My way, Highway!

Chapter 1: Serene, peaceful and... nauseous?

[ Rebecca ]

One day.

We all had that 'one day' in our lives waiting for us. We planned it in a way, that it had to wait until we reached the edge of our lives. We thought when we get free of all the obligations restraining us only then we could gain the balls to live the day of our dreams. Freedom always went hand in hand with dreams.

Dreams could be classified into two types, meaningless or so meaningful that it became the anchor for our lives. We spent our lives suffering, tolerating and struggling just because we dreamt of that 'one day' when we could finally live for ourselves.

For me that day was today. Walking down the streets of Knoxville with a backpack on my shoulders, I couldn't suppress the smile formed on my face. That feeling of jolt and excitement cruised in my chest when I realized that I was free. Free from the clutches of my parents, and all the toxicity of Brookwood.

I was on the run for 2 days. I ran from Brookwood halting at somewhere near the borders of Georgia, then took a lift from an old lady to the rim of Cleveland, walked to the highway of Athens and again took a lift and reached here. I wanted to get as far as away from that old town and invest my time and money in exploring the world. Or least to say, exploring the world between Georgia to New York. My dream wasn't a world tour, it was my career. And my career was in New York.

"You look so pretty," I said to the jewel in my hand. It was a locket of a dreamcatcher with violet crystals embedded inside of it ending with the eye-catching purple feathers. 

"It's handcrafted. I can give you a 10% discount on it." Said the shopkeeper with a tender smile on his face. I was in the middle of the famous Market place with this beautiful jewel in my hand that was literally begging me to buy it.

I wish I could buy you. I said to the locket.

I gave an apologetic smile to the owner, "Sorry, I am not buying." I saw his smile fade a little so I quickly added. "But can I click a picture of you guys? You see, right now I am collecting memories." I asked and kept the jewel back to its place. 

"Oh yeah, su-" The old man's sentence was cut off by an intruder.

"Collecting memories, wow! That was dope." Said the guy with a floral shirt, which he wore as a jacket over a tee. He had a sharply chiselled face and I could see a strand of his wavy jet black hair falling over his light tanned forehead. Do locals around here look this handsome? I thought. Looking at his lean physique I concluded that coming to Knoxville wasn't a bad idea.

"Mon Ami" beamed the shopkeeper giving a side hug to his friend. In return, he said something in Spanish which meant 'I got this'.' I was about to turn around when I heard, "Hi, I am Matteo." I stop narrowed my eyes at him and then saw the shop keeper getting busy with another customer.

"Sorry, I am not bu-" I was about to complete my sentence when he spoke slumming his shoulders down.

"Let me at least try to convince you." With those pouty lips and deep look, I had to give. It wasn't like I had something else to do or go. I was here for enjoying my freedom.

"You might as well show me your best marketing skills. Convincing me is difficult." I said in a challenging way.

He smirked, "I would take that as a challenge." This time I smirked.

He went on with how the dream catcher was made, how people get paid for it and all the money went directly to them for their astounding talent but he stopped maybe after looking at my face.

"You are not buying it." He mostly said to himself. It was actually cute to look at him trying so hard to sell. If it had been anyone else other me, they would have bought it. Me? I liked challenges, especially when I was the one throwing it.