Innocent

" welcome to the big city "

Savannah

The palms of my hands became sweaty as the plane finally landed. I grabbed my book bag and slung it over my shoulders, exiting the plane. Of course, the airport was crowded with people. I watched families reunite and couples eagerly hugging one another. It made me sick to my stomach honestly. Any relationship I saw now just ruined my insides. I patiently waited for my suitcases to pop up, watching others grab theirs. Finally, my two large blue suitcases appeared. I grabbed them both and headed for the large glass doors. It was warm, but a cool breeze was flowing by. I looked around, waiting for this Travis guy Regina mentioned. After about 30 minutes, a black Mustang pulled up by the doors. The windows were tinted so I couldn't see who was inside.

A man stepped out, smooth brown skin, and had long dreads. His arms were covered in tattoos, and he wore a simple white t-shirt and sweatpants. He approached me and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"You Savannah?" His deep, warm voice spoke up.

"Yeah.. Travis right?"

"Yeah. Come on.."

At that he turned back around and got back into his car. The trunk popped open and I placed my things inside. I settled into the warmth of his seats and sat back. We drove around for almost an hour. He didn't speak much, not until he showed me what the different places were and how to get to them. I don't know why I was expecting him to start a full conversation with me. He didn't know me and I didn't know him. He was just doing what Regina had asked him to. Finally, we pulled up to a tall brick building. I'm guessing this was the apartment Regina was talking about.

Travis got out the car first and went to the trunk. He grabbed my suitcases and I followed him into the building. We rode the elevator up to the 6th floor and it was extremely awkward. I would glance over at him, and he would already be looking at me. It was weird. He fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. We walked inside and I was amazed. I was expecting some small, little apartment, but this was huge, and gorgeous. I couldn't believe she had allowed me to stay here. I walked around the apartment in awe, running my fingertips over the marble counter tops. Travis sat my things down and stood by the door.

"Like it?" A small smile flashed across his face.

"Love it." I beamed. "It's beautiful. The way these wood floors shine, the view from the kitchen, it's just everything. I can't believe Regina didn't want to stay here."

"Well, the fridge is all stocked up already." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Regina hounded me until I actually came over and made sure everything was good for you."

"Thank you." I smiled at him. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem." He shrugged. "Say, why'd you come down here anyway if you don't mind me asking?"

The smile on my face quickly went away. I sat down on the sofa Indian style and put my head in my hands. Travis sat down across from me, leaning back against the couch.

"My dad threw me out because he found out I was pregnant." I brushed a stray tear away from my cheek with my sleeve. "Regina knew I had nowhere else to go so, she made it possible for me to come down here. Im really grateful to be given this opportunity because I really needed some type of break."

"Damn.." He mumbled. "My bad, I ain't mean to make you start crying or nothing. You ain't even have to tell me that if you didn't want to."

"No, no it's fine." I reassured him. "I'm just super emotional right now."

"Well.. I know you probably worn out from the plane ride, you should go get you some rest or something."

He was right. My body was tired from the ride and I didn't sleep much on the way here. I thanked him one more time before going up the steps and to the bedroom. The bed covering was purple and black, and absolutely felt like heaven. I bundled up under the covers and turned on my side. I watched cars in traffic drive down the street from the large window on the left side of the bed. The grey sky was so calming and the sound of cars honking, was somewhat relieving. Relieving because I was away from all the drama Zoey and my dad brought. I was on my own in this beautiful apartment, living well for someone who was about to be a single 17 year old mother. I wasn't worrying about how my child and I were going to eat on a day to day basis. Being here in NY, I knew I had so many opportunities to provide for myself.