Audrey's Snow

All in all, my first day at Bella Vista high school wasn't that bad. There is a total of 300 kids in the entire school and apparently this year is the year with the biggest student body in the history of Bella Vista.

I met a boy named Harry. Harry was a senior and offered to drive me home. Of course when Harley got home he was pissed because he waited for me. If I had a cell phone I would have just shot him a text. If he has been nice to me I would have found him and let him know not to wait for me.

Harry was a couple inches taller than me, about 5'7 or 5'8. He told be all about his future plans of becoming a doctor and getting married and having babies and living his entire life in this tiny town on his mothers farm. I felt kind of bad. He was actually smart, but he had never left Bella Vista, with the exception of bordering towns and that was for occasions like birthdays and holidays.

Harry was helpful though. He showed me a spot within walking distance from the house that I got cell phone service. He said that's pretty much the only place in all of town that has service. I asked him to drop me off there.

"Bye Harry, and thanks again for the ride." I smiled at him, and he gave me a smile back. He had really cute dimples. Harry was cute, but I don't do relationships. I've never been in any one place long enough to have one.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" He was hopeful. I nodded and he drove off. I walked through a field and stopped when I saw a bunch of beer cans and a fire pit. Sure enough, I had 2 bars. I called Kristine and she picked up this time.

"Audrey!" She chirped. Relief flooded through me.

"Kristine, I miss you so much." I said sadly.

"Audrey, I miss you too. You should fly out and see me soon, but its noon here sweetie. I'm still in school. Be on skype in a few hours." There was a beep and I know she had hung up.

I know I shouldn't be bummed about her not being able to talk for hours and hours, seeing as she is in school but I couldn't help it. I missed her. I sighed and started walking up the road towards the house. I was there in 15 minutes. When I got inside, Harley was getting yelled at by Joleen again.

"Oh sweetie, did you walk home?! I was just about to sent Harley back for you." I smiled at her. I was also smiling because he was getting yelled at again because of me.

"Oh its fine. My friend Harry drove me home, well, he dropped me off where I would get cell service anyways. I needed to call my mom." I felt bad for lying, but I wanted her to know I was still talking to my mom even if I wasn't.

"Harry drove you?" Harley was frowning. "Like, Harry Johnston?" I nodded. He was still frowning.

"If you needed a ride, I was waiting for you." he looked back at me.

"Well you don't have to anymore. Harry said he would drive me." Joleen was smiling ear to ear.

"I'm going to call Mrs. Johnston! Our kids are going to start dating soon so I have to get to know his parents!" She chirped. My heart dropped , dating?

"Uh were not going to start dating soon. He's just a friend." I stated.

"Boys and girls are never just friends out here dear." She smiled and walked to the dining room to get the phone. Oh no, what did I just do.

I hurried up to my room to try to hide my embarrassment but of course Harley caught up to me.

"Do you like Harry?" He walked into my room after me, still frowning.

"I don't know, I met him like 2 seconds ago. Literally, he asked me to sit with him at lunch and then caught me walking out of the school and asked if I needed a ride home." I said. "Why?"

"I was just going to warn you, he doesn't go for bratty rich girls. He is a small town kind of guy." He just frowned deeper. "Plus you should be careful. Small towns on the television are nothing like real small towns. We have bars and kids drink and throw parties and everybody knows everything." I sat on my bed.

"I'm not bratty, and I'm not rich. I'm well off. And maybe a small town kind of guy is just what I need." I had no interest in Harry other than friendship, but it obviously bothered Harley, so I just went with it.

"Whatever." He sat down at my desk and opened my laptop.

"Hey! do you mind?" I asked. What is his problem.

"Whats your laptops password?" I glared at him.

"Use your own computer." He turned to look at me.

"The only reason we have Wifi is for netflix and xbox. We have one dial up computer. You have a laptop, so you can share." I glared at him.

"Maybe if you were nice to me I would let you use it. Now out." I pointed to the door. He glared at me before closing my laptop and leaving. Small town, small minded.

I sighed and sat down at my desk and opened my laptop. I typed in my password

JackDavey10

My password was my dads name, and how many rounds I used to do in boxing. I say used to because I doubt there is anywhere I could box out here.

My screen lit up and I smiled logging onto my facebook. It felt like forever since I had been online. I logged onto my skype and instantly my friend Gunthers name popped up as online. I met Gunther in Texas, we didn't talk a lot, but we did skype every now and then. If I had stayed in Texas, I probably would have ended up dating him. I could see it, he is gorgeous.

I clicked on his name and it started calling him. He picked up right away and was smiling into the camera.

"Audrey!" He was excited to see me as I was to see a familiar face.

"Gunther, how are you?" I asked. We chatted for a bit and then Anthony and Sam burst in playing nerf guns.

"Wow Audrey, I knew you wanted kids but you are really popping out the babies!" I glared at him. I had told him all about Arkansas and how I ended up staying with the Michaels.

"Wow Audrey who's that!" Sam pushed his face up about 2 inches from the camera. Gunther laughed. Anthony was right by his side.

"Gunther, meet Anthony and Sam. Guys, this is my friend Gunther." They were amazed. I let them play with the effects on and they were having so much fun. Gunther seemed to be having just as much fun as they were because he was making funny faces and laughing. His real laugh too, not one you fake when someone is trying to be funny and failing.

"Audrey, I love you, but the guys want to go dirt biking and-" I cut him off.

"Don't worry about it Gunther. Wanna chat tomorrow?" He nodded and logged off. Anthony and Sam were disappointed.

"Aw Audrey, hes gone!" Anthony threw his hands up in the air dramatically. "Can I call my friends on here?" I smiled.

"Sure, as long as you ask me first and if they have web cams." He was obviously excited. They ushered out of my room. I looked at the time, it was 5 o'clock.

I grabbed my sketch book and went downstairs, Joleen was standing in the dining room in a beautiful red dress and Kevin was in a grey suit. I immediately felt like I was interrupting.

"Wow don't you two look good." Joleen turned to me smiling.

"I was just going to go upstairs to talk to you. My mother asked me and Kevin over for dinner and we decided to go. We might not be back tonight, It depends on the roads and if we drink. Do you think you'll be fine without us here?" She looked so hopeful. Honestly, I liked it when they were around. But I definitely was not going to get in the way of their family matters.

"Oh, Do you mind if I take the four wheeler?" I asked hopeful. Kevin smiled and reached in his pocket. He pulled a key on his ring and handed it to me.

"Its parked in the shed. Its a bit further than the barn. When we get back we'll get you your own key." He was smiling. They waved goodbye and left. I waited until I could no longer hear the truck before I went out to get the four wheeler.

I drove it out to the pond that I was at yesterday. I never got to finish my sketch. I put in my headphones and made sure to check my phone for the time constantly. At 9:45 I decided it was time to head back. I was on my way back to the four wheeler when I felt myself falling forward.

Of course it would be just like me to trip. All the sudden I felt a sharp pain in my arm. I felt like screaming. I pulled my arm away just to see a snake slithering away. Just fucking great. I looked at my arm to see two small puncture marks. I sighed and picked up my sketch book, driving back. When I got back I went straight up to the bathroom and locked the door connecting to Harleys room. I did not want him to know that city slicker me got bit by a snake. I don't want to hear about how only an idiot would get bit by a snake.

I looked under the sink and found a large band aid and put it on my arm to cover up the bite. I winced. It itched so bad. I went and laid down in bed. I really didn't feel like moving. I got out my sketch book and started doodling.

My arm hurt so bad. I felt like itching my skin off. I decided that washing it would be the best thing to do. I stood up and fell right back on the bed. I felt so lightheaded. I peeled back the band aid to see my swollen skin. Shit.

leaned against stuff and went through the bathroom to Harleys room. He looked up at me annoyed. I leaned my head against the door frame.

"How many kinds of snakes are there in Arkansas?" I asked. He looked at me amused.

"All kinds, why during your exploration did you come across one?" He was full on smiling now.

"Yeah." He was sitting up smiling now.

"On a scale of one to ten how scared were you?" He was holding back laughter. All the sudden I felt sick. I fell on the floor and started throwing up in the toilet. He kept laughing. "That scary huh?" He was smiling. I glared at him.

"I didn't know it was there until this." I pulled back my band aid and his smile instantly dropped. He rushed over to me and lifted my arm up to see it better.

"Shit Audrey! When did this happen?" He was angry? Seriously?

"I don't know a couple hours ago." I mumbled. He scooped me up off the floor and brought me out into the truck.

"You sit, and you stay awake. I have to tell the boys where were going, you" he paused. "Just stay awake." I glared at him. Although I felt like shit I wasn't dumb. I was thinking properly. In a couple minutes he was back.

"Hey Harley." I smiled at him. He just glared.

"Of course it would be you who was dumb enough to get bit by a snake." he muttered to himself. I was mad.

"I'm sorry I wasn't raised with a happy family on a farm with parents that told me to stay away from snakes. Plus, I didn't even know it was there!" I was angry. "The only snakes I have ever seen were at the zoo and in Florida when we went snake hunting." I glared at him.

"You? Hunting?" He was holding back a smile.

"Don't act like you know anything about me hick." I glared.

"How didn't you know it was there?" He asked. I glanced up embarrassed.

"I tripped on it." I mumbled. the corners of his lips turned up a bit.

"What was that?" He knew what I said. I sighed.

"I tripped and fell on it. Okay?" He was trying to hold back laughter. "Oh shut up." I mumbled.

"You are an idiot. By the way, you shouldn't need your parents to have to tell you to stay away from snakes. You are also and idiot because what did you do? Instead of saying 'hey Harley, I got bit by a snake. I know nothing about snakes and I was wondering if it is something I should worry about' you did what? Sit on facebook? Skype with Gunther?" His face started turning red after he said that and I smiled.

"How did you know I was skyping with Gunther?" He glared at the road in front of us.

"You should really close the bathroom door if you are going to skype with your boyfriend. By the way, I'm not an egotistical ass. I just don't want to be around someone as ungrateful as you." I glared at him.

"You decided the moment I got here that I was a brat because of what you thought of my mother. You have been nothing but rude to me yet you know nothing about me. Shit, you didn't even know my name and you decided that you hated me." I glared. "And if you were listening so intently, when I said I hated it here, my main reason was you and feeling like a burden. I am grateful as ever for your family, although if I wasn't here I would be alone at my apartment without a snake bite and without your lovely company." I realized I was yelling but I didn't care. It felt good to get that off of my chest.

The rest of the ride was silent. By the time we got to the emergency room my vision was blurry. The doctors treated me fast, said I was lucky.

By the time we left it was around 2 am. They insisted I spend the night, but I declined.

"Shit!" Harley smacked the steering wheel. "I'm going to get in so much trouble because of you!" He yelled. I sat silently.

"Why? Because I tripped and got bitten by a snake?" I asked sarcastically.

"No, because for whatever reason my mom thinks that if anything bad ever happens to you, I'm the one at fault because I wasn't protecting you." I actually felt kind of bad because that sounds like something that Joleen would do.

"I won't tell her if you wont." I said. He just glared at me.

"And then when the bill comes in the mail we'll both get caught lying. I'll get in even more trouble." I rolled my eyes.

"As if I would let Joleen spend a cent on my own stupidity. I paid the bill right before we left the hospital. Don't worry." I muttered the last part. He just kept quiet as if he was thinking about it. "Plus if she found out I would never be allowed on the property without you. Its a win win if she doesn't find out." Finally he spoke.

"Okay, but not for your reasons. I don't want my Xbox taken away. I felt the corner of my lips tug upwards a bit. Boys and their toys.

When we arrived back at the house, Joleen and Kevin were not back. I was about to get out when he ran around to my side and picked me up.

"I think I can walk Harley." I was cradled to his chest and all he did was smile. "What?" I knew he was holding back something.

"I'm going to carry you because we wouldn't want you to trip again." I glared. He was making fun of me! I let it go because I knew he didn't mean any harm. He carried me to my room and laid me down on the bed. He picked up my sketch book off the floor. Panic struck.

"No no no, don't look at that." I jumped up to try to snatch it from him. He flipped to the page where I had drawn the duck pond. It was too late. He looked over and smiled at me as I felt myself turning bright red.

"No wonder you were out there so long. I thought you were getting stoned." He set down the sketch book without looking at any other drawings.

"Thanks for not being nosy." I said. I was glad he didn't flip through. I had landscape drawings from all the places I had been, portraits of friends, and hundreds of drawings of what I imagined my dad to look like.

He pulled my shoes off for me and went to my closet. He came back with a baggy Pierce the Veil shirt and a pair or pajama shorts. He set them next to me on the bed and pulled my blanket over me.

"Goodnight Audrey." I smiled.

"Night Harley." I waited for him to leave before standing up and stripping off my dirty clothing for the nice clean pajamas he had gotten me. I curled up in bed. I had to wake up for school in three hours. I slowly let sleep take me.