Come and I'll Show You The World

I settled down into the cab's back seat as it slowly moved into the New York City traffic. I rested my head against window and looked outside. People were moving quickly on the sidewalks with bags, brief cases, crying kids that wouldn't shut up. They all had one thing in common. They all knew where they were going.

I for one, did not.

All I knew was that I was headed towards my endless summer of torture.

Originally, I had made plans for every day, of every week, of every month of my freedom. Movies, shopping, Netflixing. Sleeping in, and staying up.

But apparently, my mother thought it would be a wonderful idea to take a three month long trip to Europe.

At first I was all for it. Until I figured out who exactly was going.

"Don't worry Riley Ann," my mother had said, oh so sweetly, "you'll be able to have an adventure of your own!"

And that adventure turned out to be taking a two hour ride in a filthy cab to New Jersey and staying with my brother in his town home.

Neither of my mother nor had I ever ventured to my brother's house ever since he moved out of our house when I was 8 and he was 18.

Mainly because nobody really wanted to.

And the unexplained reason my brother suddenly became angry with our mother when he was 16. He didn't stay in the house a lot.

My brother, Vincent, was one of those kids who you couldn't wait to get rid of. You secretly counted the days until he was off to college and prayed you never heard from him again.

I mean sure, my mother were nervous about leaving Vinn alone in a city, despite him being mad and all, but we hadn't gotten a phone call from him yet, so he must be doing fine.

•••---•••

Ten minutes after I had entered the cab, it moved about ten feet. Maybe the two hours to New Jersey would be stretched a little. Just a little.

I sighed. I felt my phone buzz against my leg and I took it out of my purse.

The screen displayed "You have one new text message!"

Rolling my eyes, I clicked "view".

"Hi honey! I already miss you so so much!! Stay safe!!!

Love Mom❤️❤️"

Wow. Been gone 15 minutes and my mom had already texted me. And 'stay safe'. Please. I'm going to Vinn's house.

And she even used Emoji's.

My breath started to fog the glass of the window, and I doodled until the condensation had disappeared.

This would be the longest car ride of my life.

•••---•••

I didn't know I had fallen asleep until I felt the cab driver shaking my shoulder.

"Ya need help with your bags?" he said in a thick New York accent.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

I opened my door and got a view of Vinn's house for the first time.

It was a town home, with blue shutters and a white stucco exterior. There were flowers in pots below the windows. The grass was neatly trimmed and the bushes were perfect squares.

It looked like a married couple lived there.

I grabbed my suitcase and slowly made my way up the sidewalk and to the front door.

As I got closer to the house, the more I was beginning to think that this wasn't Vinn's house.

I got to the porch and the front door seemed to tower over me.

Hesitantly, I knocked.

Nothing.

I tried again.

Still nothing.

Sighing, I practically pounded on the door.

I heard someone stomping and something rattle. Then the door opened.

Vinn looked exactly like I saw him last.

His curly black hair was a mess, with tufts flying in every direction. His brown eyes still had the same flecks of green in them.

"Can I help you?"

Even his voice sounded the same.

I raised my eyebrow.

He didn't recognize me.

"Are you selling Girl Scout Cookies?"

He seriously didn't recognize me.

"Welp, if you're not-"

Vinn's eyes lit up.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! Riley Ann! It's you!"

"Thanks for noticing."

He motioned for me to follow him into his house.

So far he's acting like a normal human being, and not the person that stormed out of our house six years ago.

Inside Vinn's house was nothing like the exterior.

Dirty and damp clothes of the variety were strewn all around the living room and kitchen. They were in the cracks of the couch cushions, hanging off the ceiling fan and the ceiling itself. Pizza boxes were also scattered throughout the first floor, some still contained old and rotting crusts and slices.

And the smell. The stench towered and toppled over me like a ten foot wave. Garlic, mold, gasoline, sweat.

I gagged at the sight and the smell. Vinn didn't seem to mind it though, and he happily started munching on a leftover pizza crust.

"Disgusting," I muttered under my breath.

I awkwardly stood in the front entry way for five minutes while I watched Vinn munch on his delicacy.

"Uh-I'm going to call Mom so, you know, she doesn't freak out and all."

Vinn gave me the exact reaction I expected from him. His eyes got cold and his eyebrows furrowed and the mention of his sworn enemy.

I just stepped outside and turned of my phone. My mother had already tried to call me five times.

The line rang three times before my mother picked up.

"Riley Ann!" my mother's voice exploded from my phone's speakers and a couple neighbors turned to look at me. I smiled sheepishly at them, them answered back to my mother, "Hi, Mom."

"Oh honey! I already miss you so so very much!"

"I know. You texted me that after I left."

"Oh, but I still do! So very much!"

You mentioned that, I thought.

"I have to leave for the airport now, but maybe I'll call you when I'm there-"

"No, mom, it's fine. I'll be fine. Vinn'll take care if me."

I ended the call after I said that, not wanting to hear my mother's rant about him. I really shouldn't have mentioned Vinn, but it kinda slipped out.

I went back inside and the TV was blasting out Sports Center.

Let Riley Ann's summer of intense torture begin.