just drop it and go to the arcade or something."

++

Nice lil short chapter for you guys <3 Hope you enjoyed!