Sunshine (Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x OC)

Chapter 01

The sun wasn't even up yet, but I sure was.

3:00 am

The beeping of my alarm blared through my room loudly as I shot up from laying down, back straight as a board with hair falling clumsily into my face having fought its way out of my ponytail. Swinging my legs to the side I tapped my alarm clock, turning off the beeping to keep the quiet peace of early morning as I moved towards the bathroom with more energy than normal.

The warm water ran through my light hair which had been darkened by the wetness and down my back, rinsing away the soap. I knew I had to work quick and quietly to make it out of the house this morning without getting caught so I got out of the shower after only a few minutes, reaching for my towel to dry myself off. I tied my hair back in a slick bun, feeling more refreshed than before I had cleaned up and throwing on some casual clothes, a white shirt and some jeans.

Rushing back into my room stealthily past my parents room I had threw the last few necessities into my duffle back before zipping it closed and throwing it over my shoulder. I spared a simple glance towards the light pink room of my childhood, filled with old dolls that had never been played with and makeup that had never been worn before turning towards my future, excitement for what was to come coursing through my veins.

Walking with soft steps down the stairs in hopes of not waking anyone up at this unusually early hour I had made it to the doorway only to hear a soft humming from the kitchen, human not mechanic I noted. The light was on, shining too brightly for the early hour, prompting me to investigate further, curiosity leading me.

My duffle bag fell off my shoulder and into my hand where I gently set it by the door. I stepped into the kitchen carefully, a gentle smiling falling onto my face at the sight before me. My mother stood at the stove, a look of relaxed focus on her face as she hummed softly while cooking.

"Oh good, you're up" she turned around happily when she noticed me, her eyes crinkling at the sides like they used to when I was younger, before they had hardened into an almost constant frown.

When I was younger, perhaps too young to remember clearly she was always happy and smiling with her friends and me, that was until she stopped seeing her friends and she had quit her job, always telling me that everything happened for a reason.

"I made your favourite, pancakes!" She cheered quietly with a brightness in her eyes that warmed my heart and made me want to stay, but I knew I couldn't, not anymore. She spoke in a quiet voice in an attempt to avoid waking up my father who was still sleeping upstairs, unaware of what he would learn when he wakes up.

She motioned for me to sit at the table, which I did without hesitation, cherishing the moments with just me and her, the moments where we could both be ourselves and not pretend. She brought over a plate with a small stack of chocolate chip pancakes on it, setting it in front of me with a gentle squeeze to my shoulder, knowing that I wasn't huge on physical touch.

"Thanks, mom" I offered her a smile which I hoped had displayed how much I really appreciated her and what she has done for me all of my life.

"I'm so proud of you for following your dreams" she began, sitting across from me at her seat at the table, leaving a few spots empty where my father, brother and sister in law would normally sit when we had a full family dinner. "Now you're sure that you have everything? Toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush and elastics-oh and—"

"Yes, mom, I've triple checked my bag" I laughed in a hushed tone at her worry for me forgetting anything.

"And you're sure you haven't missed anything?" She clarified, watching me carefully for an answer.