My gaze travels over the thick lawn. Dad mentioned earlier that the house sits on an acre of land. Trees and bushes border the sides of the property, offering a bit of privacy from the neighbors. There are a few pines spearing up into the sky at the back of the yard to delineate our estate from the lush landscape of the golf course.
As soon as I catch sight of the night sky, I press my face against the screen until there’s a definite possibility of the mesh becoming permanently tattooed on it. There are so many pinpricks of light. Have I ever seen so many stars crowded into the sky?
Only at the planetarium. And that was just a projection.
Swinging away from the window, I look around before grabbing an afghan from the end of my bed and moving to the screen door that leads to a tiny deck off my room. I hurry down the wood stairs and hit the cement before skirting the pool area and stepping onto the plush lawn with bare feet. Immediately my toes sink into the velvety softness.
Now that I’m outside, the distant strains of music hit my ears. I turn toward the sound of voices as they carry on the wind. It’s not a massive party, but there are probably a dozen people hanging out next door. There’s a mix of higher-pitched female voices and deep male baritones. My steps falter as I glance over at the neighboring property, but the trees and shrubbery obscure my view. After what happened at the store earlier this evening, there’s no way in hell I’m going to creep over there and spy.
Or, God forbid, introduce myself.
For all I know, it’s the same party those girls were yapping about.
As curious as I am about our new neighbors, I’m more concerned with self-preservation.
Ignoring the noise, I cut across the lawn and head to the far side of the property away from the neighbor’s house. It takes a moment to scout out the area and find the perfect spot before arranging the blanket on the lawn. As I settle on my back and take in the view, my breath gets clogged in my throat. My gaze skims across the vast expanse of solar system that stretches across the sky.
It takes effort to empty my mind and focus on my inhalations as I remind myself to breathe deeply from my diaphragm. I repeat the process a dozen times until every muscle loosens and my body sinks further into the green carpet that cushions me. Only then does a sense of peace steal over me. When I’m out of sorts, this is one trick I use to help center myself.
Hands down, this has to be one of the most breathtaking skies I’ve ever gazed at. It almost feels like I could reach up and trail my fingers through the pinpricks of light illuminating the inky blackness.
What’s most mind-boggling is that scientists have only discovered four percent of the universe and that it stretches far beyond what anyone can possibly conceptualize. Or how about that it’s billions of years old? In reality, the earth is an insignificant speck in the universe. And the people who fill it are even less consequential.
I blow out a steady breath, emptying my lungs completely. Those thoughts are usually enough to put my problems into perspective and settle everything rioting inside me.
But that’s not the case tonight. The dread pooled at the bottom of my belly stubbornly remains.
Chapter Eight
At precisely six o’clock the next morning, my alarm goes off. With a groan, I roll over and grab my phone before hitting snooze. Even though I’ve been awake since five, I stayed in bed, hoping to fall back asleep.
No such luck.
Those two snots from the store are all I can think about.
My greatest fear is that they’re the norm and not the exception. How will I survive an entire year of that? The thought is enough to make my stomach tighten with nerves. They roil in the pit of my belly making me feel like I might throw-up.
After I returned home from the store last night, I dropped off Austin’s supplies. With a laugh, he had asked if anything eventful happened in town. For a split second, I considered telling him about the girls, but immediately nixed the idea. He’s already pissed off about being here. There’s no reason to add fuel to that particular fire. If I know my brother, he’ll stride into Hawthorne Prep with an even bigger chip on his shoulder than there already is. And that’s the last thing we need.
When the alarm goes off for a second time, I realize there’s no delaying the inevitable. I drag my ass to the bathroom and jump in the shower. As warm water sprays over my body, I’m hoping it’ll wash away the lingering dread that fills me. Once I dry off and slip into my panties and bra, I grab the outfit that was waiting at the house when we arrived yesterday.