"Don't you think it's a little weird here?" I ask my mom after we drive past a gigantic sign and a school logo. "Vamps Academy really? Movie?" I continue, as I lean back in my seat.
"Honey. You're just stressing about nothing" she prods my left arm, playfully, with her right hand while the left is on the steering wheel. "You haven't even relaxed a single bit during the entire four hours we've been driving". She adds, looking at me with a concerned look.
"I just.... I feel weird" I blurt out and look out the window.
"I know honey. It's going to take time but, you will definitely get used to this" She smiles, encouragingly.
I hate the fact that we had to move to this unusual, old, small town. My mother has been posted to a hospital in this town and I have no choice because she is basically the only person I can stay with.
She pulls up in the driveway of an all familiar house. Small but warm inside. I sigh before pushing the door open and banging it back - alarmingly.
"Hey, That's my car!" She screams.
I give her a crooked smile and sorry eyes. "I'm just exhausted, Mom"
I drag my two huge, blue suitcases from the back seat up to the porch. "Mm" I groan, and I drop them on the door step carelessly. My mother followers me and pulls out a key from her purse.
She unlocks the old lock - which seems a little rusty. It takes me a second or two to gather the courage to go in. I remember this house like it were just yesterday I had been here, nothing had changed. Nothing at all.
I think I had visited my grandmother, maybe once or twice when I was still a child, but it all seemed the same. It still had that weird feeling, I could not happen to shake off.
"We have alooooot of cleaning to do". My Mom complains, placing her hands on her hips.
I nod silently, going up the staircase to check out what was going to be my room. The entire house is dusty, but this room is the dustiest, is that even a thing?
I push the wooden door open, and it makes a loud creaking sound. It is dark, I feel for the switch at the corner of the room. The bulb goes on but is faint. I sigh, hating everything about this.
My eyes move to the bed, which is spread neatly but covered in dust. The sheets need to be washed besides, there is no way I am using these bedsheets. Who knows who was sleeping in here.
A few minutes later, my mother bulges in the room and looks around. She opens the window and some light and air rushes in. I cough out - responding to the irritating dust particles.
"Need antibiotics?" She teases.
"Maybe".
"We need to clean this up, After we have something to eat, I'm starving" she places a hand to her flat tummy. It's so flat, as if she never gave birth before.
I suddenly feel the urge to eat. I didn't even realize I have not eaten anything since morning when we started packing. By the way, is hunger contagious?
"Know any places we can eat?" I ask, her crossing a seat belt over my chest.
"I grew up here...well-". She stops talking when I give her a questioning look. Her mother is the one who was staying here, and after my grandparents divorced - my mother went to live with her dad in the city.
And the story goes on and on, she gets married and has a child-me. But she did visit her mom From time to time.
There is a tense silence in the car, and none of us dares to say anything. I look out the window and let the weird breeze hit my face.
After a fifteen to twenty minutes drive, she pulls up at what looks like some eating place. I take my time to look at the tiny store with the sign:Take out + dine.
Weird already. The outside is quite parked with cars and I can only guess how famous it is. Or could it be the only place to eat here?
Without airing out my thoughts, I follow my mother to the door. The doorbell jingles as we walk through. To my surprise, the inside looks big. How's this even possible?
It looks like a proper diner actually, with chairs covered in white and purple themes. The left side is occupied with booths, big enough to accommodate six people at once. Wow.
We find ourselves a booth. I want to complain why we aren't settling in the nicer chairs on the other side of the room, but they all look occupied. I take a seat across from my mother and give the room another scan - still wondering how it appears so big from the inside.
Everyone seems normal. Why am I even freaking out about this entire town? Maybe I still have superstitions about it.
"You're welcome to Popeyes diner and take out" I hear a voice speak, I look up at the blonde waitress holding two menus in her hands. She is wearing a white top and a Red knee-length skirt, I'm guessing it's the uniform because I saw another person wearing this too.
My Mom smiles. The waitress extends her hands to give us both the menu's. I open it lazily and scan through.
"I will have fries and a burger also a soda please" My Mom smiles again and gives her back the menu, She turns to me. "Ivy?"
"Um. The same" I close the menu and hand it back to the waitress. I narrow my eyes at her name tag: Kimberly. She nods and smiles briefly before leaving to bring our orders.
She takes like five minutes, which in this situation feels like twenty hours. Damn, I'm hungry, and my stomach is rumbling, literally.
As soon as she displays the plate In front of me, I bite my bottom lip and pick a chip from the plate. I bite into it and sipped on the cold drink. I can feel it vibrate as it passes my throat.
"This is good" My mother says, bitting into her burger. "Trust me honey, this is the best place in town" She continues.
"Mh-mh". I nod and allow myself another mouthful of those fries.
I take another massive bite from my burger, unfortunately the ketchup falls onto my shirt. Furthermore, I roll my eyes and wiped it with my fore finger lazily-it's not my fault they didn't give us napkins.
I look around, my eyes met with this red head girl. She doesn't look away, it's getting weird. I almost think she will wave at me.
Weirdo.
I look away. Then back again, I notice three other people. Seated next to her is another girl. She doesn't look up much, she seems too concentrated on her food. On their opposite, I can't clearly see who is there, but looks like two guys.
I swallow, hardly. My throat feels dry even after drinking half of the soda.
"We should go" My Mom brings me back, she waves a hand at the waitress who had attended to us earlier. "...can you take this from my credit card?"
"Our machines are down right now. Can you pay cash?" Kimberly asks, giving us an apologetic smile.
"Great" I mumble under my breath. This will be my life from now on.
My mother only smiles and reaches into her purse and takes out some money. She smiles at Kimberly and tells her to keep the change. We stand to leave and for some unknown reason, I glance back at the red head - who is looking at me as a matter of fact.
Why is she still looking at me? Creep.
"Can't we sleep at a motel or something? Can't start cleaning now" I complain, as I rest my head on my seat.
"Ivy. We will clear out some space to sleep" She smiles and starts the engine.
"God I'm sleepy" I yawn and close my eyes, letting the satisfaction and the tiredness hit me at once; sending me right to my dreamland.
I still think this place is creepy.