Dirt Rally Darlin' ☆ a.i

One

The soft sound of acoustic guitar floats through Ashton's ears as his eyes flutter open, waking from a nightmare where his mum had sent him away from his home city in Australia, to live with his Aunt Joy in Hazzard, Georgia. He wanted to roll his eyes as he took in his surroundings, the fields that seemed to go on forever, the snow capped mountains in the distance, even the most innocent things such as wildflowers and galloping horses as they chased the car along their property line.

He could have physically groaned, because Ashton hadn't woken up from a nightmare, he'd woken up to a nightmare. One where his mum really had sent him away, after deeming that she'd finally had enough of his shit, and sent him all the way across the world, literally to what seemed to be dick-fuck-no-where.

He'd gotten off the plane in Atlanta, the closest city to the town of Hazzard and was greeted as soon as he stepped foot out of departures by a chipper Aunt Joy. To be fair to her, she hadn't seen Ashton and his family since they'd made the move to the states over five years ago. He was honestly surprised she even remembered him. It's not like he was hard to forget. Ashton wasn't exactly winning any son-of-the-year-awards. Five years ago, today, since he could remember, really.

The day his dad had up and left, decided he didn't feel like sticking around anymore, the day Ashton was supposed to step up, help his mother get through the hard times. That was the day he stopped giving a fuck, and started creating problem after problem, going out and looking for trouble, looking to get in to trouble. Anything. Anything the numb the pain, to help him forget that his father was a dead beat who gave less than a shit about him and his family.

Ashton visibly sunk in his seat, not wanting to think of his mother or his father and especially not of home. Then again, he didn't really want to think of the sleepy town waiting for him, either. He wasn't a country boy, not a cowboy and certainly not a hick. He didn't belong in a small town where people probably baked the neighbours pie's and the daddy's didn't let their daughters have cell-phones. On the bright side, new girls. American girls. Cowgirls. Ashton smirked at his thoughts.

"I know you ain't exactly thrilled to be here, boy," Aunt Joy said with a sad smile. Since when did she have a southern accent? Five years ago she was a full blown Australian, now, she's all . . . yeehaw! "And believe me, I'm not exactly keen either. But your cousin Calum's real keen, he's been excited all week to see ya again!"

"Good for Calum," Ashton grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the sun begin setting behind the tall wheat grass in the large field before him.

"Hey," Joy snapped. "You better play nice, Ashton, I'm doin' your mumma a real big favour here, takin' you in. Letting you work out your community service at our family garage. You're lucky you're not in juvy, kiddo."

Ashton sighed, knowing he had no choice but to be respectful of Calum and Aunt Joy. If he wasn't careful, all Joy had to do was make the call and he'd been sent off to juvinial prison back in Australia to pay for his crimes.

"Okay," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

"That's more like it, boy," Joy smiles, taking a right and driving down another long, straight road, following signs to Hazzard.

"So," Ashton sighs, wanting to at least make some sort of peace with his Aunt. "What's Hazzard like?"

"Oh, you know," she smiled. "Small. So small that everyone seems to know everyone. It's kind of nice, you know, a big change from Sydney. The weather is beautiful in summer and it snows in winter. You'll see."

"How much further until we get there?"

"Just up around this bend, honey bunch."

Ashton simply just nods, giving Joy a tight-lipped smile as he stares ahead out the windscreen. It's August fifteenth, meaning it's right at the end of Georgia's summer, and soon it'll be Autumn, or Fall, whatever. Ashton watched the fields go by, and soon enough the massive fields turned into tall pine trees and running creeks. He wondered how cold it would get in the fall.