Drive

Chapter One

I turned down the volume of the music blasting through the speakers in my old vintage convertible and the phone rang in my ear for the third time. The California heat was starting to get to me and I was not in the mood for my call to be ignored again.

"Come on, come on, pick up!" I said to myself. People always say the third time is the charm, right? So why the hell wasn't he answering?

"Excuse me, I don't know who you are, or where you're calling from, but you have the wrong number," a deep, angry voice said through the receiver.

"Nelson, it's Stella. Where's my father?" I said it more as a statement than a question. I despised my father's agent. He was almost as stuck up as my mother. Ugh. Just the thought of that made me shudder.

"Stella? Why the hell are you calling this number? You know Rick doesn't use this number." He said, sounding bored already.

"Well, he wasn't answering any other number, and I had to try something, didn't I? You didn't answer me. Where's my Dad?" I asked again.

Nelson sighed deeply. "He's busy, Stella. Like always. You should understand by now that he doesn't have time to be chasing after you every time you decide to run away." Nelson sounded bitter. I knew that it really wasn't my father who had to deal with it every time I ran away, it was Nelson. And it really wasn't even dealing with me, it was dealing with my mother. Even worse.

"Why do you always assume I've run away, Nels?" I asked innocently, shortening his name just to make him angry.

He sighed again, growing even more impatient. "Where are you, Stella?"

I smiled and replied, "About twenty minutes outside of LA."

"Listen, Stella, your parents and I really don't have time-" Nelson was cut off by someone in the background.

The second voice was barely audible, but it was obvious who it belonged to. "Nelson, what we really don't have time for you chit-chatting away on the phone. We've got an interview with that magazine company...what was the name?"

I could just imagine Nelson rolling his eyes at my father's forgetfulness. "It was Entertainment Weekly, Rick. And the interview isn't until this evening."

"Right, right of course. So who you talking to?" My dad asked curiously. I smiled to myself again. My father always was the curious one. He was always asking people who they were talking to or what they were reading or who they were texting. Sometimes, it got pretty annoying. But it was one of the few good memories I have of my father before the divorce, so I had accepted it as just another one of his quirks.

Once again, Nelson sighed and there was a short moment of silence and a buzz of static as the phone was passed from hand to hand.

"Hello?" My dad asked confusedly.

"Hi Daddy! How are you?" I asked hurriedly.

"Hi, princess, I'm fine. Please tell me you're in school right now?" He asked knowingly.

"Well, not exactly. I want to meet up for lunch, Daddy. Just like we used to!" I was nervous. I think he could tell. Even over the phone, he could read me like an open book.

My father groaned audibly, letting me know that this was not a good sign. "Princess, I really don't have time. Where are you? You need to go back to school."

"Sorry, Daddy it's a little late for that. I'll meet you at Sobrino's in ten? We can have lunch and talk! There's so much for us to discuss!" I tried to sound excited, but in reality I just wanted it to be over.

I was not cut out for the heat of LA. I was still dressed in my designer leather jacket and jeans, something that may have been suitable back in Vermont's chilly fall air, but was probably the worst option for the baking Cali sun.

"Stells, you know how much I want to see you, but-" I was not going to let him finish that sentence. I was not in the mood for yet another let down from my father. I didn't care if he was busy or if he was just lying about being busy to get me off his back. We were going to meet and talk whether he liked it or not.

"Great! See you in ten, Daddy! Love you!" And with that I flipped shut my cell phone.

Here we go again, I thought as my car sped down the freeway. I turned the music back up to full blast and smiled to myself. Except this time is different.

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Helllooooo everyone! I am super excited to start my very first Wattpad story! Make sure you let me know what you think and wether or not you would like me to continue! I have big things panned for this story, so I hope you all enjoy!

Sorry this chapter is extremely short. It's just kind of an opener, but the other chapters will be longer, I promise. :)

-Makaylaaa