Stained Glass Haze - Chapter One - The Beauty of a Thunder Storm

Thunder cracked as my best friend, Braeden, and I ran home from the baseball field. The storm had come on suddenly while we had been playing ball with a few of our friends. It was a pity because in two short days we would be starting our senior year of high school. None of us wanted the summer to end, and yet it would whether we wanted it to or not.
Raindrops started to fall just as we reached Braeden's house. There was a moving truck in his next door neighbor's driveway.
"Hey Braeden. Looks like you're neighbors finally decided to move in," I yelled over the loud rumble of thunder.
He looked over. "Looks like it. And there's three cars. Maybe they have a teenager."
I looked at the house and saw the figure of a girl standing in the window of the attic. They definitely had a teenager.
"Look up at the top window," I said.
"Not right now Heatyn. It's starting to rain really hard. Common, let's go inside," he said.
We headed into the air conditioned house to find his mother in the kitchen, like always, cooking.
"Hello boys," Mrs. Williams said. "How was your game?"
"It was good Mom," Braeden said heading straight for the fridge. The boy had a stomach like a yeti.
"Not too much Brae," she said, "dinner will be ready soon."
I looked at the clock. It was almost six.
"You staying tonight Heatyn?" Braeden asked me.
"I suppose. You don't mind do ya?"I asked his mom.
"Of course not honey. You know that you're always welcome here," she said with a sweet smile.
My stomach growled loudly. Braeden and his mother laughed.
"A little hungry Heatyn?" he asked me.
"I haven't eaten since noon Brae. You know I need to eat at least every three hours."
He laughed again. "Yeah yeah. I know."
We walked out of the kitchen and down into the basement. Braeden's twin sister, Schuyler, was sitting on the couch with a girl I did not know.
"Get out Sky," Braeden said, "the games on."
Both girls turned around. Lightning flashed in through the window and I stopped in my tracks when my eyes locked with the girl's sitting next to Sky.
"No Braeden. Me and Ghillian are watching basketball right now. I'm not gonna let you kick me out just so you can watch a meaningless game of baseball. It's the state championships."
Braeden sulked. "Fine. I'll guess we'll have to watch basketball tonight."
My eyes were still locked with Ghillian's strange gray eyes. Her long raven hair hung in gentle curls and her lips were full and red. She was utterly beautiful.
"Heatyn?" Sky said.
"What? Yeah?" I said looking to Schuyler.
"I said, are you going to sit down or not?"
I looked back at Ghillian. She'd turned around. "Yeah."
I walked over to the recliner and sank gratefully into the puffy chair. I was worn out and had not realized it. It had been a long day.
A little while later Braedon's mom called us up for dinner. I all but scarfed my food down. There wasn't much conversation in the duration of that period and before I knew it I was almost snoozing in the recliner again.
The already dim light faded quickly as the day came to an end. Before I knew it the game was over and my cell phone was vibrating in my pocket. I took it out and the caller ID read 'Mom'.
"Hello?"
"Where are you young man?" my mother all but screamed into the phone.
"Where am I always at?"
"Braeden's?"
"Yes mother," I said.
"Well why didn't you call me? Come home now."
She sounded angry. I was almost eighteen and she still treated me like I was ten.
"I'll be home in five," I said before hanging up.
Braeden, who had fallen asleep, opened his eyes groggily. "Heading home?"
"Yeah. Mom about had a shit fit. Wonder what's up with her today. Dad probably called or something."
"You'd think she'd be over their divorce by now," Sky said.
"Tell me about it. I'll see you later guys."
"Wait," a quiet voice said. I turned back around.
Ghillian was looking at Schuyler. Sky shook her head.
"Never mind Heatyn. Go home before your mom shoots someone or blows a casket," Sky said to me.
I walked up the stairs and out the front door. My car was parked at the end of the driveway and it was still pouring out. I made a mad dash to my car but was still soaking wet by the time I was safely inside of the car.
"Shit." My wipers weren't working. It took me ten minutes before I could get them to work. By the time I pulled into the driveway and walked into my house it was after ten. My mother was sitting in the living room watching television.
"Where have you been?"
"I couldn't get my wipers to work," I replied.
"Bullshit."
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Don't you dare use that language with me young man!" my mother screamed at me. "You're just like you're fucking father."
"I knew it!"
"What?" she demanded.
"It's about him. Why the hell do you always take it out on me when you have contact with him. If this is how it's going to be until I graduate then in two weeks when I turn eighteen I'm out of here," I screamed.
She was stunned. Her face darkened. "You have no where to go!"
"I'll go stay with the Williams'. They'll take me in and I won't have to deal with you all the time."
She stood up. "You wouldn't dare."
"Try me."
She raised her hand, but I didn't flinch away like I normally did.
"You leave and you'll never be welcomed back. Just like your God damn father."
"You do this again and I won't want to come back. And I mean that," I said turning on my heal and heading up to my bedroom.
I hated this house.