Hey, this is my first attempt at writing. I know it doesn't sound like a romantic story at the moment but it develops into one later on. Also its not meant to be a short story this is just all iv written. Please give me feed back!!!! Edited as LittlePrincess suggested. Iv decided to write up a synopsis (think that's the right word for it) - Just weeks before he is due to start back at school for his final year Patrick's parents surprise him by sending him to Italy on a year long exchange program.He is sent to live in a small town with a new family and the parents don't even speak English! He quickly begins to miss his friends and family and is rightly annoyed at his parents for sending him away, especially since he was just beginning to get chatty with Melanie, the hottest girl in school. Pat makes a new friend, one that he will keep for life, his host brother Adam. With Adams help things get a bit easier for him until school starts that is, he can't understand whats happening in class, he's not picking up the lingo and to top it all off he's become a target of the school bully. Then he meets Sarah and everything changes. With her help he becomes familiar with the landscape and starts to understand the language. Eventually Pat plucks up the courage to ask her out. She says yes and suddenly life is a bliss for Patrick. He has a girlfriend, an awesome family and gets to spend his free time exploring one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Until December rolls round and he has to leave his love, family and new country behind. He and Sarah spend his last night in Italy together and promise that they will wait for each other and one day be together again. Upon returning home to New Zealand Pat goes into the Air Force and pursues his love for flying, training to be a pilot. But he struggling. Its just like when he first left NZ, he's homesick, missing his host family and most of all missing the girl he loves. His relationship with Sarah barely seems real with only one letter a month he is longing for a night like their last. Until the day he gets a letter that will change his life forever. Sarah's pregnant, scared and looking to him for help but there's 11428 miles in between them.
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Chapter one:
"Pat can you come into the dining room please?" called mum. Oh great I thought, I'm tired, sore and sweaty and all I want to do is have a shower and watch some TV, not listen to one of mums crazy lectures. "No, I just got back from hockey and I'm going to take a shower" I yelled back.
"Patrick. Dining room NOW" Dads voice rang with authority, clearly this is something they deem important. Sighing I dumped my gear by the front door and made my way into the dinning room. God its ugly. Everything is green. The walls, the breakfast bar, even the carpets green. It looks like we live in a bloody forest.
Mum and Dad are sitting at the table with some papers and the laptop open. Maybe I'm in for another uni lecture, they've been trying to convince me to go but I'm keen for a year off from school.
"Sit down Patrick" says dad. I sit, this is starting to weird me out. Mums' covering the papers shes got in front of her but it kinda looks like a prospectus, like the ones you get when you start a new school. Everyone's gone silent so I attempt to make some conversation.
"Anyone seen my book list for this year? Paul and Josh got theirs ages ago, same with Hamish and Andy."
Mum and Dad look at each other
"Pat honey you know you got in quite a bit of trouble at school last year", I smiled to myself, shes right, I was caught smoking, suspended for drinking and got community service for cementing beer bottles all around the school with Paul and Josh, we were bloody legends!
"Wipe that smile off your face Patrick" said dad, I quickly smoothed out my face and turned back to face mum.
"Well Mr Schneider thinks that even though you've made a few mistakes you're a good kid deep down and that you just need a chance to straighten yourself out and grow up a bit... So your father and I have decided to take his advice and... " Mums' eyes are flicking from my face to dads, " oh you tell him Garry " she mutters.
Dad straightens up in his chair and looks me in the eye "Son, your mother and I have decided to send you on an exchange program for a year".
"What!" the room starts to spin, its like I'm in the middle of a hurricane or something. There's a sickening feeling in my stomach, like someone filled me up with lead. I look over at my parents, mums' starting to look worried, dad has no expression at all. I'm trying to figure out what prompted this madness. Did I really screw up that bad last year that they want to send me half way around the world for a year? I mean, sure I got suspended and I did some pretty stupid stuff, but did I really screw up so badly that they don't even want me around anymore?
I've been silent for over five minutes now and mums' starting to look really worried. "Hun are you alright? I know its a big shock and it seems like a horrid idea at the moment, but think of all the fun you'll have exploring and..."
I cut her off. "Fun" I shout "are you deluded? Your kicking me out of my own house, my own country and you think its going to be fun. What the hell made you think of the that huh?", mum has tears in her eyes now and I almost feel guilty for upsetting her... Almost.
"Sweetheart I know you're upset but lets just sit down and talk it over. We haven't chosen the country yet so you get to choose where you'd like to go" mum makes an attempt at sounding cheerful but I'm not buying it.
"Yeah right, you're just sick of me, my own parents don't even want me." My eyes are watering and I'm on the verge of breaking down into a sobbing mess.
Mum comes rushing up to me "oh baby you know that's not true, you know we love you" she tries to hug me but I shove her away sending her into the wall with a thud. She lets out a cry. I've done it now, I've crossed the line. Dad lunges at me and grabs me by the front of my shirt.
"Don't you ever touch your mother again!" his voice is low and dangerous. It feels like I'm choking. My whole body is shaking under his grip. I'm terrified! Terrified of dad, terrified by what I did to mum!
"Stop it Garry" squeals mum "it was an accident"
"It was no accident, he purposely pushed you" hisses dad. His fist is clenched by his side. This is the closest he's come to hitting me in a long time, the last time was when I was 15. I had stolen from the dairy on the corner of our road and got caught. Back then I knew dad wasn't going to hit me. Now, I'm not so sure.
"Let him go Garry" mums voice is tired and cracked. I can hear her sobbing. Eventually dad lets me go and I sink to the ground crying, the wall the only thing supporting me. We're all silent, dad leaves the room and a few minutes later I hear voices from the TV and the creak from his chair as he lowers himself into it. I lift my head from my knees and look at mum. Shes dabbing her eyes with a tissue and rearranging things on the table like she always does when she upset.
"Mum I'm really sorry" I mumble, loud enough for her to hear. She doesn't say anything, just shakes her head and leaves the room as well. What the hell have i gone and done now, I think, I hate seeing mum upset. I curl up into a ball and bury my head back in my knees as a fresh wave of tears flood from my eyes. Its all my fault.
Just one note, you don't need to write "Please read and review/offer advice" because that is what is expected when you post your story ^_^
