The Perfect Day
I promise that this story is good and will be better but for this chapter I have to give the whole backstory and get a start to the story. But the next few chapters will be good (just bare with me)
I was in my room working on science homework
but instead was spacing out thinking about how I ended up in New York. Sometimes I wish I had my old life but I’m glad it’s over too. My social life was great but my at home life- not so great.
Lately I’ve been missing my old friends and living in a small town like Outer Banks. I miss having friends my age. I like being best friends with my dad but I need to socialize with people my own age again. I haven’t been able to open up easily anymore though. That’s why I long for my old life.
But I keep reminding myself that that was two years ago and I need to give it up.
Sometimes I drown in my thoughts. But I quickly snap into reality once my phone buzzes. I shake my head and look back down at my notes.
I can’t focus.
I pick up my phone and see a text. It’s from Sarah Cameron.
I haven’t talked to her in a long time.
We were best friends when I lived in Outer Banks, practically our whole lives but once I moved things changed. We still talked but not nearly as much.
We haven’t talked in nine months.
I gasp a little after seeing her name. Memories unlock.
“No way, Sarah Cameron. Why is she texting me?” I asked myself.
But the suspense, I couldn’t take it.
Is it good or bad news? Is she mad? Did something happen? Questions circled around my head.
I’m not sure as to why I was nervous to see what she had said. She’s a good person, I have no reason to be anxious or scared when she texts me.
I unlock my phone and take a deep breath. My heart was pounding. I knew something must’ve happened if she’s texting me in early May on a Wednesday afternoon for the first time in nine months.
The text reads “she’s gone. she left today.”
I gasp. My heart starts pounding hard. I jump out of bed and open my door. “Dad Dad Dad!!” I yell running down the stairs.
Dad is looking through the mail, sitting at the table. I stand at the opposite side of the table.
“What, Taylor are you ok?” He asks looking up from the mail.
“Sarah texted me! She’s gone. She left. She’s out of Outer Banks!!” I say with a slight smile.
“She? Are we really talking about her? Are you sure? Text her back just to make sure” he says holding in excitement.
I text Sarah back “That’s great! Are you 100% positive?”
We stand drowning in silence. I place my phone on the center of the table and sit down casually. I prop my head up on my elbow, resting on the table.
“So do you think we could move back if she really is gone?” I ask looking down at the table, avoiding eye contact.
“Let’s just take care of this first” Dad says looking at me.
We sit in silence for another minute. Until my phone buzzes. He stands up and walks over to me, hovering over my shoulder.
“Yes! She claims that she got a job in Arkansas. I hope you get to come back home :)”
I set the phone down calmly and look at dad. We both smile in unison.
He sits down and holding his hands together on the table. “Wow, she’s really gone” he didn’t sound happy though. Not even a little bit. He had a straight face and his eyes were wide. He was almost surprised.
“Yeah. So, I mean- would- well could-” I try to spit these words out but since her, dad and I both have a bit of a stutter. Dad tries hide it from me most of the time. Nervousness. Reassurance constantly needed. She messed us up. She ruined our family, our lives. “I mean- adding to what I said earlier maybe we um I mean we could-”
“Move back home?” He asks. I nod. “I’ll talk with my boss and see if he can relocate me.” He says smiling, knowing what he just did.
My eyes sparkle and I jump up from my chair. I run over to him and give him a big hug. “Thank you”
“I’m going to call my boss to get us out of here as soon as possible. I know you don’t like it here” I get quiet and look at the ground. “I can tell because I don’t like it here either. It’s a nice house in a nice city but it’s not home”
He gets me like no one ever will and I am so grateful for that. He’s amazing.
“Yeah. Well anyway I better go upstairs while you call your boss.” I say. I walk up the stairs feeling happier than ever. Once I reached my room, the curiosity hit me. I opened my door and tip toed to the stairs, quietly sitting at the top step.
“Hey Jim, so I know I asked you a couple years back to move me to a place far from North Carolina but now uh- she’s gone. She moved so- would it be okay if I could move back there. I know you liked having me there better anyway.”
I sit there. My heart pounding out of my chest. I tell myself to breathe.
“Really?” He sounded surprised, not mad but not happy either.
“Oh. Well if that would work best. When would that be able to happen?” He asks.
I tell myself to not get excited.
Don’t get your hopes up Taylor, it’s not worth it.
“Tay!” He shouts.
I run down the stairs. “Yeah dad? What’s up?” I ask trying to be calm and collected. I sit down and so does he.
“So there’s already a guy in North Carolina for us right now, but he moved from New York to North Carolina and likes it better here. So my boss is going to have us switch. And people were dying to buy this house but my company bought it for us. So the company is going to find a buyer and we’ll be out of here in a month!” He says throwing his hands in the air and laughing.
I love seeing him happy.
“What?! Really? Oh my gosh. I need to pack. This is great!” I give him a quick hug and run upstairs. I text Sarah.
“Taylor Lynn is coming back babyyy! as of next month!!” I text her.
“No way!!! That’s great! We have to meet up once you get into town. Plus that’s right when school gets out!” She replies.
“Definitely! I can’t wait”
I smile down at the text and drop my phone on my bed. I flopped onto my bed, laying on my back, spread out like a starfish. Happiness flooded through my veins. And for the next three days I could not stop smiling.
1 month later
It is June third and I cannot wait to be out of this hell hole of New York. I’ll be home.
I grab my suitcase that has been packed for two weeks.
Dad is standing at the door. “Are you ready?”
“Absolutely” I say. He opens the door for me and I put our bags in the trunk.
It’s 10am and we have to drive 8 hours to get there. It’s fully worth it though. Today the high is 70°, perfect weather.
I hop in the passengers seat and start playing dad and my playlist. We stop at gas stations and eat the sh*tty food they have. This isn’t like dad so I can tell he’s happy.
We roll down all the windows and sing at the top of our lungs.
The Perfect Day.
I fall asleep for an hour but then we resume our jam sesh.
But I stop singing and look out my open window.
Dad turns down the radio and looks at me concerned, “what’s wrong honey?”
I say in a gloomy tone, “nothing but” we pass the Outer Banks sign and yell with my arms up “WE’RE IN OUTER BANKS BABY!!! WOOO!”
“YES!” Dad says pumping his fist in the air “but god you scared me” he said. “I just don’t want Outer Banks to bring back any bad memories for you”
“No. I’m okay now.”
“Taylor neither of us will ever fully recover from her. I just want to make sure you’re fully okay with this.”
“I am. I promise.”
“Good because I love this song!” He says turning up the radio. I smile and we rock out.
We pull up to our house.
“Ooo dad this is nice” I say opening my car door.
“Right?!” He says stepping out of the car.
I open the trunk and grab my bags. Dad does too.
I step onto the porch. He stands across from me.
“Are you ready?” He asks.
I nod. I hold the door handle and take a deep breath. I turn the handle and walk inside.
“Dad this is a really nice house.” I say turning in a circle, taking in everything.
“Thank you!” He says bowing. I jokingly roll my eyes and laugh but then he gets a more serious tone. “Since we don’t uh- have anyone or- have you know someone that can- Taylor. Would you mind helping me decorate the house? I don’t know a thing about that stuff” he asks nervously in the doorway.
“Of course dad! When will the furniture get here?” I ask.
“Tomorrow. Why don’t you see if you could stay with Sarah tonight? And I’ll sleep here, I brought a sleeping back, you know?” He says laughing.
“Will do! But first I gotta see my room” I say running up the stairs. A minute of silence goes by. I peak my head downstairs, “where is my room?” I ask quietly laughing.
“Second door to the right!” Dad says laughing.
“Thank you!” I say running back down the hallway.
