CHAPTER 1 – LIFE CHANGING ACCIDENTS

Though despite the title it wasn’t an accident really… but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we.

Green Johnson’s life was – apart from his parents’ unique naming sense – quite ordinary. He grew up with 2 sisters, one currently 20, the other 24 while he was 17. They were both attending college and university respectively. Actually his oldest sister Lettuce had already moved out while his second sister Ivy was already making plans to settle down abroad to study after she finished college.

They had grown up together with their parents in a normal middle class household. They were loving people who took great care of their children, so them moving out this fast didn’t mean they’d leave him alone in hell or anything. If anything, they were overprotective. Quite strongly so. An example? The simplest would be that they don’t let them use public transport. It’s too dangerous, what kind of viruses fly around in there? And what kind of people could be lurking around, just waiting to devour them alive? Sarcasm there. But yes, like this they overwhelmed their children with their love and wanted to know everything about their lives, not letting them develop any kind of independence. This they learned through their grandparents, which resulted in many fights between our parents and them.

But they loved our dear grandpa and grandma because of it, actually you could say he currently spend more time at my grandparents’ than his actual home.

How he managed to convince his parents to let him stay there so long? Simple.

School.

His need to go to school was something they couldn’t deny. But the way to his school from his parents’ house was over 2 hours by car, which is way too far to travel every day.

Therefore, his grandparents’ home that was situated conveniently just 10 minutes away by foot was ideal. That's why he was allowed to move in with them under the condition to come home over the holidays.

Thus his life with his grandparents had started and he loved every second of it. He helped them out a lot without complaining since they taught him lots of things you need to know around the house. Among other things his grandma taught him cooking and some sewing to help fix old clothes which he did to make her smile.

But he enjoyed the time with his grandfather most. He often told his grandson stories about the sea as they worked in the workshop behind the house. They worked with wood a lot, creating puzzles, figures of ships and other useful items for the house. They even repaired tools for the neighbourhood and made some surfboards Green tried out eagerly. He enjoyed surfing with his classmates a lot, but he’d never do it if it hadn’t been for his grandfather’s board.

But if you’d ask him what he loved doing the most it’d be engineering. Green was a very bright child. He held great interest in technology, not because he liked using it but because he wanted to know how it worked. And if he was interested in something he couldn’t rest before his curiosity was satisfied. He disassembled and reassembled computers and motorbikes, old phones and everything else he found interesting. As a result he soon became an expert on the workings of every piece of technology in their town. Well, that’s how it felt to him anyways. He now knew how TVs worked, how cars moved and why the phone in their house kept acting up.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

He even went as far as to build his own computer from spare parts he found at the trash collection point. It was a nice PC, it could run all the programmes he ever needed. And in his grandfather’s workplace he had found the perfect space to further pursue his hobby without getting anything in the house dirty with oil or… other… things.

Thus, his exciting days with his grandparents went on. That’s right, everything was picture-perfect. Until that day. Right, on that day just after the last bell rang, Green walked out of the classroom, followed by his best friend Gray and 3 other classmates. They had been chatting excitedly throughout lunch and were planning to go surfing right then.

“Uuuuaaaa” Gray stretched and continued “I can’t wait, the waves are supposed to be awesome today.”

“You sure, man? I can’t feel a breeze… its so hot…” Another one of us said dejectedly as she took off her tie and fanned herself with a notebook.

“Yea, seriously… to wear a school uniform in this weather is just cruel.”

“Indeed” We all agreed and laughed, merrily making our way towards the shore.

It was then.

Green’s phone vibrated, signalling he had gotten a message.

His grandmother had texted him, asking him to come home and help them with some shopping.

“Hey guys, sorry about this but I’ll have to go for today.”

“Ehhh?”

“Awww, really?”

“Yea, sorry, maybe I can join you later though?”

“Can’t be helped then…”

“Sure! Let us know when you can make it, ok?” Gray waved around his own mobile to hint he would take it to the beach so he could reach them

“Yea, alright! See you!”

“See ya!”

Thus they split up and Green headed home.

(back to the present)

Thinking back on it, if he had just taken some more time walking home… none of this would have happened.

That’s right, he could have prevented it…

Green gritted his teeth. He needed to stop thinking about it. It couldn’t be changed now, not anymore. He knew this… and yet… and yet…

“Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! DAMMIIITTT!!” Green let out a frustrated voice and forcefully relaxed his hands that had formed into fists unknowingly before reforming them and hitting them hard against the wall in front of him. Left, right, left, right. He kept repeatedly striking the wall of their house.

“Green, stop!!” Lettuce and Ivy came running towards him and were trying to calm him down.

“Please Green, stop it…” They said while hardly biting back their tears themselves. Then Lettuce reached out and simply hugged him to force him to stop. His fists had become bloody but he didn’t care. If he hadn’t hurt her by doing it he’d not have stopped even now. It was like the physical pain helped… of course in truth it didn’t, it only delayed the inevitable.

Saying that, Green had long since given up holding back his tears and his emotions were flowing out freely.

“Guh…..” Even though he wanted to say something, to tell her to let go, his voice wouldn’t come out and he just kept on crying into her shoulder as the blood from his fists silently dripped to the ground.

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[A/N]: I hope you enjoyed it!~

But for now I'll head to bed~ Look forward to more!

And if you have time, criticism, comments, ideas, questions and impressions are all welcome <3