Meet Me After Sundown

A New Home

Just as you had expected, the car ride was long and boring. Your mom put country on the radio, smiling as your dad attempted to both drive and sing along.

Your brother was cooped up in one corner of the back seat, earbuds stuffed in his ears. If you focused really hard, you could hear a faint Fall-Out-Boy song.

And here you were, bundled in a blanket. One book sat in your lap while you held another up to your face, engulfing each word on the page as if you were living it.

In this chapter, the protagonist had a date with the charming neighbor from across the street. After bumping into each other at the local coffee shop, the two talked for a while until ways were parted and a date was set up. Pretty cliché, especially for a teen romance novel.

Currently, the protagonist was applying her mascara when there was a knock at the door. Of course, it was none other than Charming Neighbor, a bouquet of flowers in hand.

Then they would go to dinner, have a good time, kiss, go on another date, they'd break up, he'd move away, then he'd move back, they'd get back together, kiss again, and live happily ever after. Another classic love story.

You closed the book. These sappy romance novels followed the same, predictable pattern, and it was getting old.

It would be different if you had as much experience in your life as the characters in these stories, but it's all just fiction.

It's not like you had time for boys anyway. Not only did you have straight A's, but you were on your school's gymnastic team, class president, and a tutor for the local middle school.

Smart was just an understatement. You were a go-getter, an over achiever, and you had natural talent that many were jealous of.

You had a few close friends, but now, you'll be living eight hours away from them. And with being single, that left just you and your family.

Your dad was out of the question. Of course you loved him, but you couldn't go to him for girl advice.

It was the same with your brother. What could you talk about with a twelve-year-old boy other than sports and video games?

And then there was your mom. That seemed like the obvious choice. What kind of daughter wouldn't want an open relationship with her mother?

However, it wasn't that simple. Not only did you hold yourself to high standards, but so did your mother. It was hard enough meeting yours, but hers? Sometimes it was too much.

You weren't forced to be in all these activities, and you weren't forced to have perfect grades, but you knew the second you slipped would be a huge disappointment to your mother. And nothing hurt more than having your mother critiquing and judging her own, perfect daughter.

When you thought about it, you really were alone.

You checked the maps app on your phone, revealing you still had three hours left. With that final piece of info, you pulled the blanket closer to your face, closing your eyes. Hopefully, a nap would make the car ride end quickly.

~~~

"Y/N! Listen to this song by Twenty One Pilots," your brother shouted, startling you awake as an earbud was shoved in your ear.

As soon as the music blared at an uncomfortable volume only a few seconds in, you ripped the earbud out. "I've heard that one before," you replied, a grouchy edge to your voice. A slight frown on your brothers face was enough for an improvised "but it's one of my favorites."

Before playing a mindless game on your phone, you checked the map app again. Thankfully, the nap helped, and there was only twenty minutes left.

Twenty minutes left to mentally prepare for a new life in a new place.

~~~

The twenty minutes flew by way faster than you hoped they would. As the car pulled up to the apartment building, you began having second thoughts about getting out.

You were the last one to open your car door, and watched as your little brother ran for the door, shouting, "I get the biggest bedroom!"

Your mother countered back with "that room's reserved for your father and I!"

"Then I get the next biggest!"

As soon as your parents opened the main door, your brother sprinted inside. You could hear his feet circling for the stairs before trotting his way to the top floor.

Slowly but surely, you made it to the front door, heart pounding as you reached for the handle. With a deep breath, you swung the door open and stepped inside.

You decided to be smarter than you brother and take the elevator to the top floor. You parents already made it up, so the ride would have been peaceful if it wasn't for the sound of your beating heart.

Your parents left the door unlocked for you, so you easily made your way inside. One step into the apartment relieved all anxious feelings eating away at you. This was it. You were here, and there was no turning back.

You wandered from room to room, memorizing the new floor plan. The apartment was already mostly furnished, just missing that personal family touch of decor and other trinkets. The moving company would arrive in a few days with the rest of you and your family's belongings.

In one room, you find your brother sprawled out in the bed, eyes on his phone. When he noticed you, he announced, "My room!"

"We'll debate that later," you shot back, turning for the other bedroom. This room had a bed and a chest of drawers, but the best part was the window.

As you walked over to the large window, you unlocked it and lifted it up with ease. You climbed through the window and onto a small balcony: the fire escape. You could feel a cool breeze against your skin, complements of the summer season. The city was also busy with life as cars and people flooded the streets.

But something sparked your ears: a voice. There were plenty of voices and other sounds from below you on the streets. No, this voice was coming from above you, on top of the apartment building. Or at least that's what you thought.

Before you could investigate, your mother called you into the living room to ask about bedroom arrangements.

"I'm good with the one I have," you smiled. As you turned for your room again, you thought back to the voice you heard. You were probably still waking up from the nap you had in the car. Or maybe, you needed more sleep. That's what it was. New, stressful situations always made people a little delusional. You'll go to bed early, and hopefully, you'll be better in the morning.