In the Book of Me and You

Arizona wasn’t really my home, the blistering heat of Phoenix and the sunlight may have been part of my birth and childhood, but at age eight I’d left and lived in Virginia instead. Now though, my junior year, I was returning to the place I was born with little excitement about my new surroundings. So, while I was being driven to my cousin’s house by a redheaded boy who was chatting enthusiastically about zombies and Ryan Adams, I just stayed silent. The drive from the airport to my cousin’s house passed peacefully this way and when it was finally done and I was pulling my bags out to go inside I finally spoke for the first time when he asked me my name.

“Williams, um, Andy,” I said awkwardly, trying to get used to saying my name. However, though it sounded awkward to me, he just said smiled and said his name was Garrett and I nodded, dragging two large suitcases inside without looking back. I didn’t even to thank to guy that made the half hour long round trip to transport me from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to my cousin’s house in Scottsdale in the evening on a Saturday. It was late enough that the sunset was cloaking everything in a diffused orange light that made it look like the world had caught aflame.

In the glow of the sunset, I walked inside to a warm welcome from my aunt and my cousin. While my aunt had packages and was eagerly grabbing for my bags, my cousin was standing more composed and silent. That is, silent until her mother’s fluttering about got to her and she held a hand out to stop her mom.

“Mom, relax, Andy just got here and I think you’re being a little overwhelming with the whole fretting thing. I’ll help take her stuff upstairs and she can carry the presents that you got her,” Dakota said calmingly and her mom just gave a little apologetic nod before walking away.

“DJ it’s alright I know how it is, it’s probably just strange for her, I mean you and I have talked over email but I haven’t talked to my own aunt in eight years,” I murmured, feeling bad about intruding after so long. It was hard enough for my aunt to have me around considering the memories it brought up about her sister, my mother.

“Yeah but it’s not your fault. Also, you were living your life in Virginia Beach with your Aunt Lynne, we understood.” Dakota said, always knowing what to say to make me feel better.

“I would’ve stayed with Aunt Lynne but her and Uncle Rob had a baby and I wanted them to be able to focus all their attention on it. I think the reason it worked so well for as long as it did was that they didn’t have a child even though they’d always wanted one. I was like a surrogate child for them after my parents passed. That and I wanted to spend time with you actually in person rather than just over the internet,” I said, smiling and began to lug my crap up the stairs.

“So why’d you choose Andrea? I mean I like it and I’m a fan of the fact that I can use the nickname Andy or AJ for you but…” Dakota asked and I gave her a look that told her we shouldn’t really mention it again.

“Who was the guy who brought me here, he was nice, but I don’t recognize him,” I asked, realizing that while I knew the redhead’s name, I had no idea what his relation to my aunt and cousin was.

“That’s Garret, he’s a friend of mine who’s a sophomore like me. He’s got friends but none of them are juniors so you’re kind of on your own with finding friends in the same grade as you, but I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Dakota said as we finished bringing my stuff upstairs. I was silently grateful she hadn’t made some sort of joke about the weight of my bags, after all it was pretty much all my possessions squished into two suitcases, it was bound to be heavy. And honestly what I’d brought wasn’t really enough, I really needed some more summer clothes because the ones I had were for Virginia Beach which didn’t get as hot in the summer.

Though school started two weeks ago for my cousin, I was planned as a late fall transfer and would start a week from now on Wednesday, which meant I had time to use some money to accrue what I needed for a new school year and a new town. While I cannot fully access all the money I inherited from my parents before I turn eighteen, I am able to make approved withdrawals for spending under the supervision of my guardian. After weeks of talking and negotiating with my aunt and uncle, they’d decided that I’d need new clothes, school supplies, and also deserved money for spending on things I wanted, which in this case was a bike and something else I’d wanted for a while.

I had made a short list of things to buy before I moved and I pulled it out so I knew where exactly I’d be going bright and early tomorrow. It would be a Monday morning but I had high hopes that it wouldn’t be as miserable as most Mondays, so with that bit of optimism I put my bags on the ground, changed into a baggy shirt and shorts and crawled into bed. I curled up, pulled a blanket over myself, and turned off the lamp that sat on the nightstand of the new room in the new city of my new life. Sleep never came so easily in an unfamiliar setting, but I felt myself drifting off immediately, exhausted from travel and feeling just ever so slightly at home in the city where I was born.