♕Harley Anderson♕

"Can you stop?" I hiss in exasperation, causing Cameron to glare at me in annoyance.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to be here." Cameron retorts and I roll my eyes.

"Why do you have to be so rude about it?" I snap. "If you can't see; I've being getting it right. What else do you want?"

His russet brown eyes narrow and he clenches his jaw. I look ahead, the tenseness in the car almost unbearable. We've being doing the same thing for the last two hours and if I wasn't getting it; I would totally understand why he was forcing me to keep on doing it. However, that's not the case. I got it so why does Cameron have to act like a dick and go on as if I haven't?

"You need to get it right." Cameron says, his voice terse. My hands fly up into the air in frustration.

"I have!"

"I'm only doing this because I know you can do better."

I sigh. "I don't know what more you want me to do."

"Just start up the damn car, Harley." He demands and I kiss my teeth, my frustration hitting it's peak and I start up the car, doing as he says and doing exactly what I did yesterday and for the past two hours. I turn the car with the curve as it approaches and when I'm back on the straight road, I pick up speed again before I slow down to a halt. I then turn to Cameron with an incredulous look.

"Did that satisfy your expectations or are you still going to be a sour ass about it?" I say, my voice sarcastic. He licks his lips before shaking his head at me.

"Let's swap, we're heading back." He mutters and I sigh as he climbs out of the car and comes to my side. He opens the door for me and I climb out, heading to the passenger seat. The minute he's behind the wheel, he steps on the gas as we head home and I look out the window while wishing I could slap some sense into the boy beside me. The atmosphere is tense and thick, it obvious that we're both pissed at each other.

However, I feel a slight tinge of guilt in my gut. How can I get upset with him when he's just trying to help me improve? He believes that I can do better and I should be grateful about that instead of acting like a bitch. If Cameron- the amazing racer that he is- thinks I'm capable of more, I should feel flattered and push myself to my limits instead of flipping a lid and being snarky. But then again, he doesn't have to be so cold about it either, does he? He could actually try and be a little nice for a change because all I've actually done is try and make this whole experience a little more enjoyable. For the both of us.

When we pull up outside of my apartment, I grab my bag. "Thank you." I say softly, looking back at him who simply stares straight ahead and avoids my gaze. He nods in acknowledgment and I sigh deeply before opening the door and slamming it shut. I stroll to the elevator and once I'm in the hallway, I run a hand through my hair.  I can already hear Audrey's rock music playing on full blast and when I push the door open to my apartment, I find Audrey dancing by herself.

My lips twitch into a small smile when I see her and when she notices me, she grins before turning the volume down.

"I'm still waiting for our neighbors to complain." I comment, putting my bag on our grey couch. Audrey rolls her eyes.

"As if I care."

"You should." I counter and she rolls her eyes before flopping onto our couch.

"I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon."

I scoff, taking a seat next to her. "Neither was I."

She turns to me with a raised eyebrow and I sigh.

"How do you get on so well with Cameron?" I ask and she frowns, seemingly confused. "He can be so frustrating."

She lets out a breath of a laugh. "He wasn't like this with me in the beginning." She counters and I give her a disbelieving look. "Give him time, Harley. Caleb's told me that he's also gone through a lot and it takes him a while to warm up to people."

My eyebrows draw together at that and I chew on my lip in thought. Was that why he was so brooding? Because he had a past that was also weighing him down?

"And besides, he must obviously like you somehow if he agreed to teach you how to race." She counters before tapping my leg. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go take a hot bubble bath before Caleb fetches me for a movie night."

She stands up and I smile at her before she retreats to the bathroom.

What could Cameron have gone through to make him such a serious person? Maybe I was being too harsh on him- maybe we both just need time to learn how to deal with each other.

I close my eyes and let out a breath.

Hopefully we would learn how to do that sooner rather than later.

****

I bop my head to the music as I drive down the familiar area and when I see the subtle, beige one-story house come into view, a sense of warmth envelopes me. This was my home for the last few years of my life. It was the only safe haven I had when I was going through all the shit that I was forced to which is why it holds a very dear place in my heart. Not only that but it was when I finally came to live here that my life began to really change and look a little brighter than what it originally was.

When I've parked my car in the driveway and I've climbed out, it doesn't take long for Mia to come bouncing towards me, throwing herself at me so that I nearly topple over.

"Harley!" She exclaims excitedly "You're home!" I wrap my arms around her small frame and stroke her head of black curls.

"Yep. And I'm staying over for the next two days." I smile and she looks up at me, her doe brown eyes lighting up.

"Really?"

I nod and she squeals, hugging me again. "I've missed you so much."

My heart swells with love and I crouch down to her level, looking at her glossy eyes with a smile. "I missed you too, Mia." I wrap my arms around her and she returns the gesture before we break apart and I stand up with a laugh.

"Are you going to help me with my bags?" I ask and she giggles.

"Yep."

I give her my handbag and she runs inside just as my mom walks out, laughing at Mia as she zooms into the house. When my mom's eyes meet mine and glow in adoration, I cannot help but smile before she pulls me in for a hug.

"How have you being?" She whispers in my ear and I shrug after I pull away from her embrace.

"I'm good. Especially now that I'm home."

She grins, taking my duffle bag from me before tucking a strand of her hair, that's escaped her bun, behind her ear. I follow her along the pebbled path with flowers along the sides to our front door before walking into the all too familiar environment. The house is average; nothing too small, nor too big. We have simple furniture that is mainly the color of cream or brown. The house is simple and has an almost subtle beauty to it. My mom could never afford to buy a huge and extravagant house- not when she was a single mom who was only earning a salary of a fifth grade teacher, with a daughter in school while she was still helping to pay for my college fees when it wasn't even her responsibility- but if there was one thing she was definitely good at, it was how she made the simplest of things  beautiful.

Soon enough, a small white and brown figure is jumping at my legs and I chuckle as I crouch down to pat our Russel Terrier.
"Hello CoCo!" I gush as he licks my hands.

Mia giggles beside me. "He still likes to sleep in your room."

I smile down at him before I stand up again and head to my room. When I step into it, nostalgia hits me full force. Nothing has changed from the last time I was here; my bed is still pushed up against the white wall while my two bedside tables have books resting on them- books I've read too many times over. My desk that sits in the right hand corner is still cluttered with pens, books and notes while the posters on my wall still look down at me.

I let out a sigh of content as I fall onto my bed, happy that I'm home even if it's only for a little bit.

"Mommy made breakfast." I hear Mia say and I look up at her with a smile.

"What is it?"

"Fruit salad."

"With strawberries?"

She giggles. "Mmh."

I spring up from my bed and stroll into the kitchen where my mom puts a bowl of fruit salad in the middle of the table. I smile at her as I pull out a chair and dish up.
When we're all seated with bowls of breakfast in front of us, my mom speaks up.

"How are your nightmares honey?" She asks and I pause my actions. My mom doesn't need to stress and worry about me more than she already does. That is why I settle with a simple shrug before shoveling another spoon of fruit into my mouth.

"I'm fine."

"Are you still getting them as frequently?" She goes on to ask and I shrug again.

"I have my weeks." I say, my words true.

She nods, licking her lips before clasping her hands in front of her. "If you're having a rough time with them, you can speak to me alright? And if you need to go back for therapy, you can."

I push a smile onto my face. "Therapy can't do anything else for me, mom. I just need to learn to deal with it now and keep it under control."

"But there's always medicati-"

"What? Anti-depressants?" I ask incredulously. "I don't want to be completely numb all the time."

She sighs softly before picking her spoon back up again. "I just worry about you honey. That's all."

"I know. And I love you for that. But what's done is done- I have to live with the scars now. The only way it can get better is with time."

She nods, the room lapsing back into silence. I understand that she cares but what else is therapy going to do for me? I'll admit that I've come a lot further than where I was three years ago which is exactly why I need time. What happened to me is not just going to disappear, nor is it just going to miraculously get better. The wounds will heal as time goes by, I just need to be patient and easy on myself.

Because despite how much my past influences my present, I can't let it have complete control over me.

"Mia?" I call out and she looks up from her bowl.

"Yeah?"

"How about we have a movie day?" I ask hopefully and she breaks into a wide grin before nodding vigorously.

"That would be awesome."

•••
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Sorry for not updating for a while guys. With my exams it was a little difficult to find the time. However, I am back now so hopefully updates will go back to consistent Saturday updates;)
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xoxo

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