Not That Perfect | JJ Maybank

ONE

OBX

I've never really had friends, none that thought I was good enough to stick around.

But my mum she was my best friend I could tell her anything she was more like my sister than my mother she had me when she was 18.

My dad, he was always off at work out of the country he always made up for it by bringing me a pair for sunglasses back from wherever he worked. It was kind of our thing.

3 months ago the two people who I loved most got taken away from me and it was my fault.

I had been drinking at a party and called them and they came to pick me up but a car full of drunk teens crashed into them on their way to get me.

If I just hadn't drunk that much they wouldn't have needed to pick me up. And they'd probably still be here.

My aunt Lucy she's my mums sister always tells me the same thing "You have to stop blaming yourself, it's those dumb kids fault for drinking and driving" I try tell myself that.

Even though drunk people are the reason my parents are dead. It's how I've coped with it.

Drinking.

I drink until I don't feel the emotional pain just a faint headache.

I'm that type of drunk that's clumsy and will talk to anyone. I only know this because of the videos I've seen.

My aunt she's lets just say she's a different type of drunk.

Right now I'm just staring out of the window of my aunts car, well my car.

As we drive up to our new house in outer banks -where my mother grew up- I only felt at home in California because of my parents.

Without them their I felt misplaced as if I didn't belong I just hope this place is different.

I grew up with Lucy she's pretty much my as my sister she's she not that much older than me she's 27, 11 year difference.

I'm interpreted from my thoughts by Lucy snapping her fingers in front of my face causing me to flinch. "Deep in thought there you good AJ?" AJ is what everyone in my family calls me it stands for 'Angelina Jessica'.

My Grandma is responsible for the 'Angelina' part well she wanted it to be Angel actually.

When she first held me she called me her little Angel, my mother messed with the word and made it my middle name.

The 'Jessica' part well that's my name and JA isn't a very good nickname. So we just switched it around.

"Yeah I'm good I might go surfing tomorrow the waves are supposed to be really good here." I answer moving in my seat looking at her as she pulls into a drive way.

"Alright just make sure you
unpack, let's go check it out shall we" she says tuning the car off getting out I do the same.

The car is actually mine it's a white Jeep I have my license and everything it's just I hate being in any car at the minute. Let alone driving one.

Lucy's car is supposed to arrive sometime this week. we think.

Lucy stops the car in front of a large house closed off by a gate she jumps out of the car. Then puts a code into a small hidden keypad.

And gets back into the car.

The gate slides open and we drive through and around a small water fountain.

We get out and look at the house  that looks to be at least 3 stories high.

I look to the roof and see 2 windows at each side "is there a room at the top?" I ask pointing to the roof of the house.

"Looks like it" Lucy answer putting her arm around my shoulder.

I grab my suitcases and walk up the porch to the front door Lucy unlocks the house and I walk inside to see the type of house you dream of living in.

"Hey we can look around when we've brought all the stuff in come on" Lucy says making her way back to the car.

I follow her and see a girl around my age with long blonde hair talking to her. I stand next to my aunt and look to the girl and she greets me with a warm smile "I'm Sarah I live down the street" she says putting her hand out for me to shake and I do. "Jessica" I introduce myself.

She probably got in before the gate closed or she jumped it.

Sarah ends up helping us set up the house she mainly helps me set up my room which actually has stairs to the attic.

I also have my own bathroom I've always wanted one I image it to be so much better. Me and Sarah end up coming up with the idea to turn the attic into a movie room.

The attic isn't nearly as big as I had thought but I like it it's about as big as my bedroom probably bigger actually.

Once we decorate my room we go up stairs grab pillows blankets and a plain white bed sheet. Surprisingly the attic has carpet flooring.

Lucy ends up coming to help us she putts some nails into the wall so that the sheet can be secure on the wall.

"You know my room connects to the attic too guess it's divided" Lucy tells us.

"What are you going to turn yours into?" Sarah asks "probably just a junk room to put all the suitcases and such" my aunt answers.

She's probably going to turn it into a bar or something.

She says goodbye and goes back to decorating the rest of the house.

Sarah puts up the fairy light I passed her as I set up the small projected that my mother had given me. It's now perfectly in line with the white sheet "done it" me and Sarah say at the same time she turns on the fairy lights and it illuminates the room.

With yellow lights I don't like white fairy lights they are just too bright.

I open the window to let some air in I had not noticed how hot it had gotten.

"Thank you Sarah" I say as she stands next to me. "Not a problem at all" she assures me as her phone beeps telling her she has a a text message.

"Oh shoot" she says putting her phone into the back pocket of her shorts.

"Everything ok?" I ask turning to look at her.

"Oh yeah it's fine it's my boyfriend I forgot I was meeting him" she says walking down the stairs to my room I turn off the lights following her.

I shut the small door to my attic and sit on my bed "Jess do you want to maybe hang out some time?" The blonde girl asks me.

"Yeah sure pass me your phone" I answer putting my phone number into her phone.

"Ok well umm I'll see you later then" Sarah with a smile.

"Yeah sure bye".

"Bye" she replies waking out of my room.

Did I just hallucinate that or did I just make a friend on my first day here.