Chapter 5
We get on a bus to Maine; the longer, coastal route so we might can tact on some time. It's a good reference point and from there we can decide where to go, or stay. I just want to find somewhere safe, and maybe on the way, we'll find somewhere like that. Where no one will recognize us and we can live without a fear. Where there's no more Panic or forced happiness or Wyland. And I'm determined to get us out safely, somehow.
Austin rests at my side, his head slouched up against my shoulder, cuddling his dinosaur for dear life. I don't know how much purpose I'd have if I had left him in Wyland. Knowing he's in the same boat as me gives me hope and a somewhat strong sense of security for the time being.
It looks like we're central North Carolina right now, heading toward the coast up. When you grow up in a small town, you aren't going to hear much about places you aren't from. But, of course, you're going to hear about it in school, whether the town doesn't want you to or not. And from what I've heard, North Carolina is nice. Its relatively quiet with exceptions of Charlotte. People are kind, most of the time giving a smile as you walk by or holding the door if you're behind them. This was all what I've heard though, I have no idea what to expect.
After a good awhile, we come to a pit stop by the water at a little shop. Austin stirs and looks up at me. "Alis-I mean Taylor. Where are we?" He shakes his head.
"Looks like the Outer Banks of North Carolina, bud. C'mon, I need some food. Honeybuns are getting old," I say, standing from my window seat and nodding to Austin to get up. He lets me out into the aisle in front and i fall in line with the group getting off the bus.
The shop is centered around a cute little town that looks a lot like Charleston, South Carolina. It has a dock with a good amount of fishing boats and canoes, a little beach stretches up the coast.
"Whatcha hungry for? Cookies?" I ask Austin, holding up a package of cookies. He lets a big smile grow across his face and I see a glimpse of the old Austin flash through his sober personality. Soon he's belting off most of the things that look good around him in a list. "Okay, bud. I don't know about all that but lets just grab a few snacks."
That seems to bring him back to reality. "Oh, yeah, sorry."
"It's okay," I ruffle down his baseball cap and get in the back of the line for the checkout. From what I can tell, the cashier is extremely attractive, not that I should be considering this but I'm a teenager. I'm going to notice things like this. It's just from what I can tell between the awkward swaying of the lady in front of me, obviously distressed by the taken bathroom situation.
Finally, we get to our turn and i start loading up the snacks and blanket onto the counter. "This it?"
He is, indeed, attractive. With light brown messy curls and brown eyes to match, he makes me want to look down and up at him at the same time. I take a deep breath and nod, rummaging through my wallet for the amount needed. Austin diverts his gaze from me to the cashier every few seconds, a curious look plastered on his face.
As he rings it up, I take a look at the town surrounding the store. Its not much but it definitely is cute and discreet. Nothing loud or somewhere'd you guess out of the blue. I like it, in a weird way. It's quiet.
The cashier guy smiles and kinda waves a hand in front of my face. "You okay, there?"
Making myself look like an idiot was also one of my habits. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry." I push my bangs from my eyes. They were getting in my way a lot now and I'm trying my best to get use to them.
"Here's your bag," He pushes a brown bag forward. There's nothing like being awkward around a hot guy to get you distracted from running from the law. "Your bus is about to go, by the way."
The bus is already closing its doors by the time we look and by the time we get outside, it's down the block, driving away despite the shouts of me, Austin and the stranger.
"When's the next bus?" I sigh, glancing down at Austin who is examining his dinosaur. I had brought my dufflebag, thankfully, just in case we weren't getting back on. It definitely came in handy.
"They only come once a month." He brings his hands to his hips and looks straight back at me. The gesture definitely takes me back a step. "Listen, y'all are welcome to stay at my place for as long as you need. There isn't a motel or anything here, I'm afraid."
I look to Austin, who shrugs, and I shand my head. "We couldn't accept that-"
"I insist, it isn't any trouble. I live alone and there really isn't much excitement in this little town so it'd be good to not be lonely all the time," He smirks. I'm not going to just fall for this immediately. Honestly, I'm still shaken up from Noah and I don't think I'll ever truly get over it. He came so close to doing that to me, how could I even trust anyone again. How could I trust this stranger even? "I'm Ashton, by the way."
"Taylor. And this is my brother.. Charlie." Austin groans quietly at the name and I have to stifle a laugh. Ashton takes my hand and pushes it up to his lips lightly.
"Nice to meet you both," he kisses it once before letting it fall back to my side. I blush, instinctively, and look down.
"You better not do that to me," Austin frowns, sticking both hands into pockets. We both laugh and Ashton lowers himself to Austin's level into a squat. "No worries, man. I wasn't anyway."
••Quick chapter, sorry guys. My phone won't charge now!! Btw this isn't Ashton from 5SOS or anything, he doesn't have a specific real life person. He probably looks just a bit different from Tanner in The Fallout
