The Secret (Boston's Best 1)

Chapter Four

We're driving on the wrong side of the road.

That's all I can think about the whole 30-minute drive from the airport. And don't get me wrong I've travelled to countries that drive on the right before, but I never seem to remember that it's correct until we're leaving. And we're not leaving for a very long time so I better get used to it quickly.

We pass by hotels, parks where I'm sure we'll play some football, restaurants, and even the Old North Church. Finally, after the GPS sends us the right way, we turn onto Lomasney Way where we see our new kinda fancy looking apartment building.

Mam parks the car and we walk through the gates of the building and around the bloody courtyard and finally into the waiting room area. I mean I know we're not exactly struggling for money but this is some next-level shit.

"Guys, yous just sit down over there and wait for a minute. I need to check some things with the concierge, okay?" She says to us as she walks towards the desk.

I turn to Riley "Concierge? You hear this posh shit coming out of her gob? And look around at this fancy-pants place. She's been converted already I swear."

They shake their head, "She'll be saying things like Bless Your Heart, next."

"Honestly, oh my god." I take her hand. "And Ri, I know me and mam have been a bit distant lately, with the move and everything that's happened and I know none of this has been easy for you, so I just wanna say thank you."

"No problem I guess, but what exactly are you thanking me for?"

"For being so cool with moving, I know it's a tough thing to do especially when you're only in first year. I just know if either one of us put up a fight about moving, no matter how small mam would have turned down the offer. And this is the first good thing to happen to her since dad, she needs this fresh start, so thank you for being easy about it."

They smile at me just as mam walks towards us and we stand up ready to get moving. She gushes at us "Okay, so Eli, that's the concierge's name, said that the hospital has already left me some mail so that's just great. But also that our new gorgeous penthouse is fully furnished and all of our things have been arriving for the past hour and being sent up to our apartment. And that just to let us know we have a lounge area, 24-hour gym, rooftop pool, spa, and movie theatre at our disposal if we want to use them."

I stare at her mouth hanging open "Mam, that sounds amazing and all but how the hell are we affording this. Like I know we have some money but we aren't exactly fucking penthouse type of people."

"Don't worry love, this job has given me a raise, to say the least. So, you can both get very comfortable for the foreseeable future."

She picks up her bags and heads for the lifts as if she didn't basically tell us we were rich. Riley and I roll our suitcases after her and we all step into the lift and ride it all the way to the top.

We step into the apartment and I'm taken aback by how huge it is. I mean a 3 bed, 2 bathrooms, apartment with a very nice kitchen, a living and dining area, and a balcony.    

"Again I call dibs on the biggest room." I say.

Riley huffs "No way Maddie, I should get the biggest one."

We fight over this for a few minutes before mam interrupts "Or maybe I should get the biggest room cause believe it or not I'm the one paying for it."

I laugh "Yeah I guess that is fair. And besides, they're all pretty big if I do say so myself."

About four hours later Riley has most of their stuff unpacked, mam has the kitchen and living/dining area nearly finished and I too have most of my stuff out of boxes.

My room is looking pretty great if I do say so. The walls are just white, same as my bed and bedsheets, my vanity and mirror are up, my books filling up the shelves, the record player and some of my vinyl's looking pretty, my posters filling up the walls, and I've even gone as far as putting up one of those college flags that you see in the movies up for MIT. It's all tying together really well.

But I keep some of my favourite things and essentials packed still as I'm getting a dorm on the school campus.

I grab To Kill a Mockingbird again and make a cup of tea while Riley and my mam are in their rooms so I have some time by myself and I go and sit on the balcony. Looking out at the beautiful city below me I finally give myself the chance to catch my breath.

I haven't really had the chance to let myself just sit for a while. I mean mam only got the job not even a month ago and now we're officially living in Boston, like that's insane.

But I have a plan. Most people my age don't have a plan even though they should or else if they do they only really have a half plan. But I do have a really solid one.

1: Get in early admission to MIT, which I did. 2: Get to Boston, obviously. 3: Finish out school, with maybe a few extracurriculars. 4: Get a summer job to get some life experience but if I can get into it, The Advance Science Program for Young and Gifted Minds –it's an amazing experience and only 6 people in the world get into it every year. 5: Start MIT with Aebhín. 6: Graduate and become the best scientist in the world. Mulligan can be second, I love her and all but I don't like losing.

But no distractions, I had a distraction before. They don't end well and just end up hurting you. All that love isn't worth the pain it always eventually brings.

I take a sip of my tea and want to spit it right back out. America for all your shouting about being amazing you make a shite cuppa.

I open up To Kill a Mockingbird to the page I was on on the plane. I'm at the part in the book where Tom Robinson's trial is taking place. But as I'm taking out my bookmark a small piece of paper falls out.

Confused, I pick it up and turn it over. My heart warms at what I read;

Welcome to Boston, Ginger. Enjoy it here.
From Boston (the guy from the plane in case you've forgotten).

If everyone here is as nice as Boston was, I think I'll like it here. Like a lot, actually.