ONE.
-wildflower-
The driver looked at the young woman stepping into his bus, looking nervous, constantly turning around as to make sure she wasn't followed. She was a runner, he thought. Barely eighteen, he was fairly certain, and a ravishing beauty. Long red locks, most of it hidden beneath a navy UPenn hoodie, and emerald green eyes with long lashes covered in the blackest of mascaras. She had fair skin and the most beautiful hands. She had nothing but a Nike sports bag on her shoulder, wearing skinny jeans and a pair of boots. He could see she left in a hurry.
"Going to Cedar Grove, are ya?" he asked with a thick Southern accent.
"That's the plan," she answered with a small smile, handing him her ticket.
Truth was, she bought the first trip out of here. She hoped she'd never set foot in Philadelphia ever again. She didn't mind ending up in the middle of nowhere, knowing it could never be worse than this God forsaken place. Away from her mother, her awful fiancé and the horrid life she has been forced into. She hopped in to see that only three other people were going to Cedar Grove, Tennessee. Good, the lesser the better. She knew that within the next two hours, her mother would have sent the police after her and that her face would be on national television. She sat in the middle of the bus, chose a window seat, and plugged her earphones in, the latest Coldplay album blasting in her ears. She closed her eyes and finally relaxed in her seat. In thirteen hours, she would be in Tennessee, away from this life she hoped would remain part of her past.
The next morning, she woke up and realized they had just entered the state. She stretched, hearing her bones crack loudly. She checked her bag to make sure the money was still there. It was. She had emptied her bank account, knowing paying cash was better when you were on the run. She would have to sleep somewhere, maybe rent a room or something. She had enough money to survive six months without a job. She was certain she would find one easily though so she wasn't worried. She had ditched her phone in a trash can at the station so nobody could trace her, had deleted every social media account she had and left her engagement ring on her dresser to let her mother know that it was over. She was done. It was either running away or suicide. To be quite honest, she had thought about it for a long time, finally realizing that it wasn't life she didn't love, it was this life. Life was a gift, not something to throw away first chance you get.
It was quarter past noon when she walked out of the bus, setting foot in Cedar Grove, Tennessee.
"Miss?" she heard the driver call after her.
"Yes?" she asked, turning around to look at him.
"No need to worry, I ain't gonna tell anybody I drove ya here."
"Why, thank you Sir, I much appreciate it," she replied gratefully.
"Ya take care of yourself then!"
"I will."
He gave her a small nod and drove away, leaving her standing all alone in the sandy parking lot of a gas station, her bag on her shoulder. She looked around, there wasn't anything else in view for miles except tobacco fields. It literally looked like in the movies. Where to go now? She walked inside and saw a man in his sixties behind the counter.
"Hello there," he said, his accent even thicker than the bus driver's. "What can I do for ya?"
"It's my first time here," she admitted with a shy smile. "I was wondering where I could rent a room?"
"I thought ya was new 'cause I'd remember seeing a pretty face like that if I did."
She tried not to blush but her face went bright red anyway. A small laugh escaped her lips.
"What's your name?" the man asked.
"Lily," she lied. "Lily Thomas."
"Well, Miss Thomas, best place in this part of the country would be the Browns'"
"Got it. Could you write their address down for me, please? I would be most grateful."
"With such beautiful words like that, I cannot say no."
He scribbled it down on a napkin and gave it to her. She took it and looked up at the man again.
"How far from here is it?"
"'Bout three miles I'd say," he replied.
"Three miles?!" she exclaimed. "Sorry," she apologized when she saw the man's face. "It's just... I'm on foot, you see? Maybe I could use your phone and call for a cab?"
"Darlin', this ain't New York. There's no cabs here."
She turned to the door and looked outside. At least it wasn't raining or anything. She could walk, she guessed. It was only midday after all. What could happen, right?
"Or y'all could wait for the Dawson boy. Stops here every day for a Coca-Cola around 2. He works at the Browns', maybe he could give ya a ride in his truck."
"Okay, er, well I guess I'll wait for him outside then. Thank you ever so much," she said.
"Ain't you hungry, woman? My wife makes a mean sandwich," he said, pointing to the other side of the place where a small diner was set. "Coffee's good too."
"I wouldn't want to miss that," she replied with a smile before walking to the diner side.
After eating what was in fact a damn good sandwich, she walked outside and sat on the side of the building where she would be protected from the hot rays of the sun. She took out a book and tried reading but she found herself always looking up for that truck with the Dawson boy. She was taking a sip of the iced coffee she got earlier when the old blue pickup truck stopped in the parking lot. She decided on waiting for him to get his soda before going up to him and ask him for a ride. They were strangers and weirdly, she didn't want to start on the wrong foot with local folks. Who knew how long she would stay here?
The young man was about nineteen or twenty years old from what she saw, not very much older than she was in fact. He was wearing a white t-shirt, tight on his muscled arms, tucked into an old pair of dirty jeans. His blondish hair was pushed back under a cowboy hat. He caught sight of her and nodded at her, a boyish grin on his face. She blushed but managed to smile back. She looked down at herself and muttered "oh my god" when she saw what she was wearing. She tried to make her hair presentable but it was useless. That frizzy red thing on her head was stubborn.
"Hey!" the young man said, casting his shade over her.
"Hey!" she replied, quickly getting on her feet. "I take it you're the Dawson boy?"
"That's me," he said with a chuckle, a faint accent coming with it. "I'm the Dawson boy. You can call me Jack, though."
"Jack," she repeated as if to get better acquainted. "The man inside told me you could maybe drive me to the Browns', I'd like to rent a room there."
"Yeah, sure, no problem. Hop in. Wait, let me take that," he told her as he took her bag from her and put it in the back of his truck.
He opened the door for her and she tried climbing inside without looking too ridiculous. He didn't seem to notice her awkwardness. He made sure she was comfortable and climbed behind the wheel. He put his Coca-Cola in the cup holder and offered the other one if she wanted to use it for her iced coffee, which she did. He started the engine and country music started playing on the radio and he hummed along.
"How long do you plan on staying around here, Miss Thomas?" Jack asked.
"I don't know yet, it might all depends," she replied.
"Of what?" he demanded, amused and she shrugged playfully. "I'm leaving in September."
"What for?"
"Because that's me, I'm constantly moving. Never stays more than a season in one place."
"That sounds really romantic, somehow."
"You think so?" he asked and she nodded. "Say, what are you doing tonight?"
"Nothing? What else is there to do around here?"
"Plenty, believe me. I can show you if you want," he suggested with a grin.
"Alright then," she laughed.
When they stopped in front of a cute little house, she looked around in wonder. She was standing on a farm, nothing she had ever seen in real life before. There was a barn, a huge field, some cows here and there, a henhouse as well as a couple of goats. A Border Collie ran their way, barking like crazy, to finally jump on Jack happily, seeking for his hands and face with its nose. Jack walked her inside and introduced her to Mrs. Brown who wished to be called Molly. She showed her the rooms upstairs and as they were all empty for now, she could choose the one she liked better. She picked the one with the window showing the barn. She could see the horses in their paddock and it looked beautiful from up here.
"I'll pick you up tonight at nine?" Jack asked.
"Sounds good. What should I wear?"
"Casual will be fine, no need for fancy clothes around here."
"I'll see you tonight then," she said with a smile that he returned.
Maybe Cedar Grove wouldn't be so bad after all. At least until September comes.
R&R please :)
This will be a multi-chapter fiction. Hope you will like it!