Aerials

I focused mostly on the road during the bus ride. Not want to socialize, I kept to myself and read. I didn't know anyone and wasn't really in the mood to make 'friends'. I sat in the back row keeping my book The Catcher in the Rye close to me during the ride. Being the prominent bookworm I was, yet again I was a few chapters away from finishing the book. Whenever I read, I get lost in the story, the character’s complex minds. I could devour seven hundred, eight hundred, nine hundred page books in the matter of hours.

The bus was filled with families and old Grandma and Grandpas; you know the ones that go on those cross-country trips. I had my headset on, connected to my Ipod, listening into various bands to drown out the sounds of people talking and babies crying. These sounds would break my concentration. The fewer distractions I had, the better. If I would get consumed in book I knew time would fly and the drive from Chicago to Centre Island would feel shorter than what it was. I think by now, I forgot to mention why I was going to New York.

You see, Melinda has a job where she tended to travel from time to time. She never really told me what her job was, nor did I care to ask her, but she told me she had to go to Russia for a few months. Knowing her, there was no way in hell she was leaving me here to start my senior year alone or take me with her to Russia. She told me I was going to stay with my Great Aunt. I never knew about her until Melinda mentioned her to me. My family was relatively small. My dad was an only child, and his parents were both dead before I was born. On my mom’s side, we had her sisters Melinda and Maria who was married to Jeff, her brother Greg married with two kids and my grandparents. Yeah as I said, very small, so it was kind of a surprise hearing about it.

Time wise I should have flown, but Melinda would have caused a scene at the thought of that. She had some weird theory that the second a family member would step on to a plane, they would die in a plane crash. I kept my mouth shut to avoid a fight. Then again, she was making me stay with a complete stranger. Really Melinda, what were you thinking when you planned that out? Another subject that I never understood: why my family feared so much. My family must have the the longest list of phobias I could ever imagine. It ranged from Achluophobia to Xenophobia to Mottephobia to other strange fears. Melinda had a fear of airplanes since she was little. Therefore, she would never fly. I think that’s why she was so eager to take a boat to England to get to Russia.

I had a week to pack up my two very large suitcases with all clothes and belongings I could fit in them and my backpack. Anything else that did not fit she told me she would send by mail and I would get it. But, there was no need, everything fit in to my two suitcases and my backpack. I only had to carry my pillow and blanket. When the day came for me to get on to the bus, I couldn’t even begin to tell you how happy I was. I was eager to leave Melinda’s control freak arms and awaited what would happen in New York.

It was late evening when I arrived in Centre Island, New York. The fourteen-hour drive to the small town left me exhausted, I felt like I spent two days on that bus. My Ipod battery had been drained by the time the bus arrived there. I spent the last two hours of the trip attempting to sleep though all the noise. When the bus driver announced that we finally arrived, I looked out the window to a sign that said Centre Island Bus Terminal. I felt my heart begin to beat faster I knew I was closer to meeting my Great Aunt. I was nervous as hell. What if she was like Melinda? What if she hated me? Thoughts of that sort consumed my mind. I just wanted to feel accepted by her.

It took an hour to get all my things off the bus. I spent most of that time waiting for all the passengers to get off a head of me. I had to fight my way through the crowd of people. Some of them were grabbing their belongings, while were others meeting with family, friends, wives, husbands with joy and happiness, who were eager to hear of their journey. I did not have this. I was a stranger surrounded by strangers awaiting a stranger. I felt like I didn't belong among the joyous reunions. After a half an hour or so, the crowd thinned out and I was able to get my two suitcases. I fussed with my belongings for a while to get them to stack properly to wheel out to the waiting area of the bus station. When I felt I was ready to roll my suitcase to the waiting area it took all but two steps before I felt the weight shift and my bags beginning to fall. I awaited the sound of my bag falling on to the gravel parking lot but as I turned around, I did not hear one. A boy no older than I caught my bag, just in time.

He looked up at me with a kind smile. Seconds later, when he spoke his dark eyes connected with mine. For a moment, I forgot what he said to me. I would hate to admit it but his eyes dazzled me. As stupid as it sounds he did. His eyes were not like anything I’ve seen before. A deep mesmerizing brown, so dark they were almost black. But his light brown hair that covered his forehead and eyes a bit reminded me of those ‘emo’ boys back at home. That boy seemed like he would tower over me by a good foot or so and was built sort of like a runner. I’m not gonna lie, he was very good looking. The thing that caught me off by surprise was the fact when I saw him he felt familiar but yet so different and mysterious. He looked back at me and repeated himself as if he could tell I was caught off guard by him.

“These parking lots are a pain for luggage on wheels.”

I smiled back at him. I couldn’t help but to, he was really cute. Especially the way his hair fell in front of his eyes a bit when he spoke. Oh god, I was doing it again. Say something before he thinks you are a weirdo. “It seems like it, then again it could be clumsy me. Thanks.”

He smiled and chuckled to himself at my joke as he began to help me stack my luggage back into place. “Well, I would be careful with the sidewalks, they tend to disappear. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself on vacation.”

“Actually, I’m moving in with my Great Aunt. So, I guess I’m here to stay for a while,” I explained with a smile. I must have been smiling like an idiot. Great, now he must thing i’m weird or obsessed... just what I needed.

“Oh-” He said lifting the bag back into place.

I could tell he was a bit embarrassed with mistaking me as a tourist. I think I caught a glimpse of him getting a bit pink in the face. “Don’t worry about it my Aunt told me tourism gets kind of big here around August.” I just hoped that my comment would ease his embarrassment.

He stood up and offered to help me take my bags to the outdoor waiting area, but to me it seemed like one of those you’re-new-in-town-so-I’m-doing-this-whether-you-like-it-or-not favors. So I let him and I thanked him. As we walked, he told me this town compared to Chicago was small. When we arrived to the bench he said. “Well, I have to go it was nice meeting you. I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

In seconds, he was on the other side of the parking lot. I realized I never got his name. With this disappointment, I took a seat on the bench pulling out my book to finish reading it. I couldn't help but to start thinking about him. After all, he was the first person to greet me and was actually kind to me in this new place. Even if I wanted to look for him or get to know him, I didn't have a face to put to a name and vice versa. I dwelled in these thoughts as I attempted to read. Moments later I heard someone call my name. I looked up and a woman that looked no older than thirty was standing three feet away from me.