Chapter 1
The station couldn't possibly be in the worst conditions. Flickering light bulbs, floors littered with trash were just a tip as weary-looking faces sat on its cold benches. It wasn't uncommon how hushed it was so early in the day with just a hand full waiting patiently for the morning train.
"Are you cold my dear?" Maya asked her daughter.
"A little but I'll manage," Lovely replied forcing a smile to save her mother the worry.
"Oh! You poor thing I'm sorry. We didn't have enough time to pack; I'll make you a hot cup of cocoa when getting to your uncle's."
"Mom I'm fine, okay? You can stop treating me like I'm 12 now, thanks," she retorted with a little chuckle.
Just then their brief moment was interrupted by the whistling train which came to a halt shortly.
"All onboard, Phoenix through Willcox." the conductor bellowed emphatically.
"Come along now, that's us," Maya said sounding a bit edgy as she struggled with their luggage.
They got on and managed to stay on their feet holding on to the railings till they secured sits and their belongings safely loaded. Maya let off a sigh as she settled in, and in no time, was lost in a dystopia of her own making. Lovely sat closely, watching her mom drift away in her thoughts. She had become really worried over her mom's increasingly frequent habit.
It had been about two months since officers from the US treasury had arrested her dad at the table and denied bail on counts of federal conspiracy and several financial crimes. How that was remotely possible was beyond her, still astounded. His trial was so swift that in a few weeks he was found guilty and to serve 15 years. Lovely refused to believe that her dad was guilty even with the mountain of evidence against him at the hearings. This had to be one big unfortunate mix-up she told herself, refusing to believe what most did.
With all their assets frozen and house seized they were forced to go stay at her uncle's with very few options. Her dad's appeal was only a couple of months away with her mom hoping he would be set free but lovely knew better, it would be a reduced sentence at best.
"Next stop Willcox!" The conductor announced striding along the pathway of the now receding train.
Willcox was a five hours train ride from Phoenix. It was a town where everyone knew everyone with privacy a thing of fiction. One could get robbed of a Penny the night before and the entire town would have heard by dawn but fortunately, nothing of higher stakes ever did happen. She had visited her uncle the Priest for a couple of weeks some summers ago and she couldn't decide what she disliked more, the unending compliments from the elderly locals or the constant teasing from her peers.
Lovely didn't fancy most during her short time there, all except sweet Ashley, a choir girl around her age whom she had grown quite fond of. They had bonded over similar taste in music after one of Uncle Billy's uplifting sermons and their friendship blossomed till, she had to return to the city.
But would things be different now she wondered, it had been ages since then and she wouldn't be surprised the slightest if Ashley didn't quite remember her.
The journey to Willcox seemed for evermore but alas the train began to slow down, letting off loud whistles and hot gushes of steam before coming to a final halt.
"Willcox to Safford!" one of the conductors yelled.
Lovely quickly woke her mom who had fallen asleep a while after providing their tickets to a conductor. With all that was going on, her mom needed all the rest she could get.
"Wake up mom, we're here." lovely said, tapping her by the shoulder.
Maya jolted in a trivial attempt to seem awake all along.
"Oh dear, get the bags, will you?" she said
They alighted with a few others, letting off mixed sighs of relief and uncertainty. None of them wanted to be here if it were up to choose. For lovely the town had not changed much over the last few years. The town was brimming with aging yet still decent one-storied houses that had broad yards, with each home distant from the next and barely any taller or complex architecture just like she had remembered.
Maya made a quick call on a payphone at the train stop as they sat patiently. After a few minutes, a dusty saloon car drove and parked a few feet from where they had sat and a familiar face showed up putting their weary hearts to rest. It was her uncle.
"Oh, uncle! What bloody took you so long?" She echoed in excitement running to embrace her once ever distant uncle.
"Language, girl!" Maya cautioned.
"Sorry ladies I wasn't expecting your train to arrive so soon," Billy said with a smile on his face as Lovely's arms retreated.
"We almost started to worry," her mom muttered walking towards Billy and gave a casual hug.
"Alright, let's be on our way, you both must be pretty exhausted." Billy loaded their luggage in the booth and off they went.
Lovely sat behind staring through the window and leaving the two adults in front to catch up. She watched as houses appeared and fly distant as they drove past, knowing her world wasn't going to be the same; her days of being a carefree spoilt city Las was fleeting like the rays of a setting sun. This was an unfortunate tale of a rich city girl who turned into a struggling small-town lass.
Uncle Billy didn't seem to change, much like his little town. She gazed at him as he conversed with her mom in such high spirit, though he looked darker, the harsh climate must have given him a forced tan, she reasoned. A fairly built man, blonde hair, dark eyes, and although his nose was slightly crooked, he was very attractive, a little too attractive to be a man of the cloth the young maidens of the town would often say, disheartened. According to her dad, Uncle Billy was a veteran who fought in the Afghan war, now a priest fighting with words in place of lead. Of course, she never could ask him about his time in the war. That would be uncultured.
After a seamless drive, they arrived at the typical Midwestern house.it wasn't huge but well enough embellished with light-coloured flowers and a well-cut lawn. The chapel was only a few yards across.
Maya and Lovely entered the spacious living room with their bags and Uncle Billy helping closely behind. He had been a bachelor for far too long and it showed.
"Alright ladies, let's get you settled in. I'll take you to your rooms now."
Up the stairs they went and in very little time Lovely found herself in the lonesome embrace of her warm and fairly furnished room though her mom's room was only a stone throw away. It was a little dark but it's wasn't like she could complain. She wondered who had last slept in; surely not she for it had been years since she was here. Uncle Billy did always have an itch to help out the local orphanage.
Lovely had a quick bath and hurried down to find the two adults talking in a low tone but stopped when they noticed her presence.
"Ah my niece, as breathtaking as always, you sure are back to give these young lads trouble," Billy said with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Like I'll ever have time for boy drama," Lovely abruptly said in protest as she strode off pretending to be in search of anything by the countertop even though her uncle's complement did warm her heart.
Billy couldn't help but laugh hysterically and her mother soon joined in with light chuckles.
"Whatever you say, dear, what would you ladies fancy for lunch? I do a little cooking now, " he aired seeming rather proud.
Eggs on bacon we'll have it's a little early for any serious cooking, Maya said. "Maybe with toasts too,
Lovely made her way to the front porch, sitting on a wrought iron chair. It was a clear sunny day, not too hot, as the chirping of songbirds emanating from all around. If there was anything she fancied about this little Town was its tranquil aura. She sat gazing at nothing in particular, simply in the sweet embrace of a reverie.
She was soon joined by Uncle Billy leaving her mom to finish up on the little cooking that was left.
"How are you holding up my dear?" He said keeping a more serious face that made her heart sink.
"Uncle I'm fine," she gasped.
Billy walked closer to lovely and rested his palm gently on her shoulder. "It's okay not to be," he said.
"Uncle! I told you I'm okay," she contested. "I'm just a little worried about mom," Lovely sighed. She could now see the concern in her uncle's eyes.
"She'll be fine, she's toughest than she looks," he said, seeming so assured.
"I'm sure a bit of normalcy is what you need, we'll get you enrolled to Willcox high in no time; I'm friends with the headmaster. C'mon let's go inside, the table should be all set by now."
*****
The allure of the charming fall breeze was very well welcomed as it signalled the end of the summer break for Ashley and her Peers but the thought of her best friend really had turned her day sore. The more she thought of the million and one things that could have happened to her, the more she wanted to stay in bed wrapped up within the sheets and sob but that wouldn't be as she heard a pound on the door vanishing her self-made Neverland. It was her mom of course, who else?
"Wake up Ashley, I can't believe you're still in bed, you'll be late on your first day back!" The voice yelled, accompanied by hurried steps down the stairs.
As she sluggishly got out of bed, memories she has made with her friends flooded her mind putting her in a worse mood, she had spent half her summer break making unforgettable memories with Delilah and the other half putting up missing person's posters of her with the rest of her friends, Charlie, Marcus and her boyfriend Evans, the charmer who won her heart a while back. She had no clue what an effect his charms had on her till it was too late. Just the thought of him made Ashley giggle as the warm showers hit a pale skin but this felt wrong, a close friend just got missing.
It had been a week since Delilah was reported missing with the police having no leads yet. They had spent the evening of her disappearance at the water park having a good splash and they all had returned home afterward or so it seemed. Could she have run away? Anyone remotely close to Delilah knew she had troubles with her grandpa or had she been kidnapped? A thought she quickly dismissed.
This was Willcox and not Miami; this was a lovely peaceful little town. Besides they would have gotten a call from her captors by now demanding a ransom if it were so.
She got out of the bath and started to dry herself on the fluffy towel, got dressed, and hastened to the table where her younger sister sat already demolishing her heap of pancakes.
"Your manners go out the windows at the tables, don't they Audrey? She said mockingly but got no response from her mouth-filled sister.
"Would you care for some eggs dear?" Her mom Katelyn said from the kitchen, a little overwhelmed by the heat of the stoves and the morning's ritual. Being a single mother was tiresome.
"Shoot! I gotta go now mom or I'm going to run late." Ashley said abruptly.
"Alright dear, love you."
"Love you too mum," she said as she grabbed her backpack and disappeared through the door.