Only Yours - Ginny and Georgia | Marcus Baker

so we meet-chapter 1

🎧 Sunshine by Shawn Mathews 🎧

After a long day of unpacking boxes, it's finally time for my mini self-care skin routine! It's a welcome distraction from the tubs of clothes I  have yet to unpack and organize in my bedroom. I head to my (very own) bathroom to get started, taking the Jade roller from the tiny makeup fridge that I already set up on bathroom counter (priorities) and setting it on the counter next to a sheet mask. I splash some cold water on my flushed, sweaty face before placing the sheet mask on. Ahhhh... I can feel the aloe calming the redness down almost instantly. I think it's time for a relaxing bath before I hear my mom shout up the stairs, "Hallie, come help me with the pots and pans!" I am instantly transported from my relaxed state to reality.

"Coming!" I yell back, hastily removing the face mask before trudging down the stairs. I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket so I pull it out to check the notification. A text... from Holden?

I miss you

I read it, huff out a stressful breath, and decide not to reply. There's no point. I want to make him think about what he did. I want him to really stew on how much of an asshole he was, and quite frankly, still is.

"Hey bee, c'mere for a sec and help me hang these pots up here," my mom says, wiping the  sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. "It's going to look so bohemian." The kitchen is very neutral, lots of beach wood and light tones, with amazing natural light from the east. My mom has an eye for design so she'll be able to turn this blank canvas into her style easily. I sigh a laugh at her and grab a turquoise skillet from the counter before feeling my phone vibrate again in my pocket. I audibly groan, setting it face up on the counter.

"Is that little shit texting you again?" My mom asks, one perfect eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, but I've been ignoring him," I say quietly, "I don't want to talk about it or rehash things. I want to enjoy my summer and forget he exists."

"I think that's a great idea," she says while rubbing my arm. "He doesn't deserve anyone as sweet as my honey bee."

"Thanks, mom," I reply, squeezing her hand in mine.

I finish helping my mom with the kitchen setup and tell her I'm going to go for a bike ride around the new neighborhood to soak up some sun. The best time to ride is during the golden hour. Everything feels a little sweeter. Before I get on my well-loved bike, I slip out my phone from my pocket and look at the two new notifications. One is a Snapchat of an açaí bowl from Autumn, my best friend back in Albuquerque, and the other is yet another text from Holden. Can he not take a hint?

Please say something

I pocket the phone again and set off into the neighborhood. The basket on the back of the light blue bicycle is faded from many hours in the sun, and has a small hole in one corner - the outcome of one too many books stuffed into it from a library sale. Wellsbury, Massachusetts is a hell of a lot different than Albuquerque, where I grew up. It's WASP-y, for one. There are a lot of American flags. The houses here are cheesy McMansions without the charm and unique qualities that my home in Albuquerque had, but maybe I guess they'll grow on me. Our small, two-bedroom home in New Mexico was my definition of comfy. The outside was a terra cotta stucco with a Spanish tile roof - the stereotypical style for the area, and the inside was full of color and warmth. My mom has always been a bit messy, but it added to the charm and character of the mismatched dining chairs, thrifted curtains, and local art. I will miss it, but I'm excited to see what Wellsbury has to offer.

After riding around my new neighborhood for a while past identical suburban homes, the  sun starts to set, painting the sky in vibrant shades of pink, purple, and orange. I see a bench near a small kids' play park and sit down to take a picture to send to Autumn. Senior year is going to be so weird without her. My phone buzzes again and I see another text from Holden.

Fine be a bitch

I groan loudly and toss my phone beside me into the grass out of frustration. Holden is such a dick! I slip off the bench before crawling over to my phone, feeling the cool grass on my hands and knees. It's the super soft kind, not the pointy, sharp grass that I hate. My hand grasps around my phone, and I lie on my back under the shade of a mature tree before closing my eyes. I close my fingers around the grass, breathing deeply.

"Everything ok?" A deep, yet soft, voice asks from behind me.

I sit up immediately, startled by the intrusion.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, I'm fine." I laugh nervously and move to stand up. "I was just going for a ride and my phone fell out of my pocket."

The boy gives me a funny look, and I notice his dark eyes under puzzled eyebrows and thick, dark eyelashes that I'd kill for. He sighs out a small laugh, "You shouldn't lie, you know. I saw the whole thing."

I swallow. "Oh", I mutter, "nice."

The boy moves a couple steps closer to me and straddles my bike seat, grasping the handlebars. "I've never seen you around before. Did you move here?" I can tell that he's around my age, otherwise this situation would make me uncomfortable, so I feel safe answering his question.

"Yeah, we just moved here. I'm Hallie."

"Well, Hallie, nice to meet you. I'm Marcus."