Our Love is Born

Awestruck

The car was speeding up, plowing down the city street and swerving through lanes, past all traffic and towards the crossroads.

I wasn't in the car, but I could see it. It was like a vision, I could feel it coming towards me. We were moving slowly, plodding down our residential street.

I could see it again. The car was black. It looked angry. Demanding. Sweat coated the back of my neck and my hands gripped the seat I was on.

The car was getting closer, it wasn't slowing down.

I squeezed my eyes shut, I knew what was coming, but the driver didn't and it was too late to stop him. Nearer and nearer we drove, and the crossroads were in view now.

I could feel my heart pounding in my ears as fear creeped through my nerves and settled in my stomach.

I could see their headlights now, as they pummelled down to the intersection. Faster and faster. Any second now.

Gasping for air, I ripped my eyes open, my arms flying out to grip the sheets of my bed. I stared up at the dark roof above me, panting like I'd just ran a marathon. I reached the back of my hand up to my forehead, wiping a layer of sheen sweat from my skin, before sitting up and taking in my surroundings.

The nightmares weren't uncommon, but waking me up with such a start wasn't as normal. Taking a deep breath, I looked over at the time on my phone, which read 4:32am. Knowing I wouldn't be getting any more sleep for the night, I ripped off my bed covers and let my feet land on the plush soft carpet below me.

Today was the first day of school, and I couldn't be any more nervous. It was abundantly clear that I stuck out like a sore thumb in America, and being such a small town, there was slim chance I would go about unnoticed.

I had spent the last few days leading up to schools start with Josh, Sam, Jake and Danny, mostly messing around in their garage and taking trips to the store to splurge on processed sugar foods. I quickly saw the boys as my friends rather than neighbours and it comforted me deeply to think they might feel the same.

I flew through my morning mindlessly, showering, changing, packing a bag and eating, before plopping myself onto the couch and scrolling through my phone to pass the lengthly amount of time I had left over, thanks to my nervous start.

As Josh and Jake recently passed their drivers tests, they vigilantly offered to drive me to school along with Sammy and Danny who were a few years younger than us.

After pacing around the room and double checking my bag had everything I needed for the eighth time, I heard a light knock on my front door. Mum had left for work hours ago, and Dad was still in bed as I lightly padded over to the front door, swinging it open to reveal Josh with an exited smile on his face.

Dark bags gloomed under his eyes, likely from the unfamiliarity of waking up so early, but it was nothing compared to his lively and upbeat energy.

"Morning sunshine!", he practically shouted, and I winced, "Ready for your first day?" I gingerly swept my bag over my shoulder and shut the front door behind me, the cold nipping at the tip of my nose.

I had decided I wasn't going to hold anyone back today, not let them worry or coddle, and brave it on my own. I was sick of bearing my parents down, and if I could do this with no help, then maybe I could stop being such a burden on everyones life.

"Yep" I said popping the 'P', "Very exited", I strained the most genuine smile I could muster, Josh smiling back at me kindly.

I then stood dumbfounded as he reached his thumb and pointer finger out towards my face, before quickly pinching my cold nose, momentarily flooding it with heat. "Cold?" He asked.