City Of Dreams

Seventeen

My foot taps violently on the floor of the airport.

My phone buzzes in my lap.

"Aren't you going to answer that?"

The little chip on my shoulder asks.

I glare at nothing and check my phone.

Addie- WHAT THE HELL? WHERE ARE YOU, CHARLOTTE!?!??! YOU BETTER NOT BE JUST DISAPPEARING AGAIN!

I swipe the message away.

"Good choice. She doesn't care anyways. No point in wasting your time."

She says sarcastically.

They call for us to get on the plane.

I pick up my one tiny bag and board.

____________________

"Where do ya wanna start?"

I look around me, sighing.

"This is ridiculous. Why did I fly all the way out to Tennessee to find Marcus when he's probably somewhere in his own country."

I slap myself in the face.

"Well if we're only here to sightsee, do you remember that one orchard you went to together all the time?"

I shrug.

"Yeah. Why?"

She laughs.

"I want to see it."

I throw my hands in the air.

"You're a figment of my imagination! You can't see anything!"

She scoffed.

"I can see you. And I can see the fact that you're being an asshole."

I growl and start walking, ignoring the multiple messages coming from my phone.

_______________________

We...I pull up into the driveway for the orchard in my rental car.

I slam the door and walk to the entrance.

A lady at the gate smiles at me.

I smile back.

But it isn't real.

"Charlotte, you should answer your friends."

I brush her off and find the tallest tree I can find.

"You can't keep just leaving without telling anyone. You are beginning to be like Addie."

I continue to ignore her and climb the tree.

"Charlotte you're going to hurt yourself."

I sigh, stopping for a moment on a comfortable branch.

"Maybe! If I'm lucky!"

She groans.

"If you fall and break another bone, I will personally put a spork through your esophagus."

I laugh and continue climbing, huffing.

"You can't do that, because you're not real!"

I reach as far as I can go without the branch being too unstable.

The sun is beginning to sink behind the mountains.

I sigh.

A voice calls from below.