Scars of the Past

Chapter 1

Ivy lived in Oceanside, California her whole life. Born and raised. So, she was not thrilled when her dad told her she would be moving to Maine because of a job opportunity he got. It's been about two months since Ivy's mom had died from breast cancer, and their house in California was the only thing they had left to remember her. Her name was Maria Rodriguez. She had long, dark brown hair that was always down, with a hair clip in it. She wore long dresses that came down to her ankles. The only jewelry she ever wore was a pair of earrings she only put on for special occasions.

One thing Ivy did not inherit from her mother was her style. Ivy wore light blue jeans, with a belt and music t-shirt, usually from Nirvana, with either Vans or Converse. She always had her special necklace on, which had a charm of a pair of headphones and a music note.

Ivy was an only child. She was almost 17, and was as excited as she could be given everything that has happened in the past few months. It won't be the same without mom. she thought as she looked out the window. She looked at her phone to check the time. It was nearly six in the evening. They have been driving for the past ten hours. She took out her earbuds from the pocket of her leather jacket, plugged them into her phone, and put on her Olivia Rodrigo playlist as she went back to rest on the car window. As her favorite song, Favorite Crime, played, she mouthed the words with her eyes closed. Her father, Dan, looked at Ivy through the rearview mirror of the car. He smiled, and looked back at the road.

One hour later, they pulled into a cheap motel for the night. They have just arrived in Pie Town, New Mexico. Chipped white lead paint all along the outside of the motel. This is a truly toxic environment. Ivy thought. Literally! They walk up to the door that leads to the front desk, with all of their suitcases. The door had eight small windows, one of them being completely broken probably due to some baseball accident or something similar. This was definitely a sketchy neighborhood. Ivy felt the vibe, and it was quite uneasy. They go through the door and set their bags down at the front desk where the motel receptionist awaits. Ivy sees a nametag on the desk that reads 'Ruth Hayes.'

"What can I do ya for, folks?" said Ruth.

"A room for two, please," her father, Dan, replied.

Ruth hands Dan the key to room six. That was on the first floor. They picked up their bags and headed outside and to the right. They unlocked the green door that had a silver 6 at the top, and set their bags on the beds. They both planned to take a shower. Ivy went first. The water was cold, but it was actually refreshing. She got out, dried off with her blue towel she had sitting next to the sink. After drying off, she throws on a pair of green shorts and a black tank top for bed. By the time she got out of the bathroom, her father was fast asleep in bed. Well... I guess he'll shower in the morning. Ivy thought. She put her clothes from that day into a plastic bag and placed it in her grey backpack. She then covered up in the motel comforter. She was unable to fall asleep. She scrolled through her phone, looking at pictures of her friends from Oceanside that she is already missing. She fell asleep soon after.

The next morning, they got back on the road to their new home. They still had 30 hours to go. They will have to sleep at another motel tonight, but that is something for tonight to worry about. Ivy convinced herself that this is the last road trip she will ever take, but she knew that wasn't true. She planned to one day go visit her friends that she has grown up with up until this point of her life. Today's trip went by fast. Before Ivy and her dad knew it, they were at the next, and last motel of this trip. This was after a 15 hour day. They got to their room, and passed out. Neither of them had the energy to shower or change.

For the remaining 15 hours of their trip, Ivy mostly slept because she didn't sleep well the night before. This was due to the ridiculous amount of mosquitoes and loud thunder all night. She had always been a light sleeper. Her father, however, was not! They arrived at their new home. A big yellow house with a large green yard awaited them. It was beautiful. Ivy and Dan got out of the car with their bags and stared at their new home in awe. They knew this was the fresh start they needed.