Dustland Fairytale

The wind blows dust over Haley and I was we sit together on the front porch steps. In the middle of the dirt road a few birds hop around, pecking at the ground in hopes of finding some food. I sigh, tilting my head up to look at the clear blue sky, the rain never came and now the heat is back with vengeance.

“Where’s Braden?” Haley asks for the millionth time.

I groan, “I don’t know.”

“But you guys went on a date.” She states like that should solve anything.

“That doesn’t matter.” I say tiredly.

“I miss him.” Haley says quietly as she plays with her fingers.

“I miss him too.” I reply.

I haven’t seen Braden since our pizza dinner and, that was two days ago. Tomorrow Haley and I leave to go back home. The idea of leaving without saying goodbye to Braden is unthinkable.

Haley leans her head against my shoulder and I rest my head on top of hers gently. “I don’t want to go back home.” Haley says softly, and I can feel her tears, wet against my bare skin.

“Everything will be okay.” I tell her, while trying to convince myself the same thing.



“Girls, your bus leaves in an hour.”

My neck hurts as I lift my head off the armrest of the couch. Last night Haley and I stayed up late watching old movies. Haley had fallen asleep sprawled across me and I was too exhausted to move her so, I had settled for sleeping on the couch next to her.

“Haley,” I whisper quietly and gently shake her shoulder, “we have to get up.”

Slowly she lifts her head off my stomach and glances around the room as if she has forgotten where she is. “Oh… Do we have to leave?”

My eyes glance over to our suitcases sitting by the front door then back to my sister’s face. “Yeah we need to get going.”

After breakfast I grab our suitcases and follow our grandma down the porch steps. As I place our bags into the back of the car, my eyes search the road for him. Closing the trunk I realize that Braden isn’t coming.

I realize that I’m leaving him without a goodbye. Every word we had ever shared replays in my mind as tears brim behind my eyes. I remember him whispering that he loved me into my ear and how the goosebumps rose across my skin.

“Emma, honey, we need to get going before we miss the bus.” My grandma calls from inside the car.

Hastily wiping my eyes, I attempt to pull myself together before sliding into the passenger seat. The whole ride I watch the road behind us from the side mirror. A few times Haley’s eyes meet mine and I give her a small smile so she doesn’t see how upset I am. I’m shaken out of my thoughts when the car begins bouncing across the gravel parking lot.

Once we are all out of the car I notice my grandma is crying, “I’m going to miss you both, I hope you know you always have a place to stay here.”

Haley smiles as she hugs grandma’s waist, “Don’t cry grandma.”

She nods before wrapping her arms around me. “I’m sorry about Braden. I know he would have wanted to be here.”

I nod, and wipe my eyes again before pulling away.

The sound of our feet crunching across the gravel reminds me of the very first day we arrived. How a certain boy gave us a ride down unfamiliar roads to a house I had not visited in years.

I don’t even realize when the driver takes our bags and places them with the others under the bus. Haley takes my hand and leads me towards the doors. I take one more desperate glance around the parking lot before stepping up into the bus, quietly hoping to see a familiar red truck and the boy who had stolen my heart in a matter of weeks.

I begin to cry as I come to the terms with the fact that Braden is not coming. How can I be sure he will keep his promise if he never even came to say goodbye?