The Family (VOL. 1)

Chapter 1

I cranked up the music till it was blaring loud as my boyfriend and I drove down the scenic Texas road. Rolling the window down, I stuck my head out letting the warm air blow through my mess of mahogany waves.

It was a perfect day, not too hot not too cold. I watched the families picnicking in the open field nearby laughing, smiling, enjoying the day and the company. If only that could be us right now. I looked over at Matt who was singing along with the radio at the top of his lungs. A smile crawled across my face as I watched him.

 He looked over at me, his green eyes matched the rolling fields around us. "What's wrong, Tills?" he flashed a concerned look, turning the volume down.

Yes, Tills. Short for Tilly, which is short for Matilda after my grandmother. Matt's the only one who calls me that though and I love it. That's always been his nickname for me since we first met freshman year of high school and we've been together ever since then. He knows all my quirks and always seems to know when I'm upset, even before I do. I love him for that.

"Just a little nervous, I guess"  This move has been so hard for me. It's my first time leaving home and being away from my family...and Matt.

"About leaving home?"

"Yeah, I've never been on my own before. How will I survive without you?"

He laughed, reaching over for my hand and entwining his fingers with mine. "It's only for a year, baby. I'm pretty sure you'll be fine."

"I'm not so sure. I mean, I can't even order my own food from a drive-thru and now here I am moving all the way to Texas by myself."

The one year program I've been accepted into is supposed to help me perfect ASL and learn to use it in real life situations. My goal is to teach deaf and mute children how to use sign language. This program is a HUGE deal and it's an honor to be accepted in. I only wish I didn't have to move all the way to Texas to attend.

"Trust me. You'll be just fine, but if you really need me, you know I can be there in a little over two hours." he raised my hand to his lips, planting a soft kiss on my knuckles

"You're the Best, babe." I said, leaning forward and pressing my lips to his cheek.

A goofy grin spread across his face as his cheeks flushed "Aww, Shucks!" He said in his very best southern accent.

The drive seemed to be taking longer than we thought. We should have reached the city by then, but instead, we were still driving past barren fields. The worst part about it was the fact that the sun was beginning its descent and taking the daylight with it.

I grabbed the GPS out of the glove box and tried to switch it on. The screen lit up blue and the words 'battery low' flashed across the middle before promptly fading to black.

"Babe, please tell me you brought the charger."

"Is it not in the glove box?" he asked, turning the radio down as if to help himself focus on the present objective.

I opened the little door and rummaged through the contents: random papers, a flashlight, napkins from our countless trips to Chick-Fil-A, absolutely no charger.

"Nope, nothing but papers and junk." I huffed, my chest tight with worry.

"Crap! I must have left it at home." he ran a hand through his sandy blond hair. "We must've made a wrong turn somewhere. We should've been there by now." He bit his lip, the frustration he was keeping back was audible in his voice.

I sat back in my seat contemplating what to do next when something shiny on the side of the road caught my eye.

"Hey, slow down a bit," I perked up and poked my head out of the window as Matt drove by at a snail's pace.