The Girl in the Field

Chapter 3

Shit, I thought as the loud grumble of the garage opening sounded throughout the house. I shut the door lightly behind me, realizing as I did that it didn't matter. If they were awake, it would've been the garage that woke them up. My dark blue Star Trek bike was glinting in the sunshine, there in all of its glorious beauty. 

I loved that bike. 

I hopped down the concrete and stepped onto the faded brown welcome mat, striding over to my lovely bike. I slid on top of the small black seat, kicking the stand back and pushing the smooth ground away with my heavy red combat boot. 

I glided out of the small cramped garage, leaving behind the rusty old Mustang, the pungent smell of a rotting animal, and the fight my parents were going to get into as soon as they saw each other. I pedaled down my driveway, standing up and feeling the light breeze as it pushed back my dark hair and played with my red flannel. In front of me, there was nothing but farmland, rows upon rows of cornfields and cows. Whatever lay ahead was hidden by the morning fog, the deep grey clouds that hung dangerously low over the land. 

I let go of the handles, maintaining my balance as I pulled my earbuds out of my chest pocket, a trick my uncle had taught me when I was little. I plugged them into my phone, closing my eyes as I rode around not particularly caring what could happen if I left them closed. 

I opened my eyes at the intersection, where I was met with a dark red minivan shooting past me.

I turned left, finding myself riding down a familiar road. The road to Jade’s house. 

Whatever. It’s not like I’m riding this way to see her. I just like the cool . . . farms. Yep. 

I tried very hard to convince myself that was true. She was the one who completely ghosted me. I had no business with her.

Yet somehow, I found myself not turning around, and rather switching to the side of the road her grandma’s house was on. 

I zoned out, staring blankly at the tall weeds that lined the side of the crumbling road, thinking about the time I’d spent cruising around, careless and naive.

Unaware of the things that were happening right under my nose. 

I was snapped back into reality by a small bump in the road, one that I had certainly gone over before.

I glanced up, grinning in spite of myself at the sight of the light blue house that I once spent my summers at. When things had gotten rough at home, this place was like a hideaway, somewhere I’d always felt welcomed and loved. When I was shipped off to that hideous out-of-a-horror-story boarding school, part of me was left here, in the old field. 

I nearly fell off my goddamn bike when I saw the field. Bright flowers shot out of the ground, whipping around in the sharp breeze. I thought I saw a blue jay dart away from a big pine tree, way at the end of the field, I made and held eye contact with the big black eyes of a doe, heard the annoying sound of the cicadas that were hiding somewhere, felt offended when the deer ran away, and saw her. 

I was only ten feet away now, hardly able to believe it. It was her.

Strands of wavy auburn were blown to the side with a big gust of wind. 

Wide, beautiful brown eyes stared out into the field, reminding me of the doe. 

The freckles that danced across her rosy cheeks and nose. 

Her pale lips, which were tight with concentration.

Fuck. I came to a halt, planting my foot in the loose pebbles and pulling down my kickstand.