Long Nights and Horseshoes

New Jersey

 New Jersey. Out of all the places they could've moved to it HAD to be New Jersey. Blake sat in the back of her family's new rental van, staring out blankly at passing trees and small shops along the streets. Her parents were talking about their current living arrangements. A hotel. Not only were they moving to New Jersey but they also didn't even have a home to live in, so they had to stay in a gross, nasty, disgusting hotel. Blake groaned, thinking back to her life just a few hours earlier. They were in Menagerie. An island just off the coast of Florida. And now, they were heading from the Atlantic City airport up north to central New Jersey. Blake didn't even know there was a central New Jersey. The state seemed to small, but apparently, the internet had proved her wrong. They were on their way to Somerset County, to live in a small, unknown, boring town called Vale. In the middle of nowhere. In New Jersey. Gross, nasty, disgusting, New Jersey.

"I hope our hotel room is nice."

"I hope the home prices are affordable."

"Blah Blah Blah."

Blake didn't really care about whatever her parents were talking about. She tried to focus on anything other than her family's current predicament. The bumps along the small back roads they were taking. The clouds. Trees. Ilia. Menagerie. The horrible 70's music her parents were playing in the car. Literally anything but that fact that they had just moved to the worst state and were living in a hotel room for the next however long they would be there. Anything but the fact that Blake would rather be anywhere rather than where she was now.

"You know Blake, I really think you should try to make some friends this summer. You're going to a new school and I think a few familiar faces wouldn't hurt." Kali's voice pulled Blake from her "day dreaming" and back into reality. Her eyes darted from the window she was looking out of, to her mother, who sat in the passenger seat and was looking over her left shoulder and back at Blake, a soft, yet concerned look etched across her face.

"I wouldn't have to be making any friends if we just stayed in Menagerie." Blake grumbled, looking back out the window. She could almost feel her mother's stare. It burned. Tension and annoyance was washed out by guilt as Blake remembers the entire reason for them being in New Jersey in the first place. Adam. He had stalked her. Stalked Ilia. Sexually harassed and assaulted both of them. What felt even worse than that was that Adam was someone Blake trusted. He was a friend. I let it happen. It's my fault. I deserve this.

Blake was snapped out of her thoughts again, but this time it was by a sign that passed just outside of Blake's window.

"Welcome to Vale. Founded 1879."

Charming.

Blake watched as her father turned off the horrible music blaring in the car and carefully listened to the GPS that was guiding them to their hotel. Blake moaned and took out her phone. She expected to see a text from Ilia, or even Adam. But nothing. Blake sighed and put her phone down on the seat next to her, swallowing hard. This was her life now. No more Ilia. No more Adam. Just plain, simple, nasty, disgusting New Jersey. Blake turned back to the car window. Instead of trees, they were now in a rather populated part of Vale. There was a shopping center. A restaurants and cafes. And even a cute little fountain right in front of what appeared to be a large police station. Blake sat up in her seat a little. The rest of New Jersey felt dull, but for some reason, Vale almost appeared to be under a completely different light. Or like someone had taken a photo and put a really pretty filter on to cover up all of the really gross parts of the picture. What was even more shocking was the amount of people walking around. Blake watched as people stopped to talk to neighbors, as they left shops with groceries or as they sat and lounged outside of one of the many nice looking cafes.