Torn

Chapter 2

I woke up with my head pounding and checked the time. 10:46 pm. I had slept for almost 5 hours. My face hurt. I had slept on my hand and it left a imprint of an infinity sign from my ring. It suddenly felt to tight and I took it off and put it in the pocket of the chair in front of me.

"Mom?" I muttered. "How far away are we?" I closed my eyes and placed my head against the cool window. I was sweaty and I ripped the blanket off of my body. I recalled the plane ride and my mom telling me we had 7 hours to drive but I still couldn't put the numbers together. My mom wasn't responding and I tried to listen. Marcus's steady snores and Lani's soft breathing filled me with comfort but I heard sniffling. "Mom?"

"Huh?" My mom rubbed her eyes. She had been crying. I looked at her with a sad face. "Oh honey I'm okay I promise I'm just extremely tired. We're about an hour away." She gripped the steering wheel tightly and reached out her hand. "Why don't you give me your phone? We'll put on whatever music you'd like." My heart fluttered.

"Even Panic! At The disco or Fall out boy?" I said with budding excitement. She nodded and smiled.

I wanted to scream. But I wouldn't wake up my brother. I knew my mother hated my music and the fact that she was willing to listen to them made me happy. I tuned on my music app and plugged it into the aux cord. I listened as the screaming guitar riff kicked off But it's Better if you do by Panic! At The Disco and closed my eyes. Not since before my dad left had I felt so happy and complete.

(One day later)

I woke up on the mattress in my room and sighed. I checked my phone. It was 11 am Georgia time and 9 am California time. It was still dark out. I wanted to go back to sleep. In California the steady sound of car horns and ambulances would have sent me back into a blissful sleep but here all there was was the sound of birds and other animals I could recognize. I sighed and decided I would just wake up and explore a little.

I opened up a box marked clothes and pulled out a teal short sweater that matched my eyes and skinny jeans in dark wash. I grabbed some all black high tops and applied thick eyeliner with a winged look. I left my hair how it was and put a diamond rhinestone in my nose piercing. I shot my mom a text.

hey mom I'm gonna go to the mall and stuff. I'll be back like 4ish love you -Reyanne.

I walked outside and closed the door quietly before my mother could hear and object. I looked out. My Mini Cooper had been brought last night. I smiled and unlocked the car and got in. I blasted the Centuries album by Fall Out Boy and started diving.

My eye started to itch so I checked it in the mirror. My blue eyes were the only good thing about me and I sighed. I wish I could be pretty. Before I even knew what was happening I had hit someone on a bike and let out a scream. I immediately stopped the car and got out.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry! I'll call the paramedics!" I pulled out my phone and stared at the boy on the floor. A guy with hazel eyes and floppy brown hair was cradling his knee. He was struggling to speak.

"Was that the Centuries album?" He murmured a little shaky.

"Don't worry I'll get the-wait what?" I said letting out a small laugh. He smirked and then held his jaw. I forced down a smile, I didn't want him to know that I liked that I had made him smile. "You like fall out boy?" I asked with curiosity and picked up his bike. I was careful to make sure he didn't get hurt by it.

"Well yeah. Patrick is my idol." He said and tried to get up but fell back down. I laughed loudly and let out a small snort. He glared at me.

"God I'm so sorry that's not funny I know I know." I said feeling a red blush work its way over my neck and cheeks.

"The only thing that's worst than this is the fact that we just ignored that snort." He said and held his stomach as he laughed. I giggled along with him. I loved people like him. They never took life seriously and it was hard to piss them off.

"I'm Reyanne." I said sticking out my hand. He looked at my hand then me.

"I can't shake your hand with my broken one." He said laughing hard "I'm Jackson." He said and tried stretching out his feet. "Nice shoes by the way." I looked at his shoes trying to compliment them back. He was wearing the same ones as me.

I smiled. I already knew he was gonna be a great guy. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" I said checking my phone. It was 12 pm. I had plenty of time to take him without my mom knowing. Suddenly he stood up and dusted the dirt off of his black jeans.

"Actually I was just pretending to be in pain to spend more time with you. I'd rather you take me to the mall." He said placing a hand behind his head. I blushed.

"Um I actually gotta go I just moved here and I still-"

"I figured you were new. There's not a lot of girls like you out here." He smirked.

"Oh." I said blushing not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing but

Oh

My

God

Was he flirting with me?

"Here put your number in." I said making sure to pass him my phone upside down so he couldn't see my case. Obviously he realized I didn't want him to see it and he flipped it upside down.

"3.14693930284843939384?" He said laughing as he struggled to get all of the numbers out. "And you have The Theory of Relativity on here too?" He said with a look of confusion.

"Yeah. I kind of like school." I said. Great now he would think I was a nerd. Which I was but still.

"Me too. Have you studied much on Darwin's study of the Galapagos island?" He asked as he put his number in and took a selfie for the photo ID. I didn't know what to say. "Wait. I forgot you gotta go." His face fell and he handed me back my phone. Suddenly I wished I hadn't said that.

"Of course I have. And we'll text about Lamar's theory." I laughed and handed him back his bike. He nodded and hopped on his bike and peddled away. I got in my car and felt a blush creep up on me. Maybe I could get used to Georgia.