sunburn ; harry styles

II

We finally arrived in California, now on our way to Adalyn's apartment. Since she was in college, she had her own place, while her brother went with his mother to check out their new house. I was in the passenger seat of Adalyn's car in silence, fiddling with my fingers in my lap. The radio was on, but the music didn't alert me and I wasn't familiar with the genre. The blue eyed girl turned the volume down, clearing her throat before she spoke.

"So," she began. "Tell me about yourself. We didn't really get to talk on the plane because honestly, you seemed to be in your own world and also seemed to be enjoying my playlist."

She chuckled, not taking her eyes off of the road. I swallowed, letting out a small laugh. "Well, I'm Layla Austen, I was born in Miami, Florida, but I moved to the UK because my parents didn't have a good relationship, so we fled there to live with my mom and her family. About two years afterward, my dad came to search for us because he missed us." I bit my lip to hold back both tears and a laugh.

"And my parents have been together ever since." I felt tears sting my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. I smiled through the ache in my heart, glancing up at Adalyn, waiting for a reaction. She had a small comforting smile on her face.

"Babe I would hug you right now if I could," she stifled a laugh, "but I'm driving. And I know it's probably personal as to why you're now here in California by yourself, so I'll push that aside. Now tell me more, and no more sob stories, I don't want to ruin my makeup. I have classes soon." I managed to laugh, and so did she. The noise rang in my ears, making me feel happier than ever, and safer than ever.

"Well, I love music," I stated. "Seems basic, but I love it. I play the guitar, ukulele, piano, clarinet, trumpet, and baritone."

"Wow," Adalyn said with wide eyes. "You sound like my brother, it's making me sick."

I cackled, now concerned about her family. "What about you guys? Why are you guys here, why were you in the United Kingdom?"

"Vacation," she answered rather quickly.

"Where's your dad?" I asked, regretting it immediately because I saw the pain in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm - sorry. You can tell me when you're comfortable enough to," I muttered.

"It's okay babe, I get it a lot. We'll divulge out our secrets at my apartment. It's cozy, trust me, and lucky for you, I recently bought some clothes that you can wear since I see you didn't bring much." We were stopped at a red light, so she turned to me and smiled.

"No no it's okay, I brought some money, I'll go shopping myself," I offered, just as the light turned green. She shook her head, making a left turn, just as an apartment complex came into view.

"Like I said before, no choice. My apartment, my clothes, my orders," she said sarcastically, but we both knew she was serious. Adalyn slid her car into a parking spot, then turned the engine off of her car, unbuckling her seatbelt and lifting herself out. I struggled with my seatbelt but managed to get it off, hopping out of the stuffy car, feeling my legs ache just as I stretch. I take in the beautiful scenery of the building. It looked as if it was built a year ago, it seemed rather new. Freshly planted trees and the paint not peeled at all. Kids rode their bikes along the pavement, laughing and chasing each other. I grinned, following after Adalyn as she walked up to a door that was in a narrow hallway. She fumbled with her keys but finally got the door open, a robust smell hitting me. I strolled in, as Adalyn commanded me to take off my shoes. I obeyed, asking her what the smell was.

"Air freshener," she said, pointing at something plugged into the wall. This apartment was awfully small, but not too small. It wasn't huge, either. The kitchen and living room were in the same area, and a hallway leading to what seemed like a bedroom. I shuffled my feet across the carpet to explore what rooms were in the hallway. On my first left, there was a bathroom. Right in front of the bathroom was a small bedroom, a bunk bed set on the left of the room. It was a plain room. I walked in, scanning my eyes all over the small area. A bunk bed and some clothes dispersed on the edge of the headboard. I roamed right out, walking straight ahead to find myself in a bedroom much larger than the one I was just in. This room was decorative and had more things than the other one did. There was a colossal bed shoved in the corner of the room, posters taped all over the walls. There was a door that lead to a bathroom, so whoever slept here had their own bathroom. There was a nightstand pressed next to the bed, a lava lamp and a small radio on it. I decided I had reached the end of the tour I had given myself and started heading toward the kitchen, where I had last seen Adalyn. She was seated on the couch that was a lovely brown color, devouring a banana, watching a satire show on the television. I plopped myself down next to her, just in time for the episode she was watching to end. She flicked the TV off, setting the remote she had in her hand on the coffee table. She finished her banana and tossed the peel in the trash, which was right next to the kitchen counter. I stalked behind her, bored and unsure what I should do to entertain myself.