1. Sunlight

12:30 p.m. Saturday. Nothing was new except for the fact that we were moving. Again. This time, we're moving to the mountains. In California. That's what my mom said, anyway. But how I despise California. Don't ask me why, I just do.

My mom's in denial, that's why we're moving. My step-dad recently died of heart failure and my mom thinks that Atlanta has too many memories. I have to say I highly disagree. Moving will just make me remember why we are.

"Sam, are you ready?" my mother asked.

"Ready to what? Kill myself? I'm ready. Let's just go." I paused, deciding I try this one more time. "Why can't I go live with Steve?"

"Samantha, you know why." She told me and pushed me in the car.

Maybe I'm being stubborn about this. I'll make my mom happy for a while and then…well, we'll see.

"Mom, why else are we moving?" I asked.

"Financial reasons. A change. That's pretty much it." She said, not even looking at me.

Well that should have tipped me off right then and there. People don't go to California to escape financial problems; California is the reason there's financial problems, that's why people move away from the state. I just sat back in my seat, unsatisfied. I hate how she does that. I had to keep the conversation going.

"What financial reason, Mom?" I asked again, probing her to see if she was pulling my leg or something.

"Honey, I'm driving. Just stay quiet until we reach the next Chevron." She answered bluntly, clearly avoiding the conversation.

Ouch. That hurt. I guess she couldn't multi-task like most people. Where was her real excuse? I've never heard of someone not being able to hold on a conversation while they drove.

"You, know if you didn't want to talk to me, just say it. Don't make up some stupid excuse like you can't talk and drive at the same time." I said, very much annoyed now.

"Honey-"she started but I interrupted, "Forget it."

I turned away in my seat. She sighed and I ignored her.

For the next five and a half hours or so, we were silent. Pretty awkward… though I slept most of the way, until the rain started pouring down. That kept me up. I took out a pen and paper and just wrote. Mostly about my feelings. Venting. I said how much I didn't want to move, how my mom's in denial, and how I'm going to miss my boyfriend, Steve.

He told me he would love me forever. Nothing could ever separate us. Well, look how well that turned out.

I told my mom that I loved him, I couldn't leave. She said that I didn't know what love is; I don't know what I want. Maybe I don't know what love is, but I know what I want. I want to stay here in Atlanta… with Steve, forever.

Though the lack of conversation in the car, time flew by and eventually, after being in the middle of nowhere, we reached Jackson, Mississippi. My mom stopped at Chevron. After so many hours of silence, I could finally talk to my mom while she's filling up the car with gas –she can't avoid my conversation starter here. Hmm… public, how nice.

I got out of the car, "Mom?"

"Yeah?" she said blatantly. The way she said it made me feel intimidated.

So I chickened out, "I'm going to go to the bathroom."

"Hurry, because we have to hit the road." She sounded exhausted.

I walked until the overhang ended. I stopped. It was still pouring. I put the hood of my Side-Out sweater-jacket on and stepped out.

The little gas station shop was small, petite. I asked the clerk –who clearly needed to lay off the cologne and hair gel- which way the restroom was. He pointed me in the right direction. I quickly did my business and walked out.

I put my hands in my pocket and realized I had some extra cash. I decided to get a candy bar or something. I counted ten bucks. A coffee suddenly sounded very appealing.

I walked around the aisles for a moment and then picked up a bag of Hot Cheetos, which wasn't really the best snack for the upcoming drive but I wanted something that could take my mind off of my mother's ludicrous idea of moving, then I went to get my coffee.

When I was in line, I thought I should get my mom something. That was the least I could do. I was about to turn around when a guy bumped into me.

"Hey! Can you watch where you're going?" I practically yelled.

He just looked at me. I studied his features. He had light blonde hair and the most beautiful ocean blue eyes. He had a tan-ish brown complexion, which completely contradicted his hair. He was muscular, a little bigger built than Steve. He was the most gorgeous person I'd ever seen. He kind of reminded me of a blonde Superman. But there was pain in his eyes and it made him look distant. He had so many controversies that, strangely, I wanted to know more of.

He stared at me for a few moments with his beautiful eyes, and then he shook his head and walked away. My eyes followed him until I couldn't see him any longer. I wish he'd had said something. Well I knew I was probably never going to see him again. A guy like that know a girl like me? Right.

Stop it Sam, I scolded myself, You have a boyfriend.

But… he was pretty much the highlight of my trip to Chevron.

I heard a honk outside. I knew it was my mom. Great. Not only has she embarrassed me through the past seventeen years in my hometown, but now she's officially embarrassed me in another state, in front of people I don't even know. Everybody looked shocked as she honked three more times. God Mom, shut up, I thought as I did my best to just blend in with the crowd. Everyone turned towards me. Wow, blending in didn't work at all.

"That for you?" the clerk asked.

"Umm… yeah, it's my mom. She's waiting for me." I said sheepishly.

"Well you can come up here now so we don't gotta listen to it no more. Come on." He said and motioned me to come.

I walked up, paid for my stuff and went back out to the car.

"What took you so long?" my mother asked.

"There was a line. And some guy bumped into me. I had to collect myself from that." I said.

"I thought you were just going to the bathroom." She seemed frustrated.

"I found some extra cash in my pocket and I was hungry, see?" I held up my Hot Cheetos and coffee. I guess I forgot to get her something… oh well.

She sighed and started the ignition.

I went back to my original pose, facing the window. I started thinking about the guy the bumped into me. He was broad, lean; very handsome that's for sure. He seemed a little older than me. Maybe a year? He'd be a senior. He looked around the age of nineteen. Just two years older than me. It was disappointing to realize that I didn't even know him, and I was thinking of a total stranger. I was never going to see him again, shoot, I don't even know his name. I was beating myself up for not saying something like, 'Sorry, I didn't even see you there, my bad.' I could've started some kind of small talk, maybe he would've told me his name, and I would do the same.

The next few hours passed slowly, as no conversation began and I was too caught up in my thoughts. And in the next hour, I drifted off to sleep.