XX

"So, here it is! Our home."

I almost dropped my duffel bag as I stared at what Dad considered to be a 'home'. Geez, it wasn't even a house, it was a broken down camp trailer!

There was thick duct tape boarding up the numerous holes in the windows. The exterior of the vehicle was rusted and chipped, coated with various graffiti signs. Empty oil and spray-paint cans littered the base of the trailer around its burnt-out tires.

Biting my lip to hold back the look of disgust that threatened to explode and expand across my face, I took a step back and glanced around. The trailer was smack-bang in the middle of a trailer park filled with all kinds of minivans and campers. It seemed to be a popular place in the Southside for swarms of dodgy looking people smoking cigarettes were hanging around everywhere. Some of them weren't interested in me, but some were and I felt uncomfortable under their hard, bold stares. Suddenly, I couldn't wait to get inside the trailer and escape them.

As soon as Dad had unlocked the door and stepped inside, I was right behind him. Breathlessly, I whirled around and slammed the door shut behind me. The entire trailer shuddered with the impact.

"Geez. Keep it down," Dad frowned at me, a trifle annoyed.

I nodded, completely at a loss for words. My eyes scanned over the interior of the trailer. Even though it seemed that it had been clumsily cleaned up for my return, everything looked completely out of place. There was a mini lounge where a pull-out bed had been set-up next to the couch. A tiny TV was placed back-to-back against the kitchen bench where a pile of dishes sat next to a rusted sink. A small fold-up kitchen table was set up against the near wall where an empty doorframe led into another room cramped with mattresses.

"That's yours," Dad nodded towards the pull-out bed practically taking over the lounge room. "I - er - kinda presumed you'd want some personal space, so Jug, Jelly and I will all sleep in the other room."

I pressed my lips into a long, thin line as I nodded. "Thanks, Dad."

Dad shoved his hands into his back pockets and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. "Well, uh, I'd better let you unpack and get settled. I - er - will - um - you know, wait outside."

As Dad started for the door, I called out after him, "Wait! W-where is Jug and Jelly?"

Dad shrugged. "I dunno. They're probably at the Whyte Wyrm."

"T-the what now?" I furrowed my brow.

"The Whyte Wyrm," he repeated, placing emphasis upon the words. "It's a place where the Southside kids usually go in the late afternoons. It's - er - kinda like a hang-out spot for the youth."

I nodded, indicated that I'd understood.

"Alright, well, lemme know if you need anything else," Dad gave me a lopsided smile as he unlatched the door.

"Okay, will do," I sent him a small wave as he shut the door behind him.

As soon as I saw his shadow move across the window and away from the trailer, I let out a rather big sigh. I threw my bag onto my bed and slumped down next to it. I slowly pulled my phone out of my pocket and began rereading the numerous texts that Mum had been sending me.

I sent her a quick message to assure her that I had arrived safely before chucking it into my bag and forgetting about it. How was I supposed to tell her that Dad and the kids were living in a trailer? How was I supposed to inform her of the fact that they weren't even in Riverdale anymore but rather some southern dumpster where all the crooks hung out? She'd be horrified if she knew the circumstances and would probably demand my swift return.

But ... I had to at least give this place a shot ... Even if it was a far cry from the city privileges I was used too. Straightening up, I set my face in determination. Scrambling to my feet, I marched towards the trailer door and stepped outside into the humid afternoon heat. My eyes swept over the park until they landed on Dad. He was leaning up against the side of another trailer that was situated a couple paces away. He was conversing with a very tall, intimidating fellow who had numerous piercings along his ears and eyebrows and sported a scruffy looking beard.

Even though the humidity hung heavy in the air, Dad had swapped his flannel shirt for a dark leather jacket. A green swirly pattern outlined the back of the cloth and I squinted as I tried to make out what it was.

I scurried down the camper steps, using a rubber band that had been on my wrist to tie up my curly mess of hair. As I drew closer towards where Dad was, I saw that the embroidered pattern on his jacket was a symbol of a snake, coiled into the letter S. Venom was dripping from it's sharp fangs and it's beady yellow eyes flashed with threatening anger. White fabric had been sewn above the snake's scaly head and the words, Southside Serpents, had been written across the material.

What on earth?

"Dad?" I questioned as I came to a stop right behind him.

Dad turned his head to look at me, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Kenzie? Geez. That was quick. How did you unpack that fast?"

"I didn't," I returned pointedly, glancing sideways towards the ferocious looking man towering over Dad. "I - I want to see Jug and Jelly ... now."

"Huh. At least she has some of her mother's spark," the man standing nearby scoffed.

I turned angry eyes towards him. "What?"

"Kenzie, meet Tall Boy," Dad hastily cut in. "Tall Boy, this is my daughter, Mackenzie."

"How could I not recognise you?" Tall Boy guffawed. "You look exactly like your mother."

I furrowed my brow as I scrutinised him. "You knew my mother?"

Tall Boy rolled his eyes as he lifted his cigarette to his lips. "Of course I did ... and I wish that I hadn't."

I stared at him in shock. How dare he say that about my mum! I didn't care what she did, she didn't deserve to have this stranger degrading her like this!

"You better watch it, Tall Boy," I hissed as I glared furiously at him. "No one speaks about my mum that way."

Tall Boy nearly choked on an inhalation of smoke. "Did you swallow a dumb pill or something? Your mother is a conniving little ..."

"Let's leave it there, shall we?" Dad growled, putting an end to Tall Boy's grand speech.

Tall Boy huffed and rolled his eyes as he turned away.

"Let's go, now," Dad ordered, placing a hand on my shoulder and guiding me away.

"Oi," I frowned at him, swatting him away. "What the hell is this, huh? Why did you - you just let him bully Mum like that?"

Dad heaved a deep sigh. "Look, Kenzie, you're gonna get this everywhere, okay? No one around here is very fond of your mother, not after what she did. She left me, she abandoned her kids, she ripped you away from the only life you'd ever known ..."

"What life, Dad? What life?" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air and waving around at the trailer park. "This? This? If this is what my life would've been like then I'm glad I didn't have a part in it. Dad, you don't even live in Riverdale anymore! Heck, you don't even live in a house! You live in a trailer! You're wearing some weird serpent jacket, talking to some absolute bastard and now, you won't even tell me why my siblings don't want to see me!" As I stopped for breath, I could see the look of hurt that flashed across Dad's face. "I - I ..." I stuttered, fumbling for words.

"Forget it, Kenzie," Dad hissed. "You've made your feelings well known. If you hate this place so much, why don't you just leave?" Dad made as if to turn around and walk away, but I stopped him by placing a restraining hand on his arm.

"Dad ... I'm sorry," I muttered, my gaze downcast.

"You know what? That's what your mother said when she left ... with you," Dad returned, his voice thick with emotions.

I bit my lip. "I - I didn't know that."

"Of course not," Dad rolled his eyes. He stuffed his hands in his front pants' pockets and sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine ... let's go get Jug and Jelly."

Gif: Mackenzie as she tries to sort out her hair. :)

* PLEASE REMEMBER to give this chapter a vote if you enjoyed and I'd love to hear any feedback from my readers; so pepper me with questions. If you're confused, I'll try and clarify it for you. If you want more information on a certain point, I'll do my best not to give you spoilers. If you just wanna chat 'bout random stuff, then I'm in *

Q: Would you be comfortable sleeping in a creaking old trailer after having the luxuries of city life for ten years?