Junebug - (On Hold)

Ch. 2 - The Drive

Mom had to leave early to catch her flight, and since the promotion appeared out of the blue we hadn't had time to plan out how I would get to my brothers'. Their apartment was only a two hour drive from our house, so even though it was the longest I had ever driven alone, mom and I decided that I would take her car up to the city after I dropped her off at the airport. I won't lie, mom seemed apprehensive to be letting me take her precious little car for such a long drive, but after a lot of persuasion I finally convinced her to let me take it. The alternative was her asking my aunt Hilda to drive me, and to be quite honest, the thought of two hours in the car with that woman is enough to make me shudder.

The playlist I built for my drive was, in my opinion, nothing short of epic. A good playlist has range, and mine had everything from broadway musicals to rap, so I blasted as I cruised down the highway. The trick is to play the music loud enough so you can't hear your own voice as you belt out the lyrics. What can I say? I'm not a great singer, but that doesn't seem to stop me from screaming every word.

I'd been driving for an hour and 50 minutes when I realized I was a bit lost. Maybe more than a bit. I was supposed to be ten minutes from my brothers apartment, but looking around I was surrounded by pastures full of grazing cows and sheep. Yeah, that can't be right. This is what I get for trying to find the house without google maps!

I'm cursing the world for being so flippin' hard to navigate when I turn down a road that finally begins to look a little bit familiar. I would have entered the address into my phone as soon as I realized I was lost, but it is just my luck that it died right as I needed it. Stupid epic playlist killed my battery. I decided that continuing to weave through the streets until I find the right apartment complex is probably my best bet.

As I wound through unfamiliar streets and searched for the right building I couldn't help but get a little bit more excited for this summer. I haven't seen my brothers since they came and visited during spring break. I know that may not seem like a long time, but trust me when you have siblings that you are close to, even a week can feel like a long time when you are apart. It usually doesn't. But sometimes. As much as they get on my nerves, I really truly have missed those idiots. Xander, Miles, and Finn. My idiots. Yep, I am determined to make this a good summer.

And it got so much better when I finally found their stupid apartment. As I parked the car, I couldn't help it as a smile spread across my face. A chuckle escapes me as I pull my suitcase out of the trunk. My mom took both the good suitcases for her trip because she has to "look professional", leaving me with my old Cinderella suitcase that my grandma gave me for my 15th birthday. That's right, I said 15. Thanks grandma.

The lobby is so huge it took my breath away as I made my way into the elevator. I was giddy with excitement as the doors slid closed, and I'm sure my face showed it. My brothers and I grew up in a small town, and honestly, I don't have much experience with elevators, but as I selected the fourth floor and began to rise up, I knew that if I ever got bored this summer I would just come and ride this thing up and down for a few hours. It's like having an amusement park ride in your house! I'd bet money that Finn spent hours riding in here the first day he moved in. We are easily entertained.

As I rolled my suitcase down the hall towards the guys' apartment, I stopped to double check that I had the right number. 4b. I do not need the embarrassment of barging into some stranger's house with my Cinderella suitcase right now. I'm already going to hear enough heckling about it from my brothers.

Closing my hand into a fist, I knocked on the door a couple of times. A moment passes before I hear Alexander's deep voice rasp out "It's open!".

A frown made its way onto my face as I hesitantly twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open. Why wouldn't they just come open the door themselves?

My question was quickly answered as I opened the door and received a nerf bullet straight in the eye.