The end of the highway
part one of "Somewhere to Belong" au
The windshield blurred as rain dotted the glass, the wipers moving back and forth in a slow, hypnotic rhythm.
Detroit disappeared behind you mile by mile. You rested your head against the cool window, watching apartment buildings give way to suburbs, suburbs to highways, and highways to endless stretch of green.
Your entire life fit inside one black trash bag at your feet. a few pairs of jeans, three hoodies, some worn out converse, a stack of books tied together with twine, and a polaroid camera that barely worked. Everything else had been left behind somewhere else, always somewhere else.
Your caseworker Denise, glanced over from the drivers seat before returning her eyes to the road.
"You doing okay baby?"
You shrugged. It was easier than answering.
Denise had been your caseworker for almost three years. Long enough to know that silence usually meant you were thinking.
"They seem like really good people."
You'd heard that before. Good people, nice family, you'll like this one, you'll be happier here. The words never meant much anymore.
You looked back out the window. Fields stretched longer than you could imagine. You'd lived in New York until you were eight, then New Hampshire, then Boston, and so many it had now become a blur in your head. Now it was Pennsylvania, Maple Creek, population barely over fifteen hundred.
The thought almost made you laugh. One stoplight One school One diner One grocery store
Denise had spent most of the drive telling you about the town, trying to make it sound exciting. It hadn't worked.
Three hours later, the highway became winding two lane roads. The buildings disappeared completely. Instead there were rolling hills, white fences, and grazing cows.
It felt... Quiet...too quiet. No sirens, no buses, no shouting through apartment walls. Just wind.
The tires crunched on a gravel driveway
"We're here." Denise says smiling back at you. Your stomach tightened.
A little blue farmhouse sat beneath two enormous oak trees, its wraparound porch lined with rocking chairs and hanging flower baskets.
Across the fence was another farmhouse, bigger. A weathered red barn sat behind it, surrounded by acres of farmland. You could make out someone moving near the pasture.
Denise parked the car and for a moment neither of you moved.
"Time to meet your new family." Denise says with a smile to big, like she thought you liked meeting new people.
You reached for the door handle and you swing your legs to the side ready to get out, when a dog lands between your legs, golden and sniffing you.
"Oh hello there!" You say patting the top of the dogs head. You actually smiled for once, something you feel like you haven't done in forever. "You actually like me."
You stepped out of the car with your trash bag. The dog circled you and sniffed your bag, whining when you don't pet him.
"I can't, I have too much stuff in my ha-" you were interrupted by a voice across the fence.\
"Dixie! Dixie come here."
A tall boy jogged over to you and...Dixie, you guessed.
Dark, messy hair and bright blue eyes.
He was wearing a green flannel rolled to his elbows.
Well worn jeans tucked into muddy work boots, he had to be around your age, seventeen.
He grabbed Dixie's collar with one hand, trying to keep her still.
"Dixie, stop attacking people." The dog responded by barking, you giggled a little bit at her panting and looking up at you with puppy eyes.
"it's okay, she wasn't bothering me."
The boy looked up, really looked at you for the first time. His eyes flicked from your face, to the trash bag in your hand. Something changed in his expression, like he's pieced together exactly what was happening.
"Sorry," he says rubbing the back of his neck. "she kinda thinks everybody's her best friend."
You looked down at Dixie
"Well I'd love to be her friend, don't have much of those."
His smile dropped just a little bit at your last comment. He shook back to reality and had that smile back on his face.
"I'm Matthew, people around here call me Matt."
He held out his hand.
You introduced yourself, your voice caught. It always felt strange saying your name somewhere new. Again.
"It's nice to meet you." you say releasing his hand.
"It is," he agrees, that smile returning.
Dixie was now leaning against your leg.
"Guess she made the decision." Matt says gesturing to Dixie.
"What decision?" you ask looking back down at her.
"If Dixie likes someone, they usually stick around."
Your breath caught, for some reason you believed him.
For the first time ever, walking towards a new house didn't feel quite so lonely.
AHH my babies have met
I worked a 5 hour shift of stocking food at DG and all I could think about was the storyline and how to write this
hope everyone likes this and maybe stick around π
