I follow Dillon down the dozens and dozens of steps until we reach the main floor.
"Did ya'll pick a room?" Mom asks, her body spread across the lumpy chair on the front room, boxes all clumped around her.
"Yep," Dillon answers, leaving my side to go sit in the armchair positioned by the grand fireplace. This place is pretty cool, if you don't think about all the asbestos and spiders probably living in the walls. Oh, fun.
Mom looks to me, expecting me to reply too. "Oh, um. Decisions, decisions," I say, using my hand to lean against the railing of the stairway. "Haven't quite come to a full conclusion," I finish, letting my eyes wander around the room.
Mom grunts, sitting up. "Feel like some lunch?"
Me and Dillon both nod our heads, despite the fact it's more like a dinner. We've been driving all day long.
"Here we go! Out on the town!" Mom says, excitement in her voice. Dillon snorts.
"More like out on the block."
I laugh too.
"Hey, hey. This is a pretty decent-sized town, children. Don't mock!" Mom says, playfully stern. We shrug and follow her out the front door after she grabs her keys.
I'm just hoping no cute boys see me out with my mom and idiot brother.
You know what? Scratch that. I'm just hoping this town has a cute boy at all.
"Greening, Virginia is pretty well known so don't act so bratty," My says, slapping the back of Dillon's head. I laugh loudly.
"Yeah, well known in the county."
I cover my mouth to stop laughing and punch Dillon's arm. Mom rolls her eyes and swings her body into the car.
"Could be worse, could be worse, could be worse," Mom repeats, starting the car and backing out. Dillon and I smile and look at each other. Mom's motto always makes us do that.
The crunching of the gravel grinds under our Dodge's tires as we pull out of the long driveway and onto the old road.
"Do you even know where to go?" I inquire, turning to my neck to watch out the window.
Bump. The car shakes as we drive over rocks and blemishes on the straight dirt road.
"Well, It's not showing up on the G.P.S. so.. no, not really."
I look over at my mom. "Seriously?"
Bump.
"Yeah, seriously," She replies, eyes focused on the road. I see Dillon's reflection as he shakes his head sadly in the passenger side window. I can't help but sigh and lean my head on my hand in surrender either.
I look up and watch the blur of green foliage whizz past the car, like we're going through a tunnel of trees. Pink light breaks through the leaves every now and then, exposing the soft sunset in the distance.
"Maybe I just need to program it.." Mom mumbles, picking up the GPS and giving it a whack. I giggle, but keep my eyes watching out the window.
Dillon stays quiet in the back, either asleep or just not in the mood.
I just hate it when boys think they have it so bad. Oh, woe is me. Ugh, lucky they don't uteruses.
Pft.
The tunnel of trees breaks and we come to a four-way split in the road. Mom cranes her neck to see either way, trying to identify the center of town.
