Flying Solo » Nash Grier || au *ON HOLD*

Chapter 1

Lilly

My eyes slowly flutter open and I blink a few times. It takes me a few seconds to remember where I am. I look out of the window to see that the freeway we are now on is surrounded by sparkling blue water. I gulp and unbuckle my seatbelt sliding onto the middle seat, right between my 22 year old brother, Cameron and his funny, talented and model-in-progress girlfriend, Natalie. I try to focus my attention on all of the cars moving ahead of us. I look at each car as it drives by. Some are driven by stressed businessmen striving to make it home in time for dinner with their loved and waiting families while others are manoeuvred casually and smoothly by smiling, giggling teenagers just looking for fun in the city. I pay close attention to some of the closer ones and try to make out what they are.

Ford Focus. It's black.

Honda Accord. It's gold.

Nissan Maxima. It's silver.

They all look worthy enough to be driven in the city except, of course, Cameron's old, dingy 2000 Dodge Ram that he used to drive, back home. I feel awkward driving in this piece of metal but I know he'll get something new fast, really fast.

"You okay back there, Lil?" I hear him ask.

I snap out of my thoughts and close my eyes slowly.

"I guess so," I say quietly.

"We're on a bridge," he states the most obvious.

"The Lincoln Tunnel Bridge," adds Natalie, smiling.

"Cool," I muse in between a yawn, "I can't believe we've been driving for more than 7 hours."

I check my watch to be precise and Cameron nods his head in agreement.

"Just a few more minutes again. We'll stop by a Starbucks once we're in Queens. I know you love your coffee," he smiles and I join him while I place my chin on his shoulder through the gap between the seats.

Natalie continues to skim through the newest Vogue magazine she picked up at our last stop in Virginia gasping at the "breath taking" Michael Kors watches and Versace spring dresses. Oh that model life of hers! It's what we're driving close to ten hours to a brand new home for and it's what we're also very thankful for; Natalie's aspiration to become a new Victoria's Secret Angel or even America's Next Top Model! Natalie's career is what has us, my brother, Cam and I, actually doing something with our lives, for the better. Her dreams are actually getting us somewhere, well, about to. Ever since our parents passed away close to four years ago in our hometown, Woodbridge, Virginia, we've done nothing but sulk around and grieve. Not even our closest family members could help fix the damage; only Natalie, of course, was the one who had to step in and save our broken family. She and Cameron had been together since they can remember: always hanging out and going to the movies and when I was old enough and ever lonely, they would carry me on their little adventures and joy rides until it became a permanent thing that we all stick together like a real family; by blood or not, we were still one, and still are.

"A lot on your mind?" I hear Natalie's cheery voice and snap out of my deep thoughts to find her looking back at me, a smile on her gorgeously made up face.

"Yeah, I guess. There's so much going on in our lives...I mean we're moving to freaking New York City!" my remark turns into a screech and I throw my hands in the air as I feel the excitement.

"I know!" Natalie joins me with a scream and Cam shakes his head at us but we know the excitement is getting to him too because he eagerly shakes his legs and grins his usual toothy smiles ever so often.

Minutes seem like hours as we slowly push through the crammed lanes, honks and shouts coming from every angle.

"Ughhh!!!" I moan, frustrated, "can we just walk the rest of the way?!"