The Home Team

Prologue

Trigger Warning: This story will contain subjects that some readers may find hard to read. Such as death, stalking and explicit s****l scenes, SA and others. If you are uncomfortable with any of these, please stop reading now.

Becca

“Rebecca remember, do not get in a vehicle with anyone that has been drinking.” My mother said for probably the hundredth time today. She meant well and only wanted to remind me, once again, of the rules, but I had had this conversation with her countless times before over ther years.

“Mom, I swear, I won’t get in anyone’s car if they have only had even a sip of alcohol.” I said, reassuring her as I turned around and put my hands on her shoulders with a smile. She was always one to worry when it came to me, since I was her only child. It used to annoy me when I was younger, but now I know that she only does it because she cares so much and only wants me to be safe.

“I love you Becca, I just don’t want anything to happen to you.” She said and I wrapped my arms around my mother as a horn from outside the house blared loudly. My ride was here now and I had to go.

“I love you too, mom. I will see you in the morning. You and dad go have fun.” I said with a wink and grabbed my bag before opening the front door of the house and racing down the front steps to the waiting car in the driveway. My mom followed along and stopped at the steps of the porch.

“Get in b***h or we are going to be late.” Mandy yells out loudly from her open window and I cringe, knowing what is about to come.

“Mandy, language.” My mother scolded my childhood best friend as she shook her head. Mom has always been a stickler for foul language. Mandy had no filter at times and my mom always seemed to repand her more than me over the years and today was no different.

“Sorry Mrs. Miller.” She replies with a sheepish smile as I got into the other side of the car. The car pulls away from my house and I wave goodbye to my mother from the passenger side of the car.

"Ahhh are you ready b***h! We are seniors now!" she squeals excitedly as she drives through our tiny town of Rosewood and stops at the diner on the corner. It is a very small town where everyone knows everyone. My house was only a couple of blocks away and the diner had become the go-to spot for our group of friends over the years after school and on the weekends.

Emma and Grace were both standing outside the diner with their boyfriends when we arrived. The two of them were a year ahead of Mandy and me, so they had graduated just a few months ago and were preparing to head off to college next month. I couldn't wait to finish this last year of high school and head off to college as well. I was an art major and was hoping to use my kills to become an illustrator for children's books one day.

I smiled at her excitement as I opened the door to the car. "One more year and we will be joining them in the city." I said, nodding towards the two couples standing near the door of the diner. We had always talked about the four of us getting our own apartment and moving in together once we all got into Riverveiw University. Of all the fun we would have in the city together. And we are another year closer to that dream now.

It was a great day and that night was perfect. After getting food at the diner, we spent the entire afternoon out at the lake with both senior classes until the sky darkened and the fireworks lit up the sky. From this side of the lake we had the perfect view of the fireworks. But those weren’t the only lights illuminating the darkness that evening. While everyone was having a good time, a police car had pulled into the parking lot, drawing everyone's attention. Many of the teenagers tried to hide the fact that there was alcohol present, not wanting the night to end before it even had the chance to start. But the police were not worried about the alcohol. The two officers approached our little group that was off to the side of the beach with somber looks on their faces.

"Are you Rebecca Miller?" one asked and I nodded my head.

"We need you to come with us. There had been an accident." The other said, and my heart stopped. Accident? Why would the police be looking for me because of an accident? I didn't have a clue, but I followed them to their car. The drive was short and I easily recognized the area as one of the main roads that leads out of Rosewood.

What started out as a fun fourth of July day at the lake with my friends and our senior class quickly turned into a night of horrors for me. Now I am standing on the side of the road as I look at the disaster that is before me. Red and blue lights flash everywhere as the police and the firefighters try to understand what happened tonight. Two cars met head on around a sharp curve. The other car had apparently crossed the center line of the road and struck my parent's car, sending it down into the ditch and into a tree. There was shattered glass and mangled pieces of the two cars littering the roadway.

“Miss, you need to step back behind the yellow tape.” One of the officers says as he stops me and tries to force me back when I rush to find out where my parents were and if they were okay.

“You don’t understand. That’s my parent’s car.” I screamed at him and tried to push past him, but the man was solid as a rock.

He doesn’t say anything as he looks over his shoulder at the scene behind him and at that moment, the firefighters removed someone from the car in the ditch, but instead of rushing them to the waiting ambulance they laid the person on the pavement. I couldn't see their face as there were too many first responders all around blocking my view. But I knew it was my dad. I could see the watch my mother had given him on their last anniversary on his wrist before he was covered with a white sheet.

“No, No, No.” I screamed as I tried to rush forward once again, only to find myself in the arms of the cop that had stopped me. My heart was beating out of my chest as I watched the first responders return to the car in the ditch.

“I am so sorry.” Was all he could say as the second body was removed from the car. My mom. She too, was laid right next to my father on the pavement and covered with another sheet. And with that I broke down. My entire world was shattered into a million pieces as I fell to the ground sobbing, taking the police officer with me. Tears stream down my face as the realization hits me and I feel all the air leave my body.

"I need some help over here. She is going into shock." I barely heard the cop yell and a few of the EMT's rushed to my side. I can only see their lips moving now, their voices drowned out by the loud ringing in my ears that would not stop.

I would never have thought that earlier in the day would be the last time I saw my parents. Ever. If I had known that, I would have stayed home and begged for them to stay as well. We could have spent the night watching the fireworks on TV and popping our own fireworks in the backyard. But I didn’t know.

And now.

They’re gone. Both of them.