Highway Kismet

Des Moines

I stood in my spot for a long moment, just staring at the road ahead. It was a hot day, the sun was starting to burn and as I looked further down at the road, the view looked blurry, almost as if there was water right at the end of the road, but I knew that was just an illusion created by the hot sun. My already olive skin tone was looking pretty tanned as I stood in a pair of denim shorts and a boxy t-shirt.

Mitchell left me with nothing but my cell phone, he didn't even bother to give me my sunglasses or hat or even my beloved backpack with snacks. The asshole didn't even think that I had not a cent on me either.

I couldn't believe that he actually left me stranded with nothing all alone in the middle of nowhere, I knew he was an insolent six-foot four arrogant filled douchebag, but I never saw him to be cruel.

I glanced at my phone and seen that he was gone for a whole ten minutes, I thought maybe he was just messing with me but his temper really got the better of him and he left, without even thinking how I was going to reach Des Moines.

I opened my phone and dialled up the one person I knew I could always count on, although I knew it was a slim chance they'd pick up or even if they did, I doubt they could help me considering I was on an Iowa road that was surrounded by nothing but fields.

"Hey, you've reached Faith, I'm sorry I can't take your call at the mom-" I cut the call as I cursed under my breath when the call went straight to voicemail.

I ran a hand through my hair, and I could feel my anxiety starting to kick in, I was all alone and stranded with literally no one to call for help. Sometimes it really sucked not having many people in your life.

I scrolled through my contacts, I stopped at my dad's number and contemplated if calling him was a good idea. I knew if anyone could help me it was most likely him but there was too much at stake to call him, one thing being my pride and oath to never ask him for anything and secondly, I knew he'd ask about a thousand questions and freak out if he knew about my road trip with Mitchell, let alone being stranded alone.

No, involving my father would only make my current situation messier than it already was. I wish I could've called my mom, but that was highly out of the question and that would be of no help at all. Wang was too far away, and my grandparents were both patients of hypertension and over a thousand miles away; they couldn't help even if they wanted to.

I began pacing back and forth, the dust from the ground flying around my white sneakers as I walked, ignoring the cars driving by. The slight wind blew my hair backwards and even though it cooled me off, my skin still prickled all over. I was feeling very anxious and felt like I wasn't in control of the situation and I hated that.

"Deep breaths Mila." I chanted to myself.

I took in a couple deep breaths and walked a few feet away from where I stood and when I reached, I spotted a large boulder, I sat down on that boulder and massaged my temples, trying to ease the anxiety and tension I was currently feeling.

As I sat there and clamed myself down, my mind played back a memory of the first time I ever felt helpless and lost, I was seven years old and even though I was so young, that memory still haunted me. I always wondered if that was the first time, I ever experienced anxiety.

**

I looked down at the floor tiles in the supermarket as I walked around with my mom, she held my hand and as we walked, I counted each square tile. I think I was on tile number one hundred and seventy-eight when we stopped in a toiletries aisle.

My mom left my hand and walked over to the shampoo section, I looked up and saw her holding onto her purse with one hand as her long brown, wavy hair cascaded down to her waist as she stood on her tippy toes to reach a bottle on the top shelf.