N Y L A D Y L A N S
T U E S D A Y T O W E D N E S D A Y
Anneliese lets me through the door at approximately ten in the morning. I handed everything but my wristlet that holds my insulin and things to Julian, who is placing all the bags in the back of his Suburban. He purchased the thing last year after this old one broke down and let me just say it is a very nice car.
It has eight seats, the exact amount of seats needed for us. I took a peek inside and gnawed at the amount of space that thing has.
"Is your diffuser finally working?" Anneliese asks. "Your curls have beautiful definition today."
"I brought it with me too. The humidity down there is so ruthless that I can barely air dry my hair." I answer, following her into the living room to see the other three still passed out on the couch. "When are we leaving?" I ask Anneliese again since they look like they're dreaming the morning away.
"Eleven thirty-ish. With traffic and gas stops we should make it there by eight or nine in the morning." A full day of travel is going to make me extra tired. "We won't be stopping at hotels either since there are four adults who will trade off driving. Was it like that on your way from here?"
I don't remember much from that day. I was asleep the whole time to get my mind off the fact I was moving so far away.
"It was hard for me to see the You're Leaving Presley sign." Though it was a stupid fancy sign I almost broke down crying when we crossed the line that gets us out of the city. My mind kept going back and forth between asking my dad if we could do one final drive around the city before we left for good.
I twirl the wristlet in my hand, waiting for at least one of them to get up.
When Anneliese returns beside me she spots the wristlet. "I have a bag with all of Delaney's things. I can put that in my bag so it is all in one place." I hand it off to her, grateful it is safe with the other medical supplies. Ezra and Julian are going in and out of the house and Riley is sitting next to me, keeping me company.
Julian walks back in after everything is put inside of the car and shakes his head at the sleeping children. He walks into the kitchen and waves me over. He hands me a pot and a wooden spoon. I observe the two things in my hand and he takes another wooden spoon and pot. It makes a loud bang.
I shush him but feel dumb when I realize that is the whole point of the pots and spoons.
Now Riley is the one shaking her head. Anneliese and Ezra stand in the corner to watch.
"I can't do this! This is mean!" I whisper.
"Ezra," Julian whispers. "Take the thing from her."
I gladly hand it to him and cover my ears right after. I take a few steps back, bumping my hip into the counter. I bite back a curse and then the two start banging their wooden spoons against the pans.
Delaney is the first one to sit up, but it doesn't last long when she takes a blanket and runs up the stairs into her room. We don't have any more time for sleeping, Laney.
Atlas covers his face with a pillow and Dakota sits up, looking rather annoyed. He turns to look at the dad's but he sees me and waves. He never fails to wave hello to me. Even at school or when we somehow get to our windows at the same time, he always does the small gesture.
"Aww, good morning grumpy." Julian squishes At's cheeks. It makes us laugh more than it should and gives me major flashbacks to when I was little. Atlas groans and chucks the pillow at his dad. "Are you guys seeing this? The youngest one is tired. He needs his morning sleep."
Dakota throws his head back on the couch, turns his head to the side and his eyes meet mine. When the parents go outside to check the car and bags he motions me over. With him being on the couch I have to bend down to hear what he is trying to whisper to me.
"Can you sit next to me? They can figure out who will be on the other side of you."
"So I am sitting in the middle?" Boy, I always sit by the window.
"I'll be in the back left seat in the third row near the window. You'll be comfortable, trust me."
"Mhmm, whatever you say. Get up, you smell good but fix your hair."
"Am I supposed to look presentable while on a road trip?"
"While in my presence, yes," I say mockingly. "I'll meet you outside. Good morning."
"Morning."
*****
Delaney is the last one out the door and I swear she has been asked nearly one hundred times if she locked the door.
"Can I drive?" Julian asks and I think everyone declines his offer.
"After we pass New Jersey," Ezra answers for everyone.
Everyone gets in their seats, Ezra is driving for the first part of the trip. Julian is next to him in the passenger seat. Anneliese, Riley, and At are in the row in front of us. Then, Dakota, me, and Delaney are in the back row.
Both Laney and At sat on the right end of their row to be able to talk to each other and watch the movie Atlas downloaded.
If I were to read or watch a movie on a road trip I would get so nauseous to the point I might puke. I tucked my phone into the pocket on the back of the seats in front of us, only taking it out when I need to update my parents.
We have been in the car for a few hours, finally out of New York. The next sixteen hours of this trip will be on the same three interstates as we go through nearly all of the East Coast states.
By the time it hits four in the afternoon, we get to Maryland. I updated my mom about three times to let her know all is well.
The car has a comforting silence, only the sound of the highway can be heard. I find it oddly soothing that I fall asleep. When I wake up it is seven pm and Dakota's arm is wrapped around my upper body. He is sleeping soundly, his pillow making it look like he is sleeping on a cloud.
Julian is behind the wheel ever since we made a stop in Virginia. This part of the trip is easy. There are no weird turns to take. All we have to do is go straight.
Dakota's head lifts and his eyes flutter open. He adjusts the pillow so it is behind his back. His hold does not loosen on me, it only makes me move closer. I hold his hand in mine and run my finger over the ring on his finger.
It caught my eye ever since the football game. Also known as the day he figured out I had diabetes.
Silver jewelry has to look the best on this boy. Every detail of his ring is gorgeous. The butterflies, number nineteen, the date, when I say everything, I mean everything.
Dakota fixes the blanket, pulling it higher on us. We are laying low enough that we can't be seen over the row in front of us. The sun is setting, it will get dark soon enough, there is nothing to suspect.
Delaney on the other hand is passed out, her face is squished against her pillow and she is curled to her side like a ball. She has a bunch of room to move, but hey, whatever makes her comfortable.
We can't talk loudly or else it will be clear we are up and awake.
The only source of light is a tiny yellow square that is right on our side. Giving us the perfect amount of light to see each other.
"Did you sleep well?" He whispers so quietly that his lips graze my ear. I nod, closing my eyes. He lightly laughs when I place my head on his chest. Dakota covers us with another blanket when the automatic air conditioning begins again.
The necklace around my neck is unclasped and a cold metal touches my neck. Dakota clasps the necklace close and kisses the top of my head. I take the bracelet I wear on my left wrist and slide it, tightening it onto his wrist. "An exchangement of jewelry for you D."
He looks at the bracelet then at my necklace. "My mom did this for my dad but I did it for you. The roles are only reversed."
"Does your dad still have your mom's ring?"
Dakota nods and tells me his dad never takes it off. I feel like everyone has a staple piece of jewelry that they always have on their person. "They also have these bracelets in a very safe jewelry box so no one touches them."
I heard about those bracelets. In fact, Reids lit makes them to this day.
"Night Nyla, see you when I wake up."
*****
The bright sun shining through the car windows wakes me up from my fourth nap at around 7:50 in the morning.
Everyone was a group of grumpy people when we had to make a stop in Alabama. Three in the morning and country people do not mix. They're so happy and bright, it brings everything I remember right back to me.
I hear small talk from the parents in the front and At and Delaney are still passed out.
My sleep on this road trip has been going by in three-hour increments. I wake up, drink some water, watch the road lights, then fall back asleep doing so. Dakota let me trade seats with him at about three in the morning.
He took the middle seat willingly since he told me he won't be sleeping anymore.
When I turn my head to the right I see his forehead leaning against the seat in front of us, but he isn't asleep. He is tired but awake.
I fold the blanket that is draped over me and put it behind me on top of the bags. I take my phone out to check my blood sugar. As I do I lean back against the seat and notice a whole bunch of text messages from our group chat but all of them are from Delaney and At.
A: Can you sleep? Cause I can't
D2: Nope, the road is too bumpy
A: Ehhh we are in the south. Do you think they repair their roads??
D2: Obviously not. We have been in fucking Alabama for hours. I want to get out here.
D2: Ask ur dad or whoever is awake to turn this air cognition off. It is freezing back here
A: Okay, I will
A: I am going to sleep now. Yeehaw y'all
D2: Oh shut up. Good night Attyyyyy
A: Nope. Never ever call me Atty
D2: You never seemed to complain.
The messages finish off there.
I small yawn escapes me. Dakota's forehead is still leaning against the seat but he turns a bit to his right. He points to himself them puts up the number two. Me too, he is what he is trying to tell me without making noise.
Shaking his head, he lifts his head and leans back against the seat. "Are we there yet?"
"Three hours left." His dad responds.
"I am hungry," Delaney complains, half asleep. "I want a sandwich."
That sparks an idea. "When we get to Florida there is a grocery store called Publix. There is a deli that makes sandwiches of all kinds. We can go there if you don't mind."
"I've been to Publix once." Julian comments. "There cookies are to die for."
"Especially the sugar cookies with rainbow sprinkles. Those are the best."
Delaney groans, covering herself with her blanket. "Stop talking about food. That is making me even more hungry."
Atlas speaks up. "Anyways... what is everyone's favorite cookie?"
"Ugh stop it!"
*****
I am not the best at directions but I would say we are about twenty minutes away from the rental house.
Let me just say, the Publix trip did not disappoint anyone. Unlike earlier this morning, everyone is fully energized and the car is a talking mess. Conversations are going from the topic of getting thrown into a cold pool to making fun of frat boys... yes this was all Delaney talked about.
I know exactly where we are driving past. "That right there is where I went to school." I point to the right at the large tan bricked building. When I say everyone's head turned to me, I mean it.
"She said fancy and went with it," Atlas says. "Nyla, are the people full of themselves."
"I guess so?"
He nods slowly. "Cool, us New Yorkers should meet them. More like purposely bump into them but you know what I mean."
"That school is practically outdoors!" Delaney turns as we drive past it. "Dad, can we please turn back? I want to meet these rich kids!"
They aren't on Thanksgiving break and I know exactly when school releases them.
Looks like we are going to be taking a walk over to my old high school later this afternoon.
My one big concern is my former classmates acknowledging me. Oh and ogling my friends. These kids go crazy when someone new comes into town. The new kid will be the only thing talked about. But only if you are good-looking and catch everyone's eye. It is brutal to put it that way but it is true. They won't pay attention otherwise.
"I will bring you guys there. It will be fun to see the North meet the South." I say.
The school doesn't catch Dakota's attention but do you know what does? The houses. On this side of the city, we have the big houses with gates in front of them. In about two more minutes we are going to pass where I used to live.
I will admit, the houses are on the larger side. I don't want to come off as this braggy bitch but my parents really wanted a large house here. They thought we would stay forever, well I guess we know how well that worked out.
My neighborhood is half for sale and rent. The houses that people permanently live in are on the southern end of the neighborhood. The vacation renting is right by the entrance of the neighborhood.
I made a few friends with the vacationers but it sucked when they left because I never see them again.
Ezra turns his blinker on and turns into the neighborhood our rental is in. My eyes widen when the entrance looks way too familiar. Almost as if this is the entrance I have gone through for the past five years.
"I used to live here," I comment right off the bat.
Anneliese nods. "That's why we chose this house."
"Can I go see my old house?" I ask her as Ezra pulls into the driveway of the rental.
"You can, but be quick. We have a lot of bags to unpack."
a/n:
This chapter low key sucks but let the trip begin...
Have a good day and see ya at the end of chapter 27!
Don't forget to vote!
<3 Mina