Ocupy...

Brooke was in a bad, bad mood, and the impending thunderstorms matched her mood. Both she and her mother were feeling extremely crabby since they had been told of the possible swine flu epidemic, considering that they had visited the clinic only 2 weeks before to get vaccinations. Luckily nothing had happened to either of them yet, meaning they were probably safe from the sickness. But recently they had been at each others throats, especially since Brooks started asking about her father, and Veronica refused to listen to any questions. I hope she gets sick and dies! though Brooke angrily. She threw the back door to Castle Apartments open down by the street level and was surprised by a megaphone in her face, talking about "Occupy BLAH BLAH" when it all dissolved into mush from her anger. What the hell?? "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FACE!", she screamed, and immediately turned a deep magenta and ran towards Sherwood Park. As she ran, she heard strange metallic noises coming from Castle Apartments, like a robot was struggling to break free from the basement, matching Brooke's feeling to break free of that horrid building. Flushed men in suits and ties with women in long skirts with hideous shoes called something after her about a new church on , but Brooke continued sprinting. Why did I just do that? I don't curse. Why am I sooooo moody? Brooke had started becoming more and more dramatic recently, giving her fear that she would one day end up like her mother, a stressed adult whose main vice seemed to be yelling at other people for their own inadequacies. As she ran, a new smell different from the rain took over her nose-a whiff of something.. electric-like. Then a faint haze caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Panting, she turned towards the smoke. Oh No! That's the direction of Forever 21! Brooke felt her dreams of actually having a responsibility die with the ashes of the building floating above the city. Goddamn today is not my day.

She turned around and dejectedly began a mindless, numbed walk around the city until someone, specifically a cute boy named James Tyler from 6th period, stopped her in front of Ray's Liquor. "Hey Brooke. Wow, I've never seen you outside of school. How are you?" He smiled, and offered her his cup. "You look thirsty. How have you been? Enjoying the block party?" Brooke smiled, took his cup, and gulped what turned out to not be water. Spluttering, she asked "Wh-wha-what did you just give me? That sure as hell wasn't water." Again, with the cursing. What's wrong with me? Just because I'm talking to my crush doesn't mean I have to curse. "Haha, of course its not water. Its peppermint schnapps, sprite, and something else, I don't really care what, all I know is that its a damn good drink. Isabella's Cafe has never carded anyone for anything, YOU could even get a drink from there. We usually just walk right in, even when they knew we were 13 they were still letting us buy. A customer's a customer, no matter their age." He smiled again, and suddenly she realized she indeed was in the middle of a block party.

Music was blasting, cute girls were on roller skates wearing cutoffs, and people everywhere seemed to be drunk and horny and happy. "Wow this is a good party. But there's no way I could get a drink from anywhere, I look too young. Plus I've never really been drunk before," said Brooke, and before she even finished the sentence one of the roller skating girls had come up to join their conversation. "Hi, I'm Clarissa, James's sister," she slurred, and was using James for support to stand. James whispered something to his sister, she smiled, then he said "Hey Brooke. Do you want this to be the funnest night of your life? Or are you chicken?" The obviousness of his challenge was impossible to ignore. If I don't say 'Yes', I'll be boring. And I'm pissed as hell. And I want to have an awesome night. What the fuck? I'll say yes, weighed Brooke before blurting out "No way am I chicken!" 25 minutes later Clarissa arrived back at the party from her house with a newer, sluttier girl to reintroduce to James and the rest of everyone "cool " at their school.

Brooke glanced down at her clothing-denim cutoffs so soft the were almost see-through, a black satin crop top that completely exposed her midriff unless she sat down, and some leather sandals. Add 10 pounds of makeup and she looked just like the senior Clarissa towing her back to the party. "WOW, you look hot!" said James in an approving voice. Really? I look like a slut. But everyones looking at me. Mostly in a good way. Hmmm. "Thanks babe. Wish me luck." And without thinking twice about her actions for once in her life, Brooke stalked over to Isabella's cafe (while swinging her hips as she walked so she knew she would draw attention to herself) and opened the door to begin the craziest night of her life.

Fast-forward a few hours, Brooke couldn't stand up strait or remember her last name. Brooke.... ? Hmm. She left the block party and stumbled past a few foreclosed houses in a part of town she had never even visited, tripping and landing face-first on an old couch on the curb. Multiple fliers flew around in the windy night from the impending offshore hurricane, one smacked her clean in the face as she drunkenly sat up from the couch. It read "New play coming to Sawmill Theater! Sign up to volunteer!" and nothing else. Idiots. That is not advertising, she thought before she puked on the green velour couch. What seemed like hours later, Brooke decided to get out of her own puke and go to Sherwood Park to sleep off the alcohol before she went home. I know I'm missing curfew but at least I won't show up drunk, on time. When she arrived there were people running from the forest, screaming something about UFO. Everyone knows those aren't real. Dumbasses. Brooke fell asleep under a tree and waited for morning. 

Free Waffles & A Part Time Job.

As with all school children, the ins-and-outs of school proceeded with such a mind-numbing regularity that Brooke became extremely bored of life. She couldn't even remember the last time she wasn't in school, despite the fact that it started only a few weeks ago. Or days ago? There was no telling here. Even though Brooke had been to several schools over the course of her lifetime, this freshman year was by far the easiest year of school she had ever had. The nearly straight-A's on her report card caused great celebration from her mother because "it shows improvement in your focusing skills!" But really, how hard is it to get good grades when you can use notes and/or the textbook on every quiz and test? This "responsibility" prompted Brooke to ask her mom if she could get a job, and surprisingly, she said yes. Brooke had just the place in mind.


As she marched down Popular Avenue before school to request a part-time position at the Forever 21, she noticed a steadily growing backup of pedestrian and motor traffic. In the crowd she slowly maneuvered threw, Brooke caught word several times that Casa d' Waffles was offering a FREE waffle with a purchased coffee. She thought, C'mon Brooke its just 1 meal and you need a job, but her stomach grumbled in protest. Sighing, she reluctantly turned around and walked the other way, checking her phone and realizing that if she hurried and the line was short, she could still make it in time for school. The radio station WTF was playing a Spice Girl song overhead on the bus speakers: "If you wannabe my lover, you gotta get with my friends..." With only 2 customers in line in front of her when she finally arrived at Casa D' Waffles, Brooke stooped down to tie her shoe and caught the iPhone conversation of the early 20's women who came in behind her: "Boss, it was highly unfair of you and headquarters to send someone of my professional level in the Forever 21 company out here to the middle of nowhere to help a store that wasn't even prepared for my arrival! This store needs an extreme makeover! The girls here need help, and that is the only reason why I am considering staying. I have seen too many poor pretty young ladies with nice faces ruined by the clothing they must consider 'designer' here. I need permission from you for full reins on this project. No checking up on me or my store, I'm going to hire new fresh employees and order our hottest styles. If this is what I volunteered to do, I will prove to you that I can do it. I'll get back to headquarters in 3 months. Good day sir."

Brooke stood up as the women fiddled with her iPhone and said "Good morning, ma'm. My name is Brooke Adams and I was just going over to your store this afternoon to apply for a job. Would you care to have breakfast with me before I go to school?" They both received their free waffles with cups of coffee and ate while chatting about life and clothing. At the end of the meal, Brooke cleared their trash and shook Ms. Eliana's hand. Ms. Eliana then said "Brooke, if you come down and fill out an application, I see no reason why you can't be my first newly hired employee. But you better hurry, school must be starting soon."


Brooke smiled and left, checking her phone as she walked out of the door. Uh-oh. She was 15 minutes late for her 1st period 9th grade literature class, cutting a major chunk of time out of her timed multiple choice test they had today. Mom's not going to be thrilled about this, she thought.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Benedict Jones K-12 school was set to start in only a few days time, and Brooke was drinking in as much of her freedom as she possibly could before the confines of the cinder blocked building took away her liberty for the next 10 months. Everyday for the past two weeks she exited Apartment 424, walked down the hall, took the stairs 2 at a time and attempted to explore a new part of the city. But Brooke's feet always found their way back to what she discovered was named Sherwood Park. She had yet to discover the name of the lake, though the mystery made it more alluring in her mind.

Why is there always some creepy homeless man outside my front door in EVERY place I've lived since Dad left? Its like they know I have no protection, thought Brooke as she slowed her pace down the sidewalk on her route home. The afternoon was slipping away as the sun became a brilliant orange-mango and slipped away to grace the other side of the world with its life-giving presence. Her heart rate picked up slightly as he slowly turned his head towards her away from the fading sunlight and stared at her with what she now realized were sightless eyes. She had seen him sitting in front of the clinic facing Poplar Street since she moved in but had always averted her eyes. Now she realized that he had never actually seen her, and her fear subsided. Brooke kept walking towards him and dug around her pockets for some spare change to throw in the copper bowl placed beside him. The sound of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland was comforting coming from his CD player, and she had a flashback of watching "The Wizard of Oz" in her childhood home on her favorite soft green couch sitting between her Mom and Dad, all 3 of them snuggled up with the worn knitted blanket that her Mom's ancestors brought when they immigrated from Poland in the early 1900's. They were drinking hot chocolate provided by Silvia, the maid that was like her older sister and Mom rolled into one person, and suddenly Brooke missed her Dad and Silvia, too. She tossed in her coins as this momentary wave of sadness washed over her. The blind man registered this sound, then croaked out "Riddles -- all you can say are riddles, murk, and darkness," and her fear returned. CREEP CREEP, she thought, and hurried inside Castle Apartments to make her microwave meatloaf dinner and wait on her Mom to come home from work.

Usually Brooke just went to sleep when she was tired, no matter if her Mom was home or not, but the event with the slightly ominous homeless man made her feel lonely. She began whistling the tune of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and took the time to look through moving boxes to dig out the only copy of the movie she had ever owned, an old VHS tape that made the screen go black during portions of the beginning, but never during Dorothy's song, of course. This never mattered to Brooke because her Dad always said "Who cares about the beginning? All that matter is that she goes to Oz, realizes what is important to her, and overcomes all odds to come home. Home is the only thing that matters, right Bubblebutt?" And she would giggle yes and then they would play wrestle until Brooke "won." This movie had been part of her family's bonding time rituals for as long as she could remember, and was one of the last things they had done with all 4 of them, Brooke, Mom, Dad and Silvia, before her Dad left and they had to "let Silvia go." She placed the movie into the battered VCR player that had been left in the apartment by the previous tenant, wrapped up in the blanket of her forefathers, and just as Judy Garland began her optimistic solo, Veronica Adams clattered in the front door.

"Hey swee--" said Brooke's Mom, then stopped. Memories flooded her mind as a pure voice sang out into the apartment "Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true." The last time she heard this song and watched this movie was the night that she began to suspect the affair between her husband and the faithful maid Silvia. Dan Adams was a character, usually pleasant but sometimes he settled into deep funks where he took days to wallow in self-pity until their bright-eyed daughter would raise his spirits. They had watched the movie wrapped up in the old blanket, both parents on either side of Brooke and Silvia in the squishy armchair beside the couch next to Dan. About halfway through the movie, Veronica leaned forward to grab the popcorn bucket, and glanced at her husband's face when leaning back, when she noticed Silvia and Dan holding hands. Strange, she thought, and spent the rest of the movie processing what she saw. Silvia had been with them since Brooke was about 3 months old, when it became apparent that Veronica was too exhausted to continue with the upkeep of their expansive home. Silvia was wonderful, about 10 years younger than the couple, and pretty in a way that was attractive if you liked curvy, almost thick, Hispanic women. But Dan had never shown any signs of being interested in anyone but Veronica, even in college when there were many tempting women around everyday. They had the perfect relationship, she had thought. Later that night, she crept downstairs to see what she could spy after she tucked in Brooke for the night, who complained the whole time that "An 9-year old doesn't need to be tucked in!" She saw them locked in a heated embrace, a hug like none she had received in years. 3 days later, Dan left with Silvia, never suspecting that Veronica knew why he left or why Silvia "had to return to Costa Rica to attend to family issues," a complete and utter bullshit lie. "Mom? Come watch this movie. We haven't watched it since we left the old house," called Brooke from the couch.

Veronica wiped away her angry tears, set her things down, and joined her only daughter in the living room to watch the movie that had seemingly ruined her relationship with her husband. Brooke saw her tears and said worriedly "Mom, why are you crying? What happened? You know this is my favorite movie." Eerily the blind man's words echoed in her head: "...Riddles, murk and darkness." She shuddered at the memory. Veronica gulped down the rest of her emotions and said weakly, "It's nothing, just fall allergies. Let's watch the movie. Look, she's in Oz now. Soon she'll be home. Home is the only thing that matters, right Bubblebutt?"

The Beginning

The day started with a slow-awakening in the middle of the afternoon. As Brooke got older, she was staying up later and later and sleeping later and later. "Brooke Samantha Adams you get yourself out of bed right this minute. Its after 12 noon! Just because its summer does not mean that you can sleep your life away." Brooke groaned as her mothers voice pounded into her head from across their new apartment, which wasn't very large anyways so the loudness echoed off their sparsely furbished rooms. Yet again they had moved to another dying city, with lethargic locals and not 1 obvious distinguishing characteristic from every other dying city in America. Right now they lived on the 4th floor, 3rd door down from the stairs (also known as Apartment 424), which was fine with Brooke considering the day they moved their few number of possessions into these so-called "Castle Apartments", the elevator broke down. And it had been 2 weeks, with no sign from the decrepit doorman in his dusty suit that it would be fixed anytime soon.

Brooke's mother was a perpetually tired woman except when she gathered the energy to yell for her child to awaken. In pictures from early life, she had a happy smile that stretched all the way to her ears. Now the divorced middle-aged woman had very little reason to smile, and when she did, it never quite reached her eyes. Veronica Adams had never needed to work, never needed to know how to make decisions or a meal, until her husband up and left with the Hispanic maid on afternoon several years ago. She quietly packed up their suburban household along with their auburn-haired daughter and left without a note. Later she told Brooke that her father had unexpectedly gone on an extended business trip to Russia for several years. If Brooke ever knew her father was still around, she'd go crazy trying to find him, thought Veronica wearily as she yelled for her daughter yet again. Brooke was the only reason she even tried to stay afloat in this dreadful world. Her smiles meant more to her than any amount of money in a millionaires bank account. But right now, as Brooke stumbled out of her small room, all she could think was Why bother me when you know I want to sleep late? "Time to explore the city, sweetie. I'm starting my new job today. You know where the key is? Good. Be in bed by 10. Be home by 9, please. I'm trusting you not to go around making connections with strangers. Just rummage around, you have a few hours to do so. Love you." And she kissed Brooke on the head and darted out the door to start her first day at the pencil making factory.

Brooke watched her mother warily as she made her way out the door and down the hall. This was the woman who provided her with everything. Everything but the father she craved and the stability she needed. Most other kids have their moms all busy in their social lives, they want their parents to keep out of their personal lives. I want my parents in my life, thought Brooke as she ate her bowl of Cheerios with enough added table sugar to give a grown man diabetes. She placed the bowl in the sink and swatted at the lethargic flies circling her head before pulling on a pair of jean cutoffs and and a soft loose shirt that was probably meant to be a cover-up because of how thin it was. When she glanced in the mirror before leaving, she backtracked into her room and added a bikini underneath the clothing. Brooke had an internal sense that today would need a bathing suit, be it for tanning or swimming or exploring. It also allowed for her to look more like a regular pre-teen on the way to the pool and NOT a skanky pre-teen attempting to show off a barely developed body. Not trying to give these people the wrong idea the first time I go out alone. After all, I'm only 14. She had the sudden wish for a pet. After her Dad and Silvia left, she always felt lonely in the house without a friend. But she knew her mother hated all living creatures, so something like a dog or cat was out of the question, even if it would keep Brooke company.

As soon as her foot hit the pavement, the stench of this dusty city washed over Brooke's nose, and she wrinkled it in confusion and disgust. It wasn't exactly.. gross but it sure wasn't pleasant either. She stood outside of castle apartments, wondering where everything interesting lay. In the back of her mind, she knew there must be people her age somewhere in this dilapidated city and made a solemn vow to herself to find at least one friend, preferably before school starts. Brooke's teacher reports always read like this: "Brooke works well with others but fails to reach out on her own," "Brooke is a bright girl who seems to know how to apply herself but never does because she is content with her work," "Brooke is a quiet, thoughtful child who sometimes doodles but always gets her work done." And the most common complaint from every teacher Brooke ever had? "Brooke spends too much time in class looking out the windows, daydreaming."

Yes, Brooke was a nature girl, through and through. As if by magic, her feet lead her all the way down the street to the dusty lane that lead to the woods and the park with a creepy black archway over the entrance. The trees were cool and dark with shadows that welcomed her with friendly arms. As she entered, she heard the soft waves of gentle lapping water on the lake. Brooke thought It's good to be back where I belong, and smiled. Making friends can wait.