Boundless

Chapter 03

Amy's POV

The timer goes off and I pull my creation out of the oven. It's a delicious, totally homemade lasagna recipe that's part of my family as much as I am. Or more so, as much as Ally is; they all love this hobo mountain life, and think that I'm the weird one for wanting to escape the little town of Hillvale.

So I'm guessing you can undertand my excitement when I heard that a guy my age from New York was moving to our town. I also heard that his dad is a columnist who came here just to write something for National Geographic. I bet Zach doesn't want to be anymore than I do.

I wanted to visit him right away this morning, I even got up early, so that I could welcome him and show him that he's not the only who wishes he was in the city. But then, of course, Mom tells me that I have to wait. Let the guy get settled in a bit, she tells me.

What she doesn't realize is that I want to help him get settled in. I'm probably the only in this hilly-billy place that will be able to understand him in the slightest. I know about the city, and I know how it feels to be stuck in Hillvale with no choice but to deal with it.

When Mom finally tells me it's late enough that Zach will have some time to have settled in, I put a cover on the steaming lasagna and brush my hair one last time. I want to give my future boyfriend a good first impression.

I call goodbye to Mom and Ally as I quickly step out the door and begin my journey down the street. I know exactly where his house is because, even before I knew that a New Yorker was moving in, I was looking forward to the house being sold. I don't like it when things stay the same way day after day, and if there's one thing that I know this town doesn't have (other than fashion sense), it's change. They like to grow up in the same house for their whole life, like their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents to who knows how many levels before them. They have the same friends all their life, and the only difference is that they all go from kids to adults to gossipy old ladies or elderly farmer men. And as much as I love my parents and sister, they're the same way. While I'm planning to get out of this town as soon as possible, go to college in New York and never return, I'm sure Ally will graduate and come right back, doomed to the same boring fate as everyone else here. At least I have my eyes open.

Sure, the mountains are pretty. But I'd rather take a break from my city life once in a while to visit Hillvale than the other way around. And while the town bonfires can sometimes be fun, there are clubs and parties every night in the city.

So that's why I'm practically shaking with excitement when I arrive at Zach's house. I ring the doorbell and a middle-aged guy with graying hair answers the door. I'm slightly dissapointed that it's not Zach, but I'm careful not to show it.

"Hello?" He asks curiously.

"Hi!" I smile sweetly. "I'm Amy Anderson, I live down the street, and I brought you this." I hold up the plate for Mr. Reinhart to grab it. He takes it from me and furrows his eyebrows.

"How come?"

Because I really want to give a good first impression so that you will allow me to date your son who is from the city and probably the only person in the entire world who actually understands me, I think, but I obviously don't say it out loud.

"Southern hospitality," I say intstead. "Gotta live up to our expectations."

"Well, you certainly are a Georgia Peach," a voice says from behind Mr. Reinhart. I look up to see a guy who must be Zach standing casually behind him. And he's hot.

He's got shaggy, cinnamon brown hair with just enough gel to keep it from falling in his face. He has deep blues eyes a gorgeous smirk, and thankfully, a sense of style.

"Hey," I flash a smile at him. He nods in return.

Mr. Reinhart glances between us and says, "I've got a lot of unpacking to do. Zach, why don't you take a break and talk with this nice young lady." He gives me a quick, stressed smile and takes the lasagna back into what I assume is the kitchen, leaving me alone with Zach.

He steps outside and smiles at me again.

"Well, this is awkward," I say to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah," He agrees. "I'm just glad my dad let me out of the house. I'm not sure how much more packing I can handle. I'm Zach Reinhart, by they way."

"I know," I reply instantly, then wish I could take it back. That sounded stalkerish. "I'm Amy Anderson."

"I heard their is a park around here?" Zach asks.

"Yeah. Want to got there?" I offer. Hillvale's sorry excuse for a park isn't necessarily my favorite place, but going there with Zach is a whole different story.

"That'd be great. I haven't hardly talked to anyone except my dad for a week now. He's great, but I need to get away from him."

At the moment, I'm ecstatic. I'm going to get this hot New Yorker guys all to myself for a while.

I show him to the park, and while we walk, we talk. Zach tells me about this dad's job for National Geographic, how he came her to write a column for them, etc., etc. I already know most of what he's telling me, but I listen contendedly anyways.

When we get there, we sit down at a picnic table (I purposely choose one that is more secluded by the trees, because I see my sister and her friend Cheyenne chatting at another one) and for a little while he just gazes in awe at the view around us. He tells me that the mountains are beautiful, that he's excited to be here, but that he misses New York. He misses his friends, but also the city itself: the never-ending stream of people, the variety of stores and restaurants, the amazing view of the city lights that he could see from his window,

And I understand. I missed all of those things after just visiting Atlanta for a few nights, and he had lived his whole life there. I tell him that I wish I could be in the city, with the people and lights and the stores, just like him.

"You're not what I expected," he says thoughtfully after I tell him my dreams of the city. I look up at him, startled. Did he mean that in a good or bad way? "I thought this would just another Southern small town full of rednecksk."

"Oh, trust me, it is."

"But... you don't seem like one." He tells me, and his words mean so much more than he will ever know. It's going perfectly; he misses the city, I understand, and he realizes that I'm not like the rest of Hillvale. Now I just have to ask him out. Not yet, of course, but soon.

I smile gratefully at him. "I'm not. I'm fairly sure I'm the only on here who won't be like you expected. Everyone else is doomed to be a redneck for eternity."

He chuckles and smiles back. "Well, I think I need to get going. But at least I knew there is someone here who's not a hill billy. I'll see you at the bonfire." He grins at me as gets up and heads back to his house, leaving me staring at him until he disappears into the distance and I finally get up to head home myself.

**So, what do you guys think of Amy now? Comment & vote!**