Roxy took one final look around her now empty house, making sure she didn't over look any small detail. It had been two weeks ago today that she decided she needed a change of scenery. The stresses of this busy town was more than she needed right now. She needed somewhere calm and quiet. Somewhere she could actually get her work done without being constantly interrupted.
Packing the house took longer than she had initially expected. Partially because all her friends had some excuse as to why they couldn't help her. It wasn't easy for her 120 pound self to lift furniture and the boxes containing her heavier of things, but she managed to get all her belongings packed away into the back of the U-Haul truck she was paying way too much to use. Her Land Rover would only hold maybe three of the boxes she had.
Roxy sighed as she climbed into the drivers seat of the truck and started the ignition. The GPS was already programmed to her destination. Tashmore Lake.
She never thought the day would come that she would actually want to trade the party life for the quiet, desolate town that is Tashmore Lake. The only time she ever went there was to visit her Grandparents who had a little cabin down by the lake. Growing up she always spent her summers with her Grandparents. Her parents were never as close to her as her as they were.
Maxwell and Sarah Winters, her parents, paid little to no attention to her. They pawned her off to anyone that would deal with her so they could go to lavish parties and events to further boost their already high egos. They cared only about their own weath and happiness and never seemed like they wanted a daughter.
Two hours and a Red Bull later, Roxy reached her destination. As she pulled onto the dirt path she quickly recognized the cabin that she loved so much.
Roxy turned off the ignition and climbed out of the truck. Her legs felt like Jell-O as she attempted to walk to the porch. The screened-in porch door still squeaked as she opened it. It was small things like this that brought her comfort. This is her safe haven. This is home.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key. She was nervous and excited about going inside.
Nervous because she had never been in this cabin without her Grandparents and didn't know how she'd end up feeling about that.
Excited because this was her house now. It was the only place she'd ever felt safe and secure and now she could be here 24/7 if she pleased.
Roxy pushed the door open and felt a flood of emotions overcome her. Everything was how they left it. All their belongings still there, like they just went to the store and would be back. Oh, how she wished that were the case, but deep down she knew that is wasn't.
She walked over to the small table beside the couch and picked up the small picture frame. It was the picture that her Grandfather took of her and her Grandmother during one of their weekly picnics by the lake.
A tear slid down Roxy's face as she thought back to all the amazing times she had at this cabin.
"I miss you guys.."
A week had passed since Roxy moved into the cabin. She had spent most of her time unpacking and arranging her belongings to her liking. After a lot of consideration she had decided to keep her Grandparents living room furniture and sell her own. She needed something to stay the same with all this change in her life.
Roxy looked around her new home and smiled with satisfaction.
"Maybe this won't be so bad after all."
Just as she was about to take a much needed shower, her cell phone began to ring.
Roxy ran over to the kitchen table and read the name on the screen.
Ugh.. Mom already.
"Hey Mom" Roxy said, trying to hide the fact that she hates talking to her.
"Don't you 'Hey Mom' me, Roxanne! Why didn't you tell me or your father that you were moving?" She yelled into the receiver with that annoying voice of hers.
Roxy rolled her eyes. She was in no mood for this conversation right now.
"I'm sorry, I just needed some time to be by myself."
"I don't understand why anyone would want to be in that God awful cabin. It only has one bathroom and it smells like the woods. You could afford so much better, Roxanne."
She was the only one, besides her Grandparents, who could be in this cabin and appreciate it. Her parents hated anything that wasn't their mansion of a house or a four star hotel.
"Mom, I'm not going to argue with you right now. I'm busy and need to find something for dinner. I love you. Good-bye."
Roxanne hung up before her Mother could retaliate.
Looking at the time she realized that she really should find something to eat. She had ran out of things in the house yesterday.
The weather was perfect to walk in, so Roxy walked to the small grocery store and not drive.
"Good evening, Miss." The man behind the counter smiled.
Roxy smiled back as she walked past him and began scanning the aisles for anything she could cook with minimal effort.
She ended up with a few bags of Doritos, Mountain Dew, a loaf of bread, and a pound of lunch meat. She really hated cooking.
The man behind the counter, whose name tag indicated his name was Mark, began ringing up her items.
"I haven't seen you in here before, you new?"
Roxy nodded, "Yep. Just moved in a week ago."
"Ah, well I'm sure you'll love it here. Your total is $12.56." Mark said, still smiling like crazy.
She handed him the money and started on her journey back to her cabin.
"He was.. odd.." Roxy said to herself, thinking about Mark.
As she approached her cabin, she noticed a cute dog laying on her porch.
"Aw, look at you. You're too cute." Roxy said, setting down her groceries to pet the dog.
"Lets see if you have a collar."
He did. His name was Chico and he belonged to the nearest cabin to hers. It was five minutes away and she didn't mind walking him back home.
"Wait right here, Chico. I need to put these inside and then I'll take you home." Roxy said, picking up the groceries and unlocking the door.
She set them on the kitchen table and walked back outside, locking the door after her.
"Lets go."
Roxy and Chico walked side by side the whole way back to Chico's cabin. It was identical to hers except this one had more land and a small tool shed.
She walked up the porch stairs and knocked on the door. She could hear some mumbling from the other side before the front door flew open.
A man with messy shoulder length brown hair, thick black glasses, wearing a bathrobe answered the door.
"Whatever you're here for, the answer is no." He said, shutting the door.
Well that was fucking rude.
"Hey! I'm here to bring you your dog back." She yelled through the door.
The man opened the door. He looked down and then back to her.
"He usually doesn't leave the yard. Chico go lay down."
The dog finally left her side and shuffled his way into the cabin.
Awesome, the closest neighbor to me is an asshole.
"Is there something else you wanted? I'm busy and need to get back to work." He said with an annoyed look on his face.
What the fuck is this guy's problem? I bring his dog back and he treats me like this?
"No." And with that Roxanne turned around and started walking back home.
That's the last time I do anything nice for that man.
Mort watched the woman leave his porch and walk back down the road.
Why the fuck did I do that?
She was good-looking. Sexy.
No, no she wasn't Mort, you're just saying that because she's the first girl you've seen in months.
She really was sexy though.. that face.. her body..
Snap out of it, Morty!
Why was I such an asshole? She brought my dog home.
You're an asshole to everyone. It's nothing new.
I wasn't always an asshole. I used to be nice and fun.
Now look at you, You sit here in your bathrobe all day and talk to no one but your dog.
Mort wanted this train of thought to stop. He had changed drastically since the shit with Amy happened and he hated it. Hated himself.
He looked over at the sleeping dog on the couch.
"This is your fault you know."
Mort walked up the stairs and attempted to continue with the chapter he had written.
However; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about her.