15 Reasons To Live

Chapter Five

15 Reasons to Live © Copyright Brianna Howell 2013

After getting our cakes, we walked around and rode more of the rides, eventually catching up with Ben after awhile.

We left around four in the afternoon while the sun was still high, to drive a few more hours and stay the night in New York for a few days.

It was kind of exciting thinking about seeing what sort of sparked this whole road trip idea.

I was exhausted to say the least, but overall really happy with the day so far.

It was Ben's turn to drive, and Thad had -thankfully- called shotgun, so I was able to sit in the backseat.

Ben seemed to have gotten the singing out of his system, but now he wouldn't stop talking about the models who had rejected him after he'd asked for their numbers.

He talked all the way from Connecticut to New York.

I fell asleep a few times, but every time I woke up it was another end of the same story.

So naturally I was sleeping a lot.

"How much longer?" I asked yawning, from the backseat, waking up from a nap.

Thad checked his phone, I saw the time read 6:24 as he held it above him.

"About fifteen minutes" he replied, yawning as well.

Just then Ben turned onto the exit for Brooklyn. I smiled out into the fading light, watching the other cars go by us.

This was it, this was me starting over.

I laughed, realizing how happy I felt.

All the things I was doing before had me over stressed, and I didn't even notice it until I had to quit all of it at once. I am more relaxed now, this is a good thing.

Ben quirked an eyebrow at me through the rearview mirror "You ok back there cupcake?"

I laughed again, shrugging my shoulders. Thad looked back at me too now, also confused. "What's up Abigail?" He asked.

I bit back another laugh, sure that by now they were thinking I was genuinely crazy. But I was so happy I wanted to scream.

"I'm going to New York City" I stated in complete awe.

I'd dreamed about it for longer than I had dreamed about working at Joie, and going to Boston.

This was the first big dream that I could remember having, and I was just about to fulfill it.

Thad nodded at once, somehow understanding what I meant by that. He tapped the sunroof like he'd done with Ben, looking back at me to make sure I was on board with it.

I grinned and he pushed the shade open revealing the darkened sky.

I clambered upon the seat below me and popped my head through the top, resting my arms on the roof of the car. I gasped at the view, suddenly realizing why Ben had spent so much time out here before. There were so many lights! So many cars with people doing things I couldn't even imagine. I was struck with a feeling that I wasn't alone, and it made me feel brave.

Suddenly there was a loud melodic sound coming from below me, and I was enveloped in this kind of wild, airy guitar strumming.

This was brilliant, and I danced -even though I had no idea what I was doing, I yelled to the passing car lights and trees, and I sang to the road.

Whether I wanted to be or not, I was free from everything that tied me to Boston. I'd always wanted to travel and I wasn't about to pass up the chance.

After the song ended I plopped back down into the car, feeling a bit winded.

Ben looked back at me with a smirk "You certainly enjoyed yourself up there" he said cheekily. I blushed looking down, I didn't think I danced that badly.

"Now don't be shy, darling. It was wonderful." Thad said smoothly looking back at me.

A thought came to me then, I hadn't seen my phone since the bridge.

"Hey Thad" I said "do you know what happened to my phone after I got out of the hospital?" I asked.

Thad looked back at me through the rearview, his eyes wide.

"You were in the hospital?" Ben asked, an edge of concern in his voice. "I uh- Yeah" I said dumbly, trying to grasp at some sort of cover story but coming up short.

Ben couldn't know what I'd done either, he might treat me differently, and right now I needed to be as normal as I could be, for my own sanity's sake if nothing else. This was between me and Thaddeus.

Ben looked over at Thad for an explanation. "Appendicitis" I said quickly.

Thad nodded "Yeah" he said "I'd brought her straight home from the hospital when you guys met."

Ben looked back to me for confirmation and I nodded quickly adding "I'd been in for four days"

Of course I'd been appendix-less for about seven years, but there was no way he could have know that.

"Huh" Ben replied, his eyes gazing off somewhere ahead of us.

"And, no" Thad said, also looking out the windshield. "I never got a hold of your phone."

I sighed defeated, trying to search for what they were looking at.

I needed to call someone, just to say that I was ok, and alive, at least. Maybe I could borrow a phone eventually when we stopped at the hotel.

I looked away for a second and caught a glimpse of our surroundings. Crazy tall buildings sprouted up around the highway we were on, so tall I had to crane my neck up by the edge of the window, and I still couldn't see the top.

The lights were even brighter then, and I caught glimpses of swarming people and cars on the roads below us.

This was New York City, and I was living to see it.

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Chapter Five!

Short chapter so far, but I'm going to combine it with the next one to make it longer.

So admittedly this was inspired by my own want to go to New York City with my friends.

Which is actually something we're going to do in summer of 2015, the year we go to college.

I'm still kind of dreaming about that.

The part in the car where Abigail dance pretty much correlates to this joke my friends and I had about the New York thing, where we would start a traveling band.

They would be the lead guitarist, the violinist and vocals, and the percussionist. I would be the vocals and second guitar, and my sister would do interpretive dances.

Which knowing her, she totally would.

So anyways let me know what you thought of this chapter, and what I could maybe change or improve about it. Or just message me for a chat.

Thanks :)

-Brianna