Find You There (Fanfic Version)

Two

I watch the same old busy streets and crowded sceneries of the city from the car window, thinking about how this school year would go.

Last year was an absolute disaster, here I am swearing to myself that I'd like to make a change about it. Rules, stay out of trouble and the spotlight –which, apparently, I'm always in.

Music in my ears and images in my mind, I memorize the familiar pictures of the buildings and establishments and how they are different from what they were before.

It's both a gift and a curse to remember everything.

That cafe used to be coloured brown and now had been renovated to look like an old red bricked house. That building was under construction, only ten floors high, now about sixty two or three. That street around the corner had a sewer problem.

I blink and lick my lips, if only my parents allowed me to travel, this wouldn't be the scene I'd see everyday. That's all I want to do, get out of highschool and travel. I want to save every image of the world to see inside my head but they can't give me that, apparently.

And my phone rings. I slide my finger across the screen.

"Hey mom," I greet, they're both in Venice, Italy right now and I've never been more jealous about their travels. Of course, they don't go on vacations, but rather businesses, still, Italy is a nice place to go to. I've only been there once three years ago, in Rome but apparently, that was the end of it.

"Hello Taylor, your father and I just want to wish you a better school year. We're sorry we're not always there," Mom says and I don't need to hear that. I've heard that before. . . last year, two years ago, three years ago, four years ago, still the same horrid cycle.

"Thanks mom," I reply. "You and dad have a nice trip, okay?"

"Okay, you stay safe, hon. Bye," she says and then the call ends.

I sigh, seventeen years of this and you just tend to get used to it. I didn't have my parents tuck me in, say goodnight, read me bedtime stories and tell me they love me every moment they can, my nanny did that. . . but, I hold no grudge. Maybe I get disappointed sometimes but I don't hold anything else.

"Love you," I whisper and lean my head back, letting the same old familiar guitar riffs of a country song fill my ears.

I look back on the scenes outside, remembering how, based on Robbie's –our family driver's– speed, it usually takes an average of six minutes to get to school from here. The countdown in my head starts.

Until we get there.

"Have a nice day, Miss Swift," Robbie says with a smile as he usually does when he takes me to school. He's already forty-three, will turn forty-four this November, and had been in our family for quite a while now. He's friendly, familiar face that I've always appreciated seeing everyday, and he is actually a good friend of dad's.

I nod, "Thanks Robbie, I'll see you later." I make my way out of the same gray car.

I purse my lips as I saw the giant letters in silver up on the wall above the glass windows, "Dominicque International Highschool."

Crowds of students wearing our school uniforms of maroon blazers, short skirts, slacks, white polos and blouses inside and black ties.

Same old students. . .

Someone called again so I slide my finger across the screen without even looking at it because, muscle memory on my phone.

"Who is this?" I ask.

"Taylor!" Micha shrieks. I can easily tell it is her.

Truth is, I have mostly about three female best friends in this entire school. Number one, Michaella, the one with the complete package.