O'Hara Random Legacy

[ArianaJade]

Marshmallows

Skye tried to time her arrival at home the next morning for the time when nobody would be in the front room. Ellie would usually be in the shower and James reading, Winter still asleep and Rowan out for a morning jog. She slipped in through the door, and stopped short when she noticed Winter in the corner of the room, typing away on the family computer. Almost straight away, however, it was clear that Winter hadn't noticed her arrival and Skye was able to get into their room unnoticed.



That, however, was her one lucky break of the day. Up until lunchtime, she had only suspected that her sister disliked her. After that, it was written out loud and clear. And so she made the decision to run away.

After school, she walked towards the art classroom for her afterschool club, but told Mrs Murphy that she wasn't feeling well and left the school through the back door to avoid any late-leavers. Tonight, she would go to a fishing park on the outskirts of the town, and then leave for the train station as soon as trains began running again tomorrow morning. Nobody would notice until she was safely on a train, to the furthest place her pocket money would get her.



She sat down on the damp grass, and as the water seeped into her dress she realised for the first time how unprepared she was. No sleeping bag, no change of clothes, nothing. No plan at the other end, wherever it was she got off the train. But then again, her mother had done it. She might have been a few years older, but she'd got on a train and dealt with what was at the other end, so why couldn't Skye?

She proved it by standing up, to prevent the water getting any further into her clothes. It's not like her family would miss her, she decided, as she wandered around the pond searching for somewhere dry to sit. Winter thought she was mad, which she wasn't. Any sane person knew that everyone was controlled by tiny elves working levers inside them, and if you denied that it was madder than to accept it. Her parents she knew didn't believe either, although they preferred to make a sad face rather than to attack her the same way Winter would have.



Perhaps fortunately, Skye's plan was not as foolproof as she had hoped. She hadn't banked on Rowan calling round the art room to say hi to the girl he liked. When he saw her there, and put together Mrs Murphy's story and Chloe saying she'd seen Skye looking upset at lunchtime, he knew there was something amiss. A phone call to James at home revealed that she wasn't there either, and a search party was started. Rowan himself had been the one to look up at the pond Skye was to be found at, an

“Skye? Skye! SKYE!” he shouted, standing by the roadway and attempting to scan the area over the tops of the reeds.

“Rowan? Go away!” came back the response.

He ran around to where he thought the voice had come from, silently thanking all the hours of fitness training he'd been putting in.

“I'm running away.” She was sat back on the floor, looking cold.

“Oh sis,” he said. “Why? If this is about Winter last night, ignore her. She's just angry that she didn't get the crown, she'll calm down when she realises Prom Queen isn't a big deal.”

“You didn't see the email then.”

“What? Come on, tell me.”

He led her over towards the entrance again, and pulled out chairs around the fire pit. There was just enough fuel in there for another fire, so he lit it and motioned to Skye to sit down. He hadn't thought to bring a jacket, but maybe this fire would do something until he could talk her into going back home.



“Right then,” he said, hoping she would explain.

“Winter sent an email to the whole school,” she said eventually. “Telling them all... horrible stuff. Now everyone in the school thinks I... am the worst person ever. Maybe I am.”

“You're not. It's her problem, not yours.” Skye didn't look convinced. Rowan didn't know what else to say. “Marshmallow?”

“Alright.”

“You're not a bad person at all, I don't know what she's doing this for,” he said, hoping he could come up with something profound but feeling lacking. “She's bitter about the prom queen thing, I guess, and you're an easy target, and... I dunno. If it helps I'll beat her up for you, even if she is my own sister and it'll get me grounded until I'm able to draw my pension.”



At that point, his marshmallow caught fire. Opposite him, Skye collapsed into giggles as he attempted to put it out, waving it through the air and blowing on it alternately. Rather slower than he'd have liked, the marshmallow fire abated and he was left with a shrivelled, blackened lump on the end of his skewer.



At least Skye was laughing.

He still didn't manage to come up with something profound, but after a while of them sat there talking and roasting marshmallows rather more successfully, at least she looked happier. Maybe she'd be alright after all.



“We should get going,” Rowan said, looking at his phone and noticing the time. “Nearly curfew. Dad will kill us if we get brought home by the cops, even if it's for a good cause.”

“I'm only coming back because it's you. Not because I want to see her again.”

“And for Mum and Dad?”

“Yeah. Them too.”

[Snufflesxx]

I'd never heard of this challenge until I read this. I've started my own and it's so fun!
I love Skye and I wish Winter wouldn't be so mean to her 

[Caterina]

I love THIS story too!  I'm going to look up the challenge, it looks interesting.

[MiyuMiyu]

I do love this story! It even inspired me to start my own random legacy, and I've been having lots of fun with it. I really hope you haven't abandoned this <3 I'd love to see more.

[Magpie2012]

Wow! This was beautiful! I'm so sad to see it's been abandoned but I had to tell you that I love your writing! And thank you for introducing me to the random legacy...

[Nutella]

I'm moving this to the Stories Graveyard due to inactivity.  ArianaJade, you can revive this story by contacting a moderator.