Never Mine

Numb - Chapter one

    Picking up a black backpack from overhead carry on, Taylor pulled it over her shoulders and rushed with the crowd out of the plane. Mind foggy from exhaustion, she made her way to baggage claim. After waiting about twenty minutes for her suitcase to emerge, she grabbed it quickly, cursing the airport's slowness, and headed for the Arrivals curb. 

    Taylor sat there for a little while, thoughts of home forced from her mind in effort to not look upset in public. Eventually a faded red mustang pulled over, and she recognized the charming smile of her Aunt Marie through the rolled down window. She opened the door and set her backpack down, and set her other bags in the open back seat. Taylor nodded along to her Aunts ramblings moving between how big she had gotten and how much she hoped she would enjoy her time in Maven, the town Taylor was to spend the rest of her summer... and possibly longer.

    I suppose I should explain that. The amount of time she was supposed to stay in the Oregon town was undisclosed. Her parents didn't know how long they would have to be busy with their traveling work, but staying with her Aunt was better than being constantly alone in their empty house back in Virginia. Taylor answered all of Marie's questions politely enough, but quickly disengaged, staring out the window before quickly turning back.

    "Oh Taylor, I'm sure you'll love Maven high! the campus is very pretty and– oh wait. I'm probably talking your ear off, I'm sorry dear..." Aunt Marie chuckled, "I'll say only one more thing! The neighbor's daughter is your age- and so sweet- she's offered to drive you to school with her, that's it! I'm done."

    "Thank you, but I like your ramblings," Taylor grinned, her jaw somewhat tense, "and It would be nice to have a friend to ride to school with."

    "Aww, sweetheart- I appreciate that." Marie smiled, brilliant white teeth shining in the evening light.

    Taylor chatted politely with Aunt Marie for the rest of the drive until they pulled into the driveway of a delightful two-story house made of stone, moss and greenery weaving its way along walls and around windows. Taylor, although having lived in many houses, couldn't help being mesmerized by its beauty. Before reaching the steps to the porch, a bark was heard coming from around the house, and a slightly dirty golden retriever trotted towards her, tail wagging and eyes bright.

    "This is Apollo," Marie sang, "my sweet little man! I originally got him for protection, but clearly that hasn't worked out."

    Taylor greeted the joyful dog with a pat and a compliment to his soft fur. Then the party headed inside the house. The inside was mostly made of wood, there were things everywhere, knit blankets available in every room, and it was completely and utterly the opposite of home. As much as Taylor liked the place, her stomach twisted inside of her, and her limbs felt heavy. Marie just smiled and led Taylor to her new room, then left to start supper.

    Looking out the window, Taylor took in the pretty sunset against the mountains surrounding Maven. She turned and sighed, starting the familiar process of unpacking. Among her things were pictures of her family when she was younger, all smiling in a row with these same mountains in the background. They used to live here, until she turned five and they moved across the country for her parents work- which inevitably turned to more and more travel the older she got. That's not to say her parents didn't love her, or that she particularly resented them, but rather that they took work a little more seriously than parenting. 

     After finishing, she laid on the bed, her fists tightening as her feelings of frustration and confusion flowed through her, and she cried, not long, but until she didn't feel so defeated and alone. Then she drug herself to the bathroom to wash her face, blow her nose, and change into fresh, comfy clothes. Smiling at herself in the mirror, mouth twitching slightly, before heading downstairs to her Aunt Marie, who was now sitting at the dining table with a plate of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

    "Sorry I didn't wait for you, dear, I didn't want to nag you with dinner when you probably needed some time with yourself." Marie smiled with slightly creased eyebrows, then added "Foods in the kitchen, help yourself to whatever you want to drink- I recommend the cranberry juice."

    "It looks great, thank you for cooking." Taylor smiled, now heading towards the kitchen, once there, her shoulders dropped and she hummed to herself as she found a plate and added generous portions to it. Grabbing an Arizona tea from the fridge, she headed back into the dining room to find Marie finished with her plate. Marie disappeared into the kitchen before heading to her bedroom, with a soft 'Night, dear'. Taylor said grace and ate her food quickly, placed her plate in the half full dish washer, and headed upstairs to her own room. Cracking open one of her favorite novels as he laid in her new bed.

    The next day came quickly, and so did the following days, meeting people who had supposedly known her when she was little, exploring the parts of town within walking distance, and sometimes walking a little into the forest behind the house to read beside the stream. However, school was now fast approaching. With no word from her parents about leaving soon, Taylor was preparing to enter into the new atmosphere with confidence, as the neighbor's daughter Marie had mentioned turned out to be exactly as she was described, and Taylor hung out with her most days.

HIIII!!!! I'm new to writing on wattpad so any advice (and compassion for my errors!) would be very appreciated!! Settle in guys, because this is going to be a slow burn! Our love interest hasn't even been introduced yet! but I hope I've got you all excited!