The Back Country

Chapter 1

 Sparkling ripples of water flashed between rows of pines outside the window of Sarah's moms '92 Volvo. Row after row of softwood rolled by in hypnotic corridors carpeted in brown needles. Off in the distance a jet ski roared by in the warm morning air, a perfect day on the lake. Sarah sighed, resting her chin on her crossed arms propped on the warm vinyl of the car door. A gossamer lock of blonde hair fell across her face, put back in its place with a brief exhale from her pursed lips.

"You didn't have to drive me, mom. I coulda walked." She said with an annoyed sigh.

Her mom, bright blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, held in place by a loud pink scrunchy, clashing with her drab gray sweats, looked over at her mopping daughter from the drivers seat with an exasperated glance.

"Ain't no problem, good to get outta the house." She said, eyes back on the road with an indomitable smile.

"Plus, it's hotter than heck out here, you don't wanna be walkin' in this!"

Sarah barely reacted, letting out another sigh.

"Oh come on Moonpie, perk up, ain't but a few days until summer break."

For most kids of 13, summer break was The Promised Land: 2 solid months of freedom, a blank canvas on which to paint memories and bad decisions. Going off to camp, barbecues, 4th of July, road trips cross country in the family station wagon. For Sarah though, it was just June and July. Nothing would change but her schedule. Once, maybe, it had been exciting, a chance for her and her father to go out stargazing, hiking, or to spend time with the few friends she had. But with him gone...

"Maybe you can meet some kids around the neighborhood." Her mother, the eternal optimist, said gleefully, but fruitlessly.

Sarah was silent, simply watching the pines roll by.

The car eventually slowed down, turning down the long lane to the towns school. Lynch, Texas was not a metropolis, just north of two thousand souls in his small limits. Both the elementary and the high school sat on the same 10 acre lot, most of that dominated by the football field and gravel parking lots. The front of the school ran the length of the lane as the sedan pulled to a stop in front of the metal double doors.

"You gonna walk home this afternoon?" Her mom said, throwing the car into park.

Sarah just nodded her head as she pulled at the doors handle and hopped out, faded black backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Sarah." Her mom shouted as she began to walk away.

She turned, looking over her shoulder back through the still open door.

"I love you." Her mother said with a tired smile.

Sarah paused for a second, her sullen demeanor finally fading.

"I love you too, mom" She said, matching her smile.

She closed the door as her mom pulled off around the back of the high school. Sarah turned, her smile fading just as fast as she looked up the short set of steps to the monolith of mediocrity ahead of her. She hoisted her bag, pushing her short dirty blonde hair back behind her ears and mounted the steps, pushing at the metal door. It swung open, immediately hit by the wafting of floor wax, chalk, and maybe a hint of puke. The white washed cinder block walls ran the length of the school in both directions, interrupted only by banks of blue lockers. For Sarah, it was aesthetically and mentally no different than a state penitentiary, struck by the brutalist Soviet-Masochism of it all. Individual pockets of kids huddled together in tightly formed cells on both sides of the hall. Few spared even a pacing glance at the young girl passing by, and those that did did with indifference or the odd sneer. In 10 months, not a single of her peers had spared her even a pleasant smile, much less a good morning or even hello. Most preferred to pretend she didn't exist. As always, she kept her head down, bee-lining down the hall to her first class: Science. She barely made a sound as she slipped in undetected and into her chair. With care, she set her bag down atop the long black topped table that joined with two others in a U shape.