Clean Slate

By Alyssa LaStella

After an unexpected tragedy strikes, Dylan Fields struggles with what his life has become despite the support system that he has around him. Leaving the most important people in his life behind, he flees to the opposite side of the country in order to escape everything that reminds him of his late little sister. Being all alone in a new place t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Starlight Publishing
• Release date: Oct 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781735636603

Book preview

Chapter One

Dylan

Iheard the slightest knock on my bedroom door, not long after the muffled sounds of yet another screaming match had started under my feet. I turned to look towards the door and saw my little sister Natalie’s tall, rather slender frame leaning against the molding, jingling my car keys.

Let’s get out of here, I’m sick of hearing the same argument every week. She nodded, gesturing down the stairs.

I’m in. Where do you wanna go this time? I asked, shoving my feet into my sneakers, and grabbing my jacket from the computer chair as I made my way out of the room.

I jogged down the stairs behind her while she divvied out my options, We can go to the diner or the park, and since you’re my favorite brother, I’ll let you pick which one.

First of all, I’m your only brother. Second, we’ll grab milkshakes to go and then head to the park? I raised my left eyebrow as I waited for her response.

I like the way you think. Dibs on the music choices! With that, she took off running towards the car so her phone’s Bluetooth would connect before mine got the chance to. I rolled my eyes and shook my head while I unlocked the car and watched her scramble in and immediately start fumbling with the radio.

I slid into the car and hummed along to the songs she played while she was full-on belting them out.

We pulled up to the diner and were greeted with the same tacky, turquoise accents of the building that brought a greater sense of home to me than my legal place of residence.

When Nat swung the door to the diner open, I caught it and barely made it through the second set of doors before Martha greeted us with the same warmth that she always did.

After our father died, Delgado Diner quickly became the place we would go to hide out for hours on end and as soon as Martha noticed, she took on the role as our caretaker while our mother was mentally elsewhere.

Hiya, Darlings! The usual? She asked, despite already starting to make our milkshakes.

Please. I nodded.

Natalie excused herself to the bathroom while I waited for the milkshakes at the front counter. Once she was out of earshot, Martha asked, Your mom fighting with her boyfriend again? The sympathy and slight disapproval in her voice were both unmistakable.

Yeah, I just want to try to keep Natalie as far away from any toxicity as possible, it’s not good for her. I can tell it bothers her, but she would never admit it, so I try to let her come to me. I leaned my elbows on the counter with my arms crossed.

I’m sorry, hon. You two are planning on getting out of there soon, right? Usually, she would’ve apologized for having her back to me, but today she just listened while I talked.

Yes, I’m just waiting for her to graduate so nothing holds her in one town. I know I’ll watch over her better than our mother would. She doesn’t even see how incredible Natalie is, it’s making Nat small. She doesn’t think her own mother cares. I shook my head.

I grabbed my wallet from my pocket and slid a ten-dollar bill across the counter.

She turned back towards me and slid two vanilla milkshakes with extra whipped cream towards me. If it’s any consolation, I think you’re doing the right thing by Natalie. Just do me a favor and make sure you’re also doing right by yourself. She offered a small smile as she handed me my change.

Making sure Natalie’s happy, and flourishing is the right thing by me, I tell Martha, taking pride in the magnitude of truth in the sentiment.

Martha cleared her throat when she noticed Natalie was coming back and finished popping the lids on with a smile.

Here ya go, hon. Where are you two off to today?

I shot her an appreciative smile and let Natalie answer. We’re heading to the park, she held her hand up to hide her mouth from me but loudly whispered, we have to talk about prom stuff! She and Martha snickered at my expense and I threw my head back and groaned, earning a punch and a cocky smile from Natalie.

We grabbed our milkshakes before thanking Martha, hugged her goodbye, and headed out the door to the park.

Spotting our favorite two swings all by themselves, we headed towards them and took our designated seats.

Gently rocking while we sipped, we found ourselves bouncing between talking about school, work, and the latest shows that we’d been binging separately while we pondered which one we should tackle together next. Much to my surprise and desire, prom was barely touched on. I don’t know about you, but I really hope that this argument doesn’t get in the way of the little getaway that they’re about to go on. Natalie let out an amused snort.

Oh, no, that would be tragic. How long are they going away again?

A week. I think they’re leaving around noon tomorrow after Mom’s shift.

Impeccable timing as always. I cracked my knuckles, hoping the tension that I felt would be released.

Natalie shrugged and I internally fought to leave well enough alone and not twist the knife.

Do you ever get scared that your life isn’t going exactly the way you planned? Natalie’s seriousness was abrupt and unexpected. She was looking down at her feet, digging the toe of her sneaker into the mulch beneath the swing set.

What do you mean? I stopped moving and gave her my full attention.

I don’t know what I want, I just know what I don’t want. I have to commit to a college in a week and I don’t know which major I want to pursue. If I’m gonna be fooling around with liberal arts, then I don’t think I should go away. We can’t really afford it anyway. She shrugged apathetically but the crinkle in her brow gave her away like it always has.

I thought you were thinking about being an English major. You love words, hell, your first word was ‘book’! And I don’t want you worrying about what we can and cannot afford, we’ll figure it out, we always do. You just go and chase whatever it is that you dream about, okay? I looked at her, waiting for a response.

She nodded, shyly. I want to get published. I have most of my material ready, I just need to find someone who’s interested in me and my work.

Do you have it all laid out like you’d want the book to be?

Yes, I’m actually waiting to get my proof of the book in the mail. That way, even if I can’t get published, at least I’ll have a copy on my bookshelf. It should be here in a few days. She smiled at the idea of it.

Well, when it gets here, I hope you’ll show it to me, I’d love to see it. I gently and playfully bumped into her to try to lighten the mood.

She looked away, off into the distance and I watched her face twitch as she changed the subject. Do you think mom and number four are done screaming yet? She attempted a laugh, but it came out flat and dry.

Maybe. I don’t think Chris has the stubborn patience for fighting that Rick had.

No, no, that wasn’t Rick, Rick was number two, he wore all the sweater vests. Dante was number three. He was the one who loved dragging fights out, he had a lot of fedoras. She chuckled, You can’t make this stuff up.

Nobody was or ever will be as bad as that abusive asshole, Jack. I shook my head. I can’t believe that they’ve all had some kind of tragic flaw.

"I can’t believe that Chris still lives with his mother at 49 years old. Or how disgustingly unlucky he is when it comes to all the scratch-off tickets he buys. I don’t think he’s ever won more than a dollar and he just won’t quit!" She looked up at the sky as she leaned back in her swing.

Well, when you’re always wasted, it’s kinda hard to be a winner. I sighed. Mom really didn’t have high standards when she got back into dating after dad died.

I know, it’s like she got it so right the first time and still lost the love of her life, that she’s scared to find someone who’s actually good. I loved her and dad’s love story. I miss him a lot. Maybe things wouldn’t be such a mess if he were still alive… Mom would still be her normal self and we wouldn’t have to deal with all the drama she brings home. Her voice was drenched with disappointment and the familiar sadness graced her features again.

"Nat, I hope you know Dad would’ve been so proud of you for who you are and your writing and everything in between. I hope you know that he is proud of you and that he’s with you every day. I grabbed her hand and held her wrist up in front of her. Remember what he said when he gave you this bracelet and reminded you about every time he would get you a new charm?"

She nodded and her nose crinkled as she battled her emotions. He said, ‘Nat, when you find your dream, you have to be persistent and chase after it because if you don’t, then who will?’ She smiled through watery eyes and continued And then he said, ‘You have to be like a gnat, Nat.’ and laughed for like twenty minutes. He really was his own biggest fan. She closed her eyes, forcing them to overflow as she pulled her bracelet close to her heart.

I got off of my swing and turned to stand in front of her, pulled her to her feet, and hugged her tight. I know, Nat, I miss him, too. I felt her weep softly into my shoulder. I shushed her and rubbed her back until she calmed down and pulled away to wipe her eyes.

It feels so stupid to be this emotional about it after six years, but he always treated me like his little princess. She went quiet for a minute and then spoke so softly I could barely hear her. Thank you, Dyl. I know you’ve been doing everything you can to protect me since Dad died. He’d be proud of you, too.

None of that, Natalie, I mean it. You are my baby sister, it’s my job to take care of you. I rubbed the top of her head quickly, messing up her hair. It earned me a shove, but it was completely worth it. I’ve got a confession of my own actually.

Spill!

I think I want to go back to school. I’m not really sure what I’m gonna go for, but I want to make something of myself eventually. I don’t want to work these dead-end jobs for the rest of my life because I’m not educated for anything more.

Dyl, I think that’s an amazing idea! Hm… what could you do for a living? You could… be a cop like Dad! Now that I think about it, I’m not sure you need to go to school for that. You can do something investigative! Crime scene investigation maybe? I think you’d be really good at that; think about all the lives you’d change!

That actually has crossed my mind once or twice, I’m just worried that I’m not smart enough for that. School has never really been my strong suit, you know that.

Personally, I think that’s just because you didn’t give a rat’s ass about what you were being forced to learn. You have a selective memory type of thing going on, but I know that if you applied yourself to something that really motivates you and keeps you inspired, you’d make amazing things happen.

Alright, come on, let’s start heading home before this gets too mushy. I’ll even let you drive. I took the car keys out of my pocket and handed them over to Nat.

She let out a screech and took off for my car for the second time today. This time, I raced her for the Bluetooth and if you asked her, she’d deny it, but I won.

When we pulled into the driveway, Chris’s car was gone and so was Mom’s. Looking at the time, I figured she had to go to work since she usually worked afternoon and night shifts.

Natalie and I went our separate ways when we got inside. She said she had some more obsessing to do over her writing and a few new ideas that she wanted to get down before she forgot them while I went into my room to watch a movie or two.

I got about halfway through the first movie I wanted to watch before I decided I couldn’t sit still anymore and went to bother Natalie.

I knocked on her bedroom door and when she gave me permission to come in, I just barely caught a glimpse of her closing her laptop and her notebook. She was always so private when it came to her writing; nobody was ever allowed to read it except for our dad.

Bored already? She asked cockily. Besides writing, her favorite thing to do was to comment on how I get bored before I finish doing anything.

I ignored her question and the smirk that I heard in her voice. Are you ready for tomorrow night? Prom’s a big deal and I’ve barely heard you talk about it.

Yeah, I guess so. It’s just so fussed over, but I know I’ll be fussing over it, too, once I start doing my hair and makeup. She walked over to her dress hanging on the back of her door and lifted the dry-cleaning bag over it. I did get the perfect dress after all, even though it weighs more than I do.

Her dress was a beautiful full-length black dress with gold beading running vertically equidistant, but I’ve carried it and I don’t think any dress should ever be that heavy, beading or no beading.

You’re gonna look amazing and you’re gonna have a great time. It seems lame, but when you get there, I promise it’s not all that bad. If I made it through the whole night, you will, too. I knew high school wasn’t her favorite but of all my high school sufferings, prom was a lot of fun and I’d go again if I could.

Alright, now get out. I’m gonna get ready to go shower and get in bed. She obviously didn’t want to talk about prom anymore.

Aye, aye, captain! I saluted her before going back to my room to do something that I should’ve done a while ago.

I pulled out my laptop and looked up the best hairdressers and makeup artists in the area and searched until I found someone who does both with availability for tomorrow around 3:00 p.m. and booked her immediately through her website. I also found a nail salon that I would take her to in the morning.

I want her prom to be perfect no matter what the cost.

She’s always so worried about being a burden financially and emotionally when she couldn’t be further from it. I know that all of her friends are getting treated like royalty tomorrow to get ready and she feels like she’s missing out because, between my mother’s minimum wage job and her unpredictable dead-end boyfriends, we’re struggling. Even with my job, we don’t have much more than what we need to pay the bills.

Fortunately, I’ve been putting a little bit of money aside every week since I graduated high school a few years ago and now I have more than enough to do this for my sister.

After I made sure that everything was set up and ready for tomorrow, I got into bed and fell asleep almost immediately which I was thankful for. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Nat’s face tomorrow.

Chapter Two

Dylan

When I woke up, the house was quiet and the sun was just peeking through one of the slats of my blinds, giving the room an orangey glow.

I went for a quick run as the sun finished coming up and showered when I got home. By the time I was done, Natalie was awake, and I heard music playing in her room from the hallway.

I knocked on her door and said Nat, get dressed, we’re going out. just loud enough for her to hear me over the music, but not loud enough to wake up our mother who was sleeping soundly on the recliner in the living room downstairs.

Her door swung open and she popped out of her room to ask where we were going. I already had my back to her as I headed to my room and waved her questions away dismissively. Thankfully, she didn’t put up a fight like she usually would and just got ready.

A few minutes later, her long brown hair was thrown into a braid, she had on leggings and a sweatshirt which was perfect for this surprisingly cold June morning and she had thrown on a pair of flip flops. She leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed.

I’m ready. Wherever we’re going, I need to be back by 3:00 to start my hair and makeup. She reminded me.

Yeah, yeah, we’ll see. Come on, let’s go! Oh, and any protests will get you nowhere because I’m not giving you an option. I tried to stay one step ahead of her.

I heard her grumble behind me, but she followed nonetheless, knowing better than to bicker.

When we pulled into the parking lot of the strip mall with the nail salon in it, she paid no mind to where we were because our favorite store was in the same shopping center. When I walked straight rather than towards said store and held the door to the nail salon open for her, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"What are we doing here? Are you finally doing something about those disgusting man feet and getting a pedicure? It’s okay, I’ll show you the ropes and I’ll even help you pick a color that’ll be sure to snag all the ladies’ attention!" She teased.

I let her keep going all she wanted because what she didn’t know was that I called this morning and all I needed to do was say her name when we walked in. She was immediately taken to a pedicure chair, and I followed behind.

Dylan Alexander, if you’re doing what I think you’re doing, please stop, she lowered her voice drastically, we can’t afford this.

I got closer to her ear so that she was the only one that would be able to hear me. Listen to me, stop worrying about what we can and cannot afford and just sit and talk to me about something else or I won’t stay over here with you. I backed up and stood up straight. Just relax and enjoy this.

I took a second to look around at the people who populated the salon, the majority being teenage girls buzzing with excitement.

After she was seated in the last open seat, Natalie turned to me while she waited for the nail technician to come back to her station. Is getting a matching French manicure and pedicure tacky? I’m really not looking to blend in with every other girl there tonight.

Before I got the chance to open my mouth, the nail tech came back. Would you like French for prom?

Natalie’s polite smile dropped as she turned to me. Solid it is.

Not worrying about her noticing while she was deep in conversation with the nail tech about which color would complement her dress best and how her night was planned, I slipped away from where she was seated and paid up front.

Natalie glared at me in disbelief after she was informed that the bill was already paid.

Dylan, what did I tell you about spending ridiculous, unnecessary amounts of money on me? Thank you, but you really didn’t have to do that. Natalie caught herself in the middle of her reprimanding me and changed her tune as I shoved my hands in my pockets and continued walking to the car.

After all, she didn’t know that we were on our way to get her hair and makeup done.

When we arrived at the hair salon, I stayed up front but while they walked towards the back, I heard the hairdresser start talking to Nat in between snaps of her gum. Alright, doll, we’re going to get you all washed up and then you have the option to cut and then style or just style, we have time for both. So, you tell me, do you want to cut it at all beforehand?

I watched intently as Natalie grabbed a handful of her hair and brought the ends up in front of her eyes, examining the ends, contemplating.

I stood up and jogged towards the back where she was now seated in front of a sink with a towel around her shoulders. Yes, please cut it a little bit. I couldn’t bear to keep watching her contemplate every little thing just to say no in the end because of financial issues that she shouldn’t be concerning herself with.

Nat shot me an accusing look and when I cocked an eyebrow and looked at her with a ‘you’re-not-winning-today’ look, she huffed at me and said Just enough to get rid of the dead ends, please. I love the length.

The hairdresser smiled and nodded, You got it, doll. She turned her attention to me and directed my gaze towards the sink next to Nat with a jut of her chin. You can sit there if you’d like.

Thank you. I nodded and took my seat.

The salon was surprisingly empty compared to the nail salon, so I sat with her and filled the time with mindless chatter. As time passed, she seemed to glow more and more as she continued to get more excited about tonight’s festivities.

I watched as her makeup was done and absorbed the similarities between the two of us while her features were delicately traced with varying brushes.

Despite Natalie having more of our father’s Italian features, hints of the Spanish in her from our mother’s side were definitely there. I, on the other hand, took after our mother more so than our father.

Natalie’s hazel eyes were beautifully enunciated, whereas mine were undoubtedly brown, not a hint of another color present. Our noses were almost identical, having a similar bump in the middle from our profiles. Our hair was the same deep brown color which was from our mother. We both had full lips and tanned skin. I always tanned easier than Natalie, but she’d always remind you that in the winter, she’s naturally a smidge darker than I am.

Her hair was loosely curled and topped off with an intricately braided headband while her makeup was light and natural-looking.

Are you happy with how it came out? I smiled at her as she walked over and twirled to show off her hair.

Yes! How does it look? She batted her eyelashes.

Just like the picture you showed the hairdresser which is a relief! Remember when I took Emily to prom and her hair came out nothing like the picture she showed? She was miserable about it the whole night!

I know, that’s probably the last time Noah goes anywhere with you and a date.

Was she really that bad?

"From what I saw when you guys took pictures and from what Kathryn told me based on what Noah told her, she