23 comments/ 55726 views/ 37 favorites The Course of Nature: Roots By: cliffhangingtom The Course of Nature is both the revival and renovation of my, Cliffhangingtom's, Siblings Vs. Wild which was not published here and is no longer viewable as it was taken down. For those readers who have read it before, this story has been extended and improve to the point where the only thing that is similar is the main characters' names. That being said, this story is long and captures every character's struggles. The reason it has been renamed to "The Course of Nature" is simply because the story will have many plots, therefore many "books" which is evident by the subtitle: Roots. Sincerely, Cliffhangingtom. DISCLAIMER: All characters are 18 years or older of age. Chapter 1: Best Friends For Life Zack Emerson, the eighteen-years-old of age, struggled to keep his eyes open longer than a second as sleepiness weighed down on them. As much as he enjoyed the comfort and warmth of being concealed under the safety of his thin blue blanket, he knew that once he had awoken, it would be next to impossible to fall asleep; that, and one more important reason: it was time to get up for school. The word, school, had his heart beating a little faster and not even the little relief he got from the hope of thinking it was actually a Saturday could slow it down because he knew that was too good to be true. "No, it's Friday," Zack sighed as a thin layer of sweat had already begun to form on his forehead. Sooner or later, in one or five minutes, Zack would be on his two feet wearing his school clothes with the last ten minutes a complete blur in his mind. But, that was hard for him to believe as usual and lazily, he shifted his body to the side causing a streak of sunlight to burst through a gap between his bed and blanket. As the beam of light struck his face, so did his memories which slapped him across the face. Suddenly, waking up was more bearable as he came to the realization that today wasn't just the day before the weekend; today was his class' camping trip to the Maribari wilderness, and it was the last trip he would ever get before he and his sister graduated high school. "She's probably already dressed," he thought, a smile forming across his face as the energy of a teenager flowed through his veins. Swiftly, Zack pulled the blanket off his hot body until his chest was no longer covered and the cool air of the bedroom calmed his skin. He glanced at the digital clock over on his nightstand which read one minute past seven. It never failed to amaze him how he always managed to wake up at the exact same time every morning regardless of what time he went to sleep last night, or in his case, this morning. In one burst of strength, he kicked his legs off the bed before he sat on the edge with his hands on his groggy face. He was more lazy than tired but still sleepy enough to not have the extra push to stand on his two feet. "Just a second's rest. Amy won't mind," he mumbled, his words muffled by his soft, warm hands. One second turned out to be a minute, and it would have been longer if it weren't for the two consecutive loud knocks on his door followed by a familiar voice. "Za-ack.. Are you up yet? Tina wants us to pick her up early!" Amy, Zack's twin sister, said in a voice that sounded both serene and sweet, a voice that Zack was very much accustomed to. "Yeah, I just need to take a quick shower, Ames," Zack responded, already on his feet, scrambling through his drawers and closet as he wondered what one more hour of sleep would have felt like. "Okay, Zacky, no rush, but... you know Tina..." Amy giggled as her voice grew distant which soon was made up for by the slapping of her bare feet on the wooden staircase. Although Tina had a place in Zack's heart, Amy had the rest of it, and the same mentality fell on her behalf. The siblings were tied together by an invisible rope. Through the course of their childhood, the rope never deteriorated, in fact, it only got stronger. They were twins, and that was evident by how similar they looked. The minor differences in personality were there to show that not only were they brother and sister, but they were also best friends for life sealed with a ten-year-old pinky swear. No matter how embarrassing their secrets were, the result of spilling the beans would always end up with a playful nudge and a loving hug. Their were no lines they couldn't cross and if they didn't cross them, one or the other would poke each other until the cards were laid out on the table, so to speak. It was safe to say that they would be perfectly content with no other friends at all so long as they had one another. One thing was for certain, however: no one would ever get passed the title of "friend" with the exception of Tina. Zack stood in front of the bathroom mirror as droplets of water from the shower he had just a second ago gotten out of dripped down his body. He was the perfect male version of Amy with exception of his short, uncombed, messy blonde hair as opposed to her straightened blonde hair that was always tied back into a pony tail. Zack inspected his reflection on the mirror. He was no body-builder by any means, however, he was in shape, and the frequent flirtation and winks from girls in the hallway of school made that evident. Zack, despite that, did not care for the attention and often declined proposals to prom dances, but not without soul. His charisma and heart, the sole reason why everyone loved him, fortunately, left most rejected girls with a genuine smile of content but also, unfortunately, left him oblivious to the cries that followed after the girls went home. No, his nights were already taken by Amy, sometimes Tina, and a large bowl of popcorn. "A hoodie? Really, Zack? It's gonna be like thirty degrees celsius by the time we get there!" Amy giggled as she stood on the foyer wearing her sandals looking up at Zack who made haste down the set of stairs. Her smile never diminished as she admired her brother, a strong figure who's posture never slouched as he took his last step until he stood in front of her. Amy unconciously opened her arms to her brother. "You never know, it could rain," he remarked with a smile as he happily accepted Amy's embrace and snugged her as they did every morning. Amy purred in her brother's arms as she inhaled the thick smell of his cologne. She always felt safe holding him, talking to him, and even being within the same room as him. She knew he felt the same as well, especially since they had already expressed this one too many times on the many nights they would spend watching television together in a cuddling fashion which her heart always melted thinking of. "Ready?" Zack asked, relinquishing the hug causing Amy to whimper at a volume that could only be heard by her before his hands subsided on Amy's shoulders. Amy blushed as she responded, "Yep!" "Then lets go get our girl, Tina," Zack responded, smiling as he draped his arm around his sister and lead her towards the front door. Amy knew in her heart that she was Zack's favorite girl. Why she even continued to question what she thought was the truth made her angry, but not as much when the most important person in her life had his arm around her. Chapter 2: Another Sister, Another Secret As the wind continously rushed in through the window on Amy's side, it played with every hair strand of her pony tail making it look as if she were under water, her hair floating about but not spoiled in the least. Amy turned to Zack, a passionate smile across her face as the morning sun caressed her body in light. "You-" Zack started to say as he admired the bright glow of his twin sister's elegant-looking hair and returned what he thought was a smile on his face, his foot touching the brakes before a car behind him honked his impatience. "So, what are the odds of a grizzly encounter?" Amy giggled as she felt and heard the sound of the car accelerating down Tina's residential neighbourhood. "Don't say that, Zack!" she nudged her brother. "Don't worry, I'll protect you," he replied with a genuine smile. Before Amy had the chance to respond, Zack had pulled in Tina's driveway with a screech and a halt. She had very much wanted to tell Zack that she would do the same but chose not to as she watched him switch the engine off and grab the door handle. "Stay here, it'll only take a minute," Zack said, his voice no longer cheerful, but stern and compassionate. Zack knew Amy would protest and as much as he wanted her to, he wanted her out of harm's way, so he stepped out of the car and closed the door quick but gently. His legs felt strange as he walked nervously around the car towards the porch of Tina's house. It was the same feeling he had when walking down the public hallway of school, yet Amy was the only one watching him. Or maybe it was the looming sense of trouble, he thought, as he brought his thumb to the doorbell. In a matter of moments, the door swung open as if someone had their hand on the doorknob the whole time. Tina watched in amusement as Zack's knuckles whitened as he clenched his fists, and his eyebrows that furrowed in anger. She knew what butter flies in her stomach felt like by heart as she struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. "Do we have a problem?" Zack said, his voice both deep and tough as his fingernails continued dig deeper into the palm of his hands. Time seemed to slow down for Zack as the blood in his body boiled in frustration, anger and hatred. Soon, he had forgotten what he had asked, if anything, and started to wonder why he was staring at a white door whose paint had started to corrode and blister. Tina blushed as she unwittingly held Zack's hands, her fingers gently prying his fingers open, and her thumb softly caressing the back of his palm. "He's gone.. Zack.." she quietly spoke as Zack turned to look at her, the anger in his face dissipating. Tina was in every sense a sister to Zack as Amy was; and Amy thought as much too. Although Amy had known Tina longer than Zack, it only took him the next seven years of his life to learn to care about her like he did his own sister. However, Zack wasn't the only one to learn as Tina soon found out that it was impossible to keep secrets about her life, one of them being the bruises on her body. She soon learned what real family love was when Zack brutally beat her abusive father half to death sending the devil to the hospital and the hero to get his knuckles stitched. Tina hadn't cried in a long time, but she most certainly teared up when Zack had told her how much he loved her like his sister and would never let anyone hurt her again. If the day came when his promise broke, he wouldn't think twice about holding off in his punches, regardless of the repercussions. But most of all, he would never be able to forgive himself. "Hey guys, wha-", Amy cleared her throat as she came around the corner, her heart beating at an abnormal rate, "What's taking you two so long?" Tina brought her hands to her side as she watched Amy weave her fingers with Zack's. "Oh, nothing, your brother just looked like he wanted to knock my dad out again!" she joked in her familiar sarcastic manner. Amy knew what she saw and her heart felt the brunt of it. The image of Tina's hands on Zack's burned into her mind like a hot branding iron and she almost felt like crying, but not out here in the public. She couldn't decipher the whys or hows before labelling the looming thought that drove her insane unthinkable and silly. Nonetheless, she squeezed Zack's hand, the image fading in her mind for now as she smiled at Tina before frowning as her words finally registered in her mind. "Come on," Amy replied in a hurry to both Zack and Tina until all of them reached the safe-haven of the car. Chapter 3: Quad Not Squad The drive to school was uneventful for Zack and Tina as the radio blasted music into their ears. As Tina occasionally reached in between the front seats to fiddle with the radio knob, Amy's mind was running at full capacity. Her eyes couldn't stop gazing at her brother's knuckles, and she hated visualizing what they had looked like the day Zack slammed the front door shut and sped down the street in his car towards Tina's house. She had almost fainted when she and Tina saw Zack fumbling to open the car door when he had finally arrived on their driveway ten long minutes later. She still remembered the groans of pain that erupted from Zack everytime she tried to caress his swollen, bloody hands. "He won't touch you anymore, Tina," Zack's words and smile continued to replay itself in Amy's mind like a video recording. As much as Amy cared for the safety of Tina, she cared about Zack more. To this day, she still hadn't told Zack how angry and upset she was; and if something worse had happened to him, she wouldn't see any reason to live. But some secrets were better left untold. Reality struck Amy back to the present and she quickly wiped the tear that had formed near her right eye as the car came to a stop at their usual spot in the school's parking lot. "We're here early," Tina noted as she exited the car, followed by Amy and then Zack. "So are the bus drivers," Zack responded, nodding towards the yellow bus' that shined white in the sun. He walked passed Tina to the back of the car before opening the trunk and handing the girls their bags filled with the neccessities needed for survival in the wilderness. With a clank and a cluck, the trunk was securely closed before Zack slid his arms into his backpack shoulder straps. "Alright, girls, let see if Ed's made it yet." "Ugh, I hope not," Tina groaned, prompting Amy to giggle. The trio walked side by side towards the main doors of Sir Wellton High. The building no longer seemed as intimidating to Zack as it did three years ago, but that mostly due in part that he now towered at five-foot-twelve. Needless to say, he knew the brown-bricked, three-storey building was nothing in comparison to what waited for him in the near future, and it worried him. But now wasn't time to worry as Zack listened to Amy and Tina talk amongst themselves, the occasional giggling bringing a smile to his face. Zack often wondered whether being able to understand every single one of their words as well as reading their expressions like a book was a talent or not. Regardless, it was the result of taking the time to absorb everything the girls wanted to get off their chests; and he enjoyed it as much as the girls appreciated it. After an exhausting walk, more so for Zack as his backpack had most of Amy's belongings inside of it, he opened the door for the girls and as usual, it creaked it's age much to the dismay of Tina who often compared it to fingernails on chalkboard. But, just as Tina thought the worst was over, the trio heard a familiar voice. "Hello, ladies!" Ed yelled from several feet away as Tina, Amy, and Zack entered for what may be the last time ever, their high school. "What took you guys so long?" "Hello.. Ed," Tina responded in a tone only unique to her but could be compared closely to cold, the tone commonly used with people she did not appreciate the company of. "Hi, Ed," Amy greeted. "Hey, Ames," Ed smiled shyly, ignoring Tina who stood by her, and playfully nudged Amy on her shoulder. Zack thought nothing of how Ed communicated with his sister, but Tina was less oblivious to it as she knew exactly what he wanted and frankly, if it meant less Amy around her brother, it meant she had more time alone with him, and that would make her content. But the thought didn't sit right with Tina and suddenly she felt terrible. Amy was like a sister to her, and she loved her. But, regardless of how much she wished it, she knew Amy would never commit to such a thing, but maybe, just maybe, somehow, someday, something would happen that wouldn't hurt anyone she cared about. One thing she did know, however, was that no matter how long she spent looking at the starry night sky through her bedroom window, a shooting star would never come and even if it did, she didn't believe in stupid superstitions anyway; though, it never stopped her from wishing. And so, Tina sighed, her heart feeling as if it had been used as a punching bag as she grabbed Amy by her arm before looking back at Zack with a joyful smile. "We'll," Tina cleared her throat, "meet you in class." She took note of Ed whose eyes never left Amy before turning away. "Keep your head up, girl," she thought. As Zack waved back he accepted Ed's hand and shook it. "What's up, man?" Zack had been Ed's buddy since middle school. If it wasn't for Ed back then, Zack surely would have been just another kid who's lunch money was for the taking and stomach for karate lessons, or so Ed thought anyways. Unbeknownst to him, Zack had no intention of letting some punk bully beat him up in front of his own sister. But, that's not to say Ed wasn't good backup as he had proved himself many times throughout the years, although, Amy and Tina's claws always did prove to be more menacing as opposed to Ed's flimsy punches. Aside from that, Ed, much like everyone else, knew what kind of person Zack was. He was all heart and it often presented him as a soft, easy-going individual to others; the golden target for the jealous. Ed appreciated that aspect of him as it often lead to Zack accepting his many apologies with a handshake for his sometimes unintentional rude behaviour which included his dirty mouth. Zack could never consider severing their relationship for something so silly. "Ah, the usual, bro. I've got like ten bottles of water in my bag," Ed laughed tapping the back of his bulging backpack with the palm of his hand, "So, I'm pretty much prepared." "Yeah," Zack giggled as he walked alongside Ed towards their homeroom class, "Actually, Amy had me up all night making sure we had everything ready in the trunk for the morning." "Cool, cool," Ed replied as he followed behind Zack who stepped inside the classroom first. "Back here, guys!" Amy waved as Tina sat beside her behind a desk unusual to their seating arrangements. "Guess the classroom rules don't apply on the last of school," Zack remarked towards Amy and Tina. Mrs. O'Donald cleared her throat, evidently towards Zack, and responded closely after, "They do, Mr. Emerson, but... you can sit where you like because we'll be called down to the buses in a couples minutes." Tina stuck her tongue out at Zack as he and Ed took their seats directly in front of them. Shortly after, Ed took notice of the cold stare Tina gave him and responded coldly. "Did you get a haircut, Tina? You look very pretty." Tina was very familiar with the saying, sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt me. But, ever since she met Zack, she often laughed at it. The names people called her behind her back had no reason to haunt her anymore. Why would they when the only opinion that mattered to her was that of Zack's? So, she wore baggy jeans and sweaters to school, so, they called her a tomboy. The compliment Zack had given her the day she went swimming in his outdoor pool still replayed in her mind over and over again. He said she was beautiful, and he'd kick anyone's ass who told her otherwise. It brought her comfort that the only person she would ever want to be with saw her as someone to be desired. At least, she hoped he had seen her as desirable. Zack punched Ed square on his right arm. "Apologize," he sternly said. "Sheesh, shit," Ed sighed rubbing his sore arm, "Sorry, Tina." "Apology not accepted, jackass," Tina grinned before biting her lip as the image of how Zack looked in his wet swimming trunks, the way it clung to his... Tina shook her head and sighed. "Why do you have to be such a jerk sometimes, Ed?" Amy calmly asked. Ed's response was unclear to Zack as he rested his head on his crossed arms that laid upon the cold, brittle school desk, but not before he took notice of the disturbing drawing of a male's private part on the corner of it. The sick thought of what his sister would think of it crawled in his mind before he quickly dropped the thought.