My Happy Place

On The Road

The next morning we got up extra early to get on the road. I put my hair in a messy bun and I put on my black pac sun shorts, a PINK oversized sweatshirt, and my grey vans. I grabbed my phone (the other stuff had already been put in the moving truck) and headed out the door. I got in the back seat of our black suburban and sat next to Caroline.

I put my headphones in and turned up the volume. As we drove out of the driveway, I couldn't help but take one final glance at Abby's house. It would be hard without her.

***

8 hours later we pulled up at our new house. We had driven our moving truck, so we could start unpacking immediately.

I got out of the car and headed for the house. It was a 2 story house with a basement, way bigger than our last house. The siding was light pink, my favorite color. It backed up to a big lake. We had a pool and a dock.

I picked out my room and unloaded a couple of boxes. My room was a big rectangular room with an  angled ceiling. It had two windows with built in benches under them that looked out over the lake. I had a large attached bathroom/closet and a balcony on the side of the house.

I got tired after a while and decided to go down and sit on the dock. I walked down the dock and sat down. As I looked around, I thought about my new life here. I thought the idea of having a friend like Abby was nearly impossible. I never fit in in Maryland, and I thought that I would never fit in here either.

I was just about to go back into the house when someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned around, expecting to see Caroline. Instead I saw a boy about my age with dark hair and bright blue eyes. I feel like I've seen him before. Oh yeah... All of the popular girls back in Maryland had pictures of him all over there lockers. I had never thought twice about him until now. What was his name...

"Hi! I'm Hayes, I live right next door to you. My mom told me that a girl my age was moving here, you must be Dianna."

"It's Anna." I said kinda embarrassed. I had an old sweatshirt on and my hair was a mess, NOT a good first impression.

"Oh, okay. I thought I was the only one who came and sat down here. I feel like it's the only place I can clear my head." He said.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I think."

"Come with me." he said as he got up.

"What?" I said.

"Come on, trust me!"

"Alright." I replied as I grabbed my phone and stood up.

He grabbed my hand and practically dragged me up across his yard and through some trees. When we passed the trees we came to a clearing. It was a small area of grass with willow trees surrounding it. It also had one old bench overlooking the lake.

"Wow!" I said. it was beautiful! it made me think of Abby back in Maryland. We had a fort in the middle of some trees in her back yard.

"Yeah, it's the only place that I can feel like a normal person, not the Hayes Grier that people think they know." He said.

"You have never shown this to anyone?" I said.

"No, you would be the first." he said. I could feel myself blushing. Why would THE Hayes Grier be showing me his secret hiding place?

"Why did you show it to me then?" I asked.

"I don't know. There's something about you. It's like you see right pass the part of me that every other girl sees, the part that has 2 million followers on vine."

"You have no idea how happy all of the girls at my old school would be if they were here with you." I said. He laughed.

"Yeah."

It felt like we talked for hours after that. I learned that the Hayes who showed me his top-secret hiding spot is so much different than the Hayes people think they know. He's just a person like me. I felt like I could talk to him just like I could talk to Abby.

"Sorry, Hayes I have to go. My parents are wondering where I am." I said.

"No, it's okay. Will I see you soon?" I said. I really enjoyed talking to him. I had already made my first friend in North Carolina.

"Yeah, I'll text you tomorrow."

We started back to the houses and I told Hayes goodnight. I walked into my house to find my parents unloading more boxes.

"Goodnight mom and dad." I said as I walked upstairs.

I entered my room and opened the blinds on the doors that connected to my balcony. I sat back down on my bed and saw Hayes' balcony right across from mine. He waved to me and I waved back.