Just Us

Chapter 1 Jessica

Chapter 1 Jessica

The day my parents moved me from Uptown New York to south Texas was the worst day of my life. It was the summer before my senior year. I had so many plans...friends. I wanted to go to school for fashion design. How can I do anything in Texas? Nothing. There was nothing that I could do in Texas.

"Dad, do we really have to do this?" I whine from the back seat of our expensive SUV.

I see him roll his eyes from the rearview mirror. "Come on Jess, there is nothing that I can do about it. I made a promise to Grandma Maggie." He reminds me.

That's right. My crazy old Grandma Maggie. When she had passed away two months ago she made my dad promise that when she died he would move back to Texas to take care of her farm. Dad was a laywer, not a farmer. Move us out of my perfect world and take me to a place where I would sweat more than I had to.

"But did we all have to move? Couldn't we have hired someone to come take care of the farm?" I ask

Yeah, it was kind of selfish that I was saying these things. but they were being selfish, too. Look at what they were doing to me. Dad looked at me like he has had enough.

"Jessica Lea! That's enough. Don't make me wake up your mother!" He warns.

I sit back in my seat. "Whatever." I mutter

I pull out my cell phone to take a quick selfie to post on Instagram and Facebook. I pout my lip out to show that I'm sad. I caption it, "Save me, I just want to go home." Within seconds I'm getting likes and comments. See, I had so many friends in New York. Didn't they care or understand? I was going to be valedictorian! I was also on the verge of getting asked out by my crush Sam, I knew it. I sigh again, this time louder. This really sucks.

I think the only person who was happy about moving was my dork little brother, Jenson. Speaking of which, he's passed out in the seat next to me. He had gone on and on about how he's excited about the snakes and scorpians. Did my parents want me to freaking die or something, like oh my god?

"Hey Jess, do you need to go to the bathroom? A hardees' is coming up. We can get some good too if you want." Dad suggests.

At the sound of food my stomach growls. I could go for a greasy burger right about now. He catches me staring at him through the mirror and raises an eyebrow.

"How about it kid?" he asks.

I smile. "Okay Dad, I'm still mad you though." I say.

He grins, the creases by his eyes showing. "That's my girl."

He pulls out onto the exit and into the the Hardees' parking lot. I throw a pillow at Jensen.

"Get up, we're getting food." I tell him.

His eyes open quickly as if I had told him that he had won the lottery instead. "Food? Yes." he moans, putting on his glasses.

Dad tries to wake up Mom but she waves him off. "I'm okay." she groans.

He nudges her again. "Come on, Tara. I know you have to go to the bathroom. You've been asleep for over an hour." He tells her.

I open the door and get out. Ah, it feels so good to be able to stretch my legs.

Mom perks right up. "Yes, you're right Ted, I do need to go." She says.

Dad locks the car and we all go inside. "Go ahead and order, guys." Mom says.

The boys go up first and I stick back behind with her. She wraps an arm around my shoulder. "How are you holding up?" she asks with a grin.

Are you freaking serious? She was rubbing it in my face now. She frowns at the look that I give her.

"Lighten up, Jess. At least you'll be able to relax when we get there. You won't have to unpack that much." She says.

I roll my eyes. "Oh yes. I would love to thank uncle Jeff for driving what we were allowed to take down yesterday. Why couldn't he have taken the farm?" I ask sarcastically.

Before she has a chance to answer it's our turn to order. I get just a cheeseburger and fries. It's not what I usually get in New York, but theres nobody here to remind me that I need to salad.

After we get our food and use the bathroom we got back out to the car.

"Hey guys, we're about twenty minutes away from our new home. Say goodbye to all of this city stuff, we're going to be in our town and that's it!" Dad announces.

Oh great.

"That's so cool, Dad! Thank you for bringing us here.I feel like I belong here." jensen praises.

"No problem Jensen, see Jessie, you're brother is excited." Dad comments.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, I get it. Everyone is excited but me. I'm the brat, I know." I saw with an attitude.

Mom turns around in the car towards me. "Come on babe, give it a chance. Do it for Grandma Maggie." she says.

******

Fifteen minutes later we pull in front of a two story white house. The farm is on the surrounding are. It was huge, a lot bigger than I remember it. The house is so beautiful.

"This is it?" I ask getting out of the car.

Dad gets to the back and starts pulling out or bags. "Yes, all set up the way Grandma Maggie left it." He says.

The plants were blooming, the front yard covered with flowers. It smelled great. Not as dry as I thought it would have. Grandma Maggie did a great job.

"If you want you guys can go check it out. We'll get the bags." Mom says.

Really? That was awesome. "Are you sure?" I ask.

Jensen doesnt give it a second thought, he runs off to the corn field. The sound of a tractor catches my attention. Soon it comes into my eyesight.

A guy was on it of course. I could tell that he was close to my age. He has short brown hair and semi full lips. I couldn't quite see his eyes but i knew they were blue. They had to be because he was perfect. His white wife beater shows off his mucles and his legs were clad in jeans. He is so cute.

"Who is that?" I ask Dad.

He looks around the car at the stranger. "Oh, that's Jacob. He's going to help me out around the farm. He worked for Grandma Maggie and I decided to keep him." he lets me know.

I look back over at Jacob. Hmm. Maybe this move wouldn't be as bad as I thought.