"Show them your smile, never your pain"

Song- New flesh; current joys

The thing about falling in love is that sometimes you miss the feeling of falling and only know you're in love when you hit the ground

At least that's how it was for me

But let's start from the beginning.

The sound of cars whizzing by and the smell of the spray paint fill my senses. I shake the bottle finishing my picture on the brick wall of a small alleyway on the rich side of town.

Redwood Georgia is a small town located in the center of Georgia. Unlike most of the world this dumb town hasn't got the memo that money doesn't equal status.

Redwood has all the basic things. A small grocery store, a few restaurants, a couple bakery's, a few boutiques, a arcade, a diner, an ice cream shop and the school all located in the center of town.

If you continue left down main streets you'll reach the part of town with extravagant houses, big neighborhoods and private golf courses. Dads will be playing catch with their kids while the moms sip on lemonade.

If you go right down Main Street you'll see small 1 story houses and apartment buildings. A run down park along with children riding their bikes down the streets.

Can you guess what side I live on?

Not hard to guess. I live on the poor side, the "wrong side of the tracks" you may say. The side of town where parents have to take double shifts to provide for their children and children grow up before their supposed to.

I put the finishing touches on the giant tree I was painting. The branches hung down low with flowers blossoming. I stepped back admiring my work before throwing my cans of paint in my old black backpack.

"Marlee Gardner!" A booming voice shouts making me turn to face the noise. I see a the familiar face of the sherif named Jeff. In this town everyone knows everyone. Jeff knows me extra well due to all the trouble I tend to get into.

"Hey Jeff" I smirk backing up slowly. "How's the wife? Did she get that promotion at work?" I ask swinging my backpack over one shoulder.

"Yeah, she did. She wa- Hey! Don't be trying to distract me now. you gotta come into the station kiddo" he has a heavy country accident that almost everyone has here. He has a dark brown beard that contrast with his bald head.

He may seem scary to others but everyone in town knows he's just a big teddy bear. He grew up here with my mom so always looks out for me no matter how many illegal activities I participate in.

"Now as much fun as that sounds, moms making spaghetti tonight so I gotta run" I solute him before spinning around and sprinting out of the alley and down the street.

My feet pad on the muddy sidewalk, dirtying my checkered vans that were held together by a thread. Jeff chases after me shouting profanities as he bumps into Suzy, the owner of the local flower shop.

When he was distracted helping her pick up daisies she dropped I take a turn down a pathway that cuts through a few neighborhoods to get to mine.

15 minutes later I'm pulling open the gate of the metal creaky fence that surrounds my house. The house is a one- story brick house. A small porch with a storm door that was propped open.

I walk up the short sidewalk that leads to my porch and step onto it hearing the familiar creek of the step. I push a baseball bat and glove off of the second step where I almost tripped over it, internally cursing my brothers.

I go to step inside when I hear my mother's voice from in the kitchen. "If you take one step inside of this house with your muddy shoes, I'll take the shoe and beat you with it"

Laughing, I slip off my shoes and walk into my living room. My living room is small, to the left is a small table with a family picture hung above it and a bowl with keys. Beside it is a coat and shoe rack that cleats are sprawled around.

To the left is the couch that is facing the Tv. A small arm chair sits perpendicular to it and a coffee table between the couch and tv. Straight ahead is a entry way to the kitchen where I spot my mom making dinner.

"You look like a mess" my twin brother Theo snorts laying back on the couch. He has blonde hair that matches mine except his is more curly while mine is straight. Our facial structures a fairly similar as well.

Theo was much taller than me. He was around 6'3 but I drew the short straw (quiet literally) and stopped growing at the age of 13 leaving me 5'4.

"You are a mess" I retort whacking his head. He glares at me rubbing his head. "Your stuff is all over the stairs, I almost tripped" I complain tossing down my backpack by the table.

"I'll get it Mar" my younger brother Grayson says walking into the living room from the hall.

Grayson looks almost identical to Theo. He's only 14 so he's slightly shorter and his hair is more of a dirty blonde and wavy. His eyes are blue like mine instead of hazel like Theo's.

"And this is why you're my favorite" I tell him wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him close. He cringes and pushes me away.

"Ew gross, get off" Grayson says walking to the couch and sitting next to Theo. I roll my eyes smacking both boys in the head.

"I take it back, I hate you both" I huff as they snicker high fiving each other.

"Marlee sweetie, get changed. We're leaving in a few minutes" mom tells me walking out of the kitchen and kissing my cheek. "And please don't tell me you were out getting into trouble again" mom sighed.

"Me, trouble? Pfft never" I wave her off in a squeaky voice.

"She definitely was" Theo comments causing me to flip him off.

"Marlee!" My mom scolds with stern eyes. My eyes widen and I raise my hands on defense.

"He was being an asshole" I argue earning a disapproving look from mom.

"You should be used to that by now" Grayson laughs. Theo chuckles but when Graysons words sink in he lundges at my younger brother. The two end up wrestling in the floor as me and my mom watch.

"Boys! Don't break anything or I'll break you" Mom threatens but I doubt they are listening.

My mom is the definition of beauty. She had long brow hair, crystal blue eyes like mine. She has gotten smile lines and a few wrinkles over the years along with bags under her eyes from work.

She grew up here but always had a dream of moving away and opening her own restaurant in New York. She is a incredible chef. She could've made it big but when she was 18 she got pregnant with Theo and I.

My dad was a ... well to put it lightly a lousy drunk.

He was the star quarterback and all around great guy back then. He ended up peaking in high school and after that became an alcoholic and a horrible father.

A few years back he ended up leaving for the better. Since then mom has worked 2 jobs. One at a restaurant in the city about 20 minutes outside of town and at the local grocery store along with a few odd shifts at the diner.

My mom is my role model. She does everything to make sure we have a good life even if that meant loosing out on hers. No matter all the crappy things life has thrown at her she never let that bring her down.

"Go get dressed honey, I don't need a witness when I murder your brothers" she jokes pushing me lightly towards my room. I giggle walking down the small hall to the left of the living room.

Their are 6 doors. 3 on the left and 3 on the right. The first bedroom to the right is Graysons. Next to his is the closet and past that is moms room.

To the left is Theo's room, the last room on the side of the hall is mine and between is our bathroom that I share with both of my brothers.

It's torture.

Our house is small, each bedroom can't fit more than a full size bed, a dresser and a desk but we make it work. I open the door to my room and walk in.

My walls are covered in different pictures of me and my friends and family. I have paintings scattered around the room and my celling has a painting of the solar system I painted.

Across my room in the right hand corner is my bed. It's just a box spring and mattress but I find it very comfortable. At the end of my bed there's a small gap and then my desk where I also do my hair and makeup.

On the same wall as the door is my dresser that we got from a yard-sale when I was 8. It has a big mirror on it and on the surface I have most of my painting materials.

Next to my desk is my small closet that I stuff all of my clothes and shoes into. I love my room, it's my safe space. During the past year I had gone through some hard things.

Sitting in my room drawing or painting was the only thing that could calm me, it was the only time my mind was at peace. I've been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil.

I walked to my closet grabbing a white tank top and red jacket. I take off my dirty t-shirt and throwing on the tank top. I slide on my jacket, leaving it unzipped. I kept on my ripped jeans.

Looking in the mirror to make sure I have no paint of my face or my hair. My hair is a little past my shoulders, blonde and wavy. I have blue eyes and freckles scattered across my cheeks.

My lips are naturally full (all thanks to my mom) and my cheeks are always tinted light pink. Everyone says I look like my mom when she was younger but I don't see it.

She was gorgeous(still is). The most beautiful person I have ever seen and I'm me.

I grab my phone I left here and put it into my back pocket. It's an iPhone 6 I got for Christmas 2 years ago. Mom said it was all she could afford but it makes phone calls, texts and has Tik tok so what more would I want?

I hear Grayson yelling at Theo to stop hitting him while my mom scolds both of them. I walk out of my room and into the living room to see my mom scurrying around the kitchen to get everything ready for dinner.

"We're already late!" Mom groans grabbing a pot and handing it to me. I turn to Theo and give it to him, walking away before he can say anything.

"You know they don't care" Grayson tells mom grabbing a container of homemade garlic knots. I grab the pot with the sauce in it as mom shoves us out the door.

We start walking down the street. We only have one car even though me and Theo can both drive, it's all we can afford and mom saves the gas to get to work. The Taylor's only live 5 minutes from us by walking so I don't mind.

"Do you have your diabetic bag Mar?" Mom asks once we're about 50 feet down the street. I freeze, wide eyed, turning to her with a guilty smile.

"I grabbed it" Grayson says tossing me my bag. I grab it mid-air and sling it over my shoulder.

"Thanks" I pinch his cheek only to be slapped away. "I miss when you were a kid, you were much sweeter then"

I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 10 years old. I got really sick and ended up in the hospital where the doctors told me my body stopped producing insulin (lucky me right).

My mom tells us a story as we walk down the road. Once we reach a small, 2 story house with a tiny garage but a large backyard we know we're there.

I've known the Taylor's since I was born. Sara and my mom were best friends since they were little. When they got to high school they met Dave.

Sara and him fell in love and got pregnant the same year mom and dad did, in fact they did 3 months before. Unlike my mom and dad, they were the love of each other's life and stayed together.

I walk in the front door behind my brothers. To the right is the dining room and kitchen area, to the left is the living room and straight ahead is the stairs.

In the living room I see Connor. Connor is the same age as Grayson and his best friend. The two are more like twins than Theo and I are. They cause total chaos all the time and absolutely love pranks.

Connor is more confident than Grayson. Graysons a little awkward while Connor is totally sociable. They help even each other out well. Grayson goes and plops down on the couch next to him.

Connor has brown hair with semi- tan skin. He's a couple inches taller than Grayson and a little more muscular. He always has a laid back manor about him.

"Is this the new game?!" Grayson questions staring at the tv in awe.

"Yep, saved up 2 weeks to get it" Connor replies nodding his head.

"Awesome, I wanna play" Theo says sitting next to the two boys.

"I'm going first" Grayson glares at Theo.

"Not a chance" Theo argues back. The two start to argue back and forth. My mom sends me a look and I huff walking over to the two.

"Hey, dumbasses!" I snap in front of their face as Connor pauses the game. I hold up two controllers with a smirk. "There's two controllers"

Connor laughs at them as they both shoot daggers at me. Theo snatched both controllers, tossing one at Grayson who catches it with ease.

"We knew that" Theo scoffs waving me off and turning on the controller.

"Totally" Grayson nods getting settled on the couch.

"Could you move, I can't see"'Connor complains trying to see around me.

"What? No hi?" I tease ruffling his hair.

"Hi Marlee" he says in a annoyed manor.

"Hi Connor" I smile walking ignoring his expression. I turn around and walk out of the living room as the boys start to play their game. I head across the entry way into the kitchen where I see my mom talking with Sara who has baby Ella in her arms.

A large smile comes to my face and I immediately walk over to them. Ella outreaches her arms trying to get to me.

"There's my favorite girl" I coo scooping her up into my arms. She has beautiful brown curls, chubby cute cheeks and adorable chocolate eyes. It was a shock to all of us when Sara announced she was pregnant but a year ago when she was born everyone fell in love.

"Hi honey" Sara gives me a large hug and kisses my cheek. Sara has been a second mom to me. She was there to help me get ready for my first date, when I had my first period, taking me shopping before school.

Sara's hair is a dark brown, her eyes emerald green. She has a curvy beautiful figure and is only 5,2. Although tiny, she's feisty. I wouldn't want to be on her bad side.

"Uh oh, troubles here" Dave laughs walking into the room. He wraps me in a bear hug messing up my hair. Dave is a balding man with a tall figure. He seems scary to outsiders but when you've know him all your life you'd know he's a sweetheart.

He works long hours at a factory a few minutes out of town. The low paying job wears him out but he's never seen without a smile. Sara works at our school as a teacher. It has its good and bad qualities.

"But you were already here" I retort before pinching Ella's cheek. She giggles before doing the same to mine. "When's the food going to be ready?" I question grabbing a chip out of the bowl on the table. Sara slaps my hand, scowling at me.

"Soon, could you please go tell Cameron that it's almost ready" Sara asks me.

"Sure thing" I nod spinning around with Ella still on my hip playing with my sunflower necklace I never take off. I March up the stairs and walk to Cameron's room.

A picture I drew for him when we were just 8 years old hangs on his door with his name on it. I open the door saying "your mom wanted me to tell you dinners ready"

"Do you know how to knock?!" Cameron asks leaning back in his desk chair. My nose scrunches up in disgust when I smell the stench coming from his baseball jersey.

"Do you know how to shower?" I reply adjusting Ella on my hip.

Cameron has dark thick hair on top of his head. His skin is tanned and eyes a chocolate brown color. He's 6 foot and fairly fit. He has a charismatic smile that makes all the girls swoon for him.

It disgust me.

Cam and I have a strange relationship. We've grown up together, we know almost everything about the other person, can tell when each other is lying, knows when we're sad but at the same time we can't stand each other.

Most days were fighting and bickering. We drive each other absolutely insane but would take a bullet for the other.

"It's my jersey dumbass" He rolls his eyes tossing a baseball in the air repeatedly. I walk over to his bed and lie against the headboard with Ella resting against my bent legs.

"You sure it's not just your personality that stinks" I say turning to Ella. Her little chubby hands wrap around my thumbs. "I think it is, what do you think Ella-Bella?" I ask in a baby voice using the nick name I gave her when she was born.

"You're annoying" Cam scoffs standing up and walking to his closet.

His room is in the middle of his room with a desk pushed in the corner across from it. He has a window that leads to a large tree he often uses to sneak out.

His room is decorated in baseball stuff, photos of us and our friends and pictures over painted or drew over the years. He forces me to draw pictures of randomly things he wants in his room but I don't mind.

"You're just now figuring that out" I laugh earning a chuckle from Cam as he pulls off his shirt revealing his toned abs.

"You like what you see?" He raises a brow in a teasing way.

"You're revolting" I deadpan turning back to Ella and tickling her stomach. He giggles fill my ears making my smile come back. Suddenly a sweaty jersey is thrown at my head.

I pull it off cringing at the scent and throwing it on the floor before flipping Cam -who was doubled over on the ground laughing- off.

"This is why you're my favorite Taylor child" I tell Ella while Cam takes a hoodie and throws it on. He then comes and flicks my head causing Ella to giggle. "Little traitor" I pout, standing up and balancing her on my hip.

"Is that my jacket?" Cameron questions glancing at my outfit.

"Yeah, I stole it from your closet last week" I tell him. "Don't worry, I'm doing you a favor. It looks much better on me." I pat his chest with fake sympathy.

"Why do I have the feeling your entire closet is my clothes you stole from me?" He questions biting back a smile. I shrug walking out of his room.

"Because it is" I smirk back at him who just rolls his eyes with a chuckle. I make my ways down the stairs peeking in on the boys who were shouting at the games. "Why go to the zoo when I can see a bunch of apes right here?" I say in a baby voice to Ella.

"Dinners ready! Come eat you filthy animals!" Dave calls from the kitchen. I walk into the kitchen sitting Ella in her high chair scooting her close to the oval table and taking a seat. The boys all run in ,wrestling to sit down first.

"Am I the only one with class in this family?" I ask scooping some spaghetti onto my plate.

"You take videos of you burping" Theo scoffs sitting next to me and grabbing the spoon out of my hand.

"And you rate them" Cam adds sitting on the other side of me.

"Well because there awesome" I say plainly as the adults joining us with glasses of wine. Mom and Sara sit across from me. Dave sits at the end of the table and Grayson and Connor sit on the other end.

These weekly dinners have been something we have done since we were babies. We also have semi- monthly movie nights and game nights. Our family's basically do everything together.

"Did you check your blood sugar?" Mom questions while I'm mid- shoveling food into my mouth. I stop, slowly chewing and swallowing it.