"Right," Luke sounded skeptical as he scrutinized Christian. He made sure to squeeze his hand for extra measure before letting go.

[color=f49ac2]"Okay, that's enough. Christian is a friend. Now, can we please go look at the truck?"[/color] Penny interrupted the staring contest and crossed her arms.

Luke held both hands up in a surrender pose, attempting to appease his sister. "I just worry, okay? You know how mom and dad were."

Penny's face fell and she glared at Luke. [color=f49ac2]"You don't get to bring mom and dad into the conversation. You weren't [i]there[/i]. And no, Christian won't beat me."[/color] He abandoned her. Both him and Liam, her other brother. As soon as they turned eighteen, they left and didn't even bother to take her with them. Penny looked up to and adored her brothers when she was younger. When her mom was throwing a fit and threw things at her, Penny hoped her brothers would step in to save her, but they never did. It made her feel worthless and unloved. 

Luke went quiet at her accusation before sighing, his shoulders drooping. Penny wondered if he was going to push the issue and try to apologize or if he was going to avoid the confrontation altogether. Luke turned away and waved at them to follow. Penny shook her head. She wasn't surprised- it's what he did best. 

The truck was a shiny black and bigger than she thought it was. It shined in the sun, though there was some dust and mud caked around the tires. "Seventeen grand, Penny. This bad boy has four wheel drive, off-roading, and is big enough to pull whatever trailer you want." 

Penny opened the door and climbed into the truck, placing her hands on the steering wheel. It was a very nice truck. Leather seats with seat warmers, a screen in the middle, cupholders... Penny turned the keys in the engine and let it run for a few minutes before turning it off, satisfied. She jumped out of the truck with a nod and pulled a thick envelope out of her bag. [color=f49ac2]"Seventeen grand, in cash."[/color]

Luke accepted it with wide eyes as if he was surprised Penny had this much in cash. "How do you have this?"

[color=f49ac2]"I worked for it."[/color] That's all she told him and it was all he needed to know. In reality, she worked a secret part time job when she was fifteen. She'd often skip school for it. Sure, she got beat when her mom found out she missed school, but Penny knew that if she failed school, she could always just get her GED later. Money mattered the most- especially since she was planning on leaving when she turned eighteen. Then she worked her butt off after leaving her childhood home behind. 

"You didn't steal it, did you?"

Penny balked at his accusation, hurt that he would even assume she was capable of such a thing. [color=f49ac2]"What? No, I didn't steal it."[/color] 

Luke shook with head with an incredulous laugh. "Fine, fine." He pocketed the envelope and gestured to the house. "You both drove like five hours to get here. Do you want to come in and relax for a bit? I was about to throw some burgers on the grill." 

As if on cue, Penny's stomach growled and she realized she needed to pee. While she didn't really want to have dinner with Luke, she figured it couldn't hurt. [color=f49ac2]"Okay, but we're leaving after. I already got us a hotel room."[/color]

"Alright. Head on in. I'm going to finish cleaning up some of these parts laying around and then I'll wash up and start on the burgers."

Penny nodded and walked into the modest farmhouse with Christian in tow. She closed the door and let out a heavy sigh, eyes closing. [color=f49ac2]"Sorry,"[/color] She apologized to Christian. She wasn't sure what for. Perhaps everything, but she was slightly embarassed Christian got to witness her family drama.