Our Dirt Road

Chapter Two - The Meeting

Exhaustion hits me a few hours after the movers leave and I'm in the middle of unpacking my boxes in my bedroom. I look around at my familiar belongings strewn about the room, but it feels anything but familiar here. It's too quiet and much cooler here than L.A., even though it's the middle of summer. I forgo the idea of taking a short nap I had and grab my phone and earbuds. I send my mom a quick text so she knows I've left and head outside. 

I pop my earbuds in and thumb through my iTunes. I have the volume up pretty loud so I don't hear him when he calls out to me. When I finally look up, I all but crash into him. The tall, dark-haired boy next door.

I take one of the earbuds from my ear and falter as I try to say something, anything. I lock eyes with him and notice he has the same golden honey eyes his mother has. I'm confused when I realize he's laughing at me. He must notice because he says, "What is that? One Direction? No, don't tell me.. Are you a Belieber?" "Actually, it's Nirvana," I deadpan as 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' plays faintly from the earbud in my hand.

I can tell by the expression on his face he's surprised. "Wow, a girl with actual good taste in music? Shocking," he jokes. I roll my eyes but smile back at him.

"I'm Jesse Montgomery. My mom said you're Eden, right?" he says as he moves to stand closer to me. I'm about to answer when he takes my phone from my hand. 

"Excuse you," I say as I reach for my phone but he already has the camera up and is taking a picture of himself. He types quickly on it and hands it back to me.

"What was that?" I ask taking my phone back as his begins to ring. 

"I just wanted to program my number for you, and now I have yours too, Eden....?" "Bradley" I say, once I realize what he's asking. There's an awkward silence and he clears his throat. "Uhh, okay?... Well, I'll see you around I guess," I call over my shoulder as I start walking down the dirt road. 

"Where ya headed?" he calls as I'm about to turn my music back on. 

"I don't know, I'm trying to see what's around here. Didn't seem like much when we drove in earlier." 

"Can I come?" he asks and it takes me by surprise. 

"Sure," I say in a way that sounds more like a question.

We walk in silence until we make it to the end of the dirt road. Our dirt road. He gestures for us to go left so I oblige. We walk slow down the main street that runs perpendicular to ours. It's paved with cobblestones, something I'm not used to being from L.A.

He starts to point out little shops perfectly lined along the street. There's an Old-Tyme Soda Shoppe, a bike rental stand, and a handful of small stores selling handmade jewelry and candles. It looks like something out of a movie. There are couples holding hands, and kids eating ice cream cones on benches along the street. I'm amazed.

"Not what you're used to, is it?" Jesse asks. 

"Not at all," I answer. "It's nothing like I expected." 

"And what exactly were you expecting?" he asks with a faint smile playing at his lips. 

"I'm not sure. I guess I wasn't expecting something so beautiful. I didn't know places like this actually existed outside of the movies."

I'm still taking in the scene as he starts to walk down a short alleyway between two shops. I move a little quicker to keep up and my eyes widen once I see where he's taken me. The waterfront. The only thing separating us and the bay are about twenty yards of beach.

I've only ever been to the beach one other time in my life and that was back in California, but that beach was nothing at all like this. Where California is all cliffs and sand, Maine is all rock and seashells. I breathe a sigh of relief when he takes a seat on a nearby bench and doesn't lead me down to the shore.

Jesse is looking out onto the Bay as I take a seat next to him. I assume he's looking at the dozens and dozens of little white sailboats bobbing in the water, but when I look at his face I can see he seems to be lost in thought. I realize he's really quite beautiful. Probably one of the most handsome boys I've ever seen. His dark hair is shaggier on top and even curls a bit on the ends, but the back and side are cropped short. His lips are full and seem to be slightly pursed. I wonder what he's thinking about. I rake my eyes down his body and can tell how buff he is for a boy our age, even through his loose t-shirt.

"Are you checking me out?" he asks, with a playful smile on his face. It's a great smile I think to myself. With perfectly straight, white teeth and a sunken in dimple on the right that makes him look sweet and boyish. 

"Yeah, you caught me," I say as I roll my eyes trying to pass it off that I was doing no such thing.

He scrunches his eyebrows making a face like he knows I'm lying and I'm slightly mortified. I'm suddenly really aware of how awkward it's just gotten. Thankfully he speaks up. 

"So, you moved here from California? What's it like there?" 

"It's nice. Me and mom lived in Pasadena which is like twenty minutes from L.A. There was always something to do," I reply, thankful for the change in conversation. 

"Oh yeah? And what exactly do you like to do?" 

"Well, I love to read books and watch movies. I run a lot to keep in shape for cheer, but I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore." 

He looks at me confused, "Why's that?" he asks. 

"Because I moved," I say like it's obvious. "I was the captain of the spirit squad at my old high school but now..." I trail off. 

"We have one of those at Camden Hills. You could always try out? My sister's on the squad." I appreciate his attempt to try and cheer me up, but I don't know if trying out for a new squad my senior year is something I'm up for. Especially after all that I've lost moving here.

"Come on," he says smiling. "If anything, it'll help you make more friends." 

"More friends?" I ask. 

"Yeah, aside from me," he says with that boyish smile I'm starting to love.