A Little Country Lost In New York

Sighing in relief, I stared down at the money that lay on my desk. "Finally..." The whisper seemed to fill the room as a small smile crept onto my face. I glanced up, the mirror catching my attention. I stared at the girl in the mirror. Her vibrant red hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, a few strands of hair falling out to frame her oval-shaped face. Her flushed cheeks seemed to bring out her bright green eyes that sparkled in the light. The dark freckles strewn over the bridge of her nose made her seem younger.  I smiled at myself in the mirror and the dimple in my left cheek appeared. I ran out of my room and down the stairs. The front door banged against the wall as I sped outside. I took in a deep breath of the country air. It smelled like freshly cut hay and horses. It smelled like home. I smiled brightly at my father who was hunched over a stack of hay, the pitchfork in hand as he fed the horses. "Hi there Papa!" He looked up from his work, sending me a worn smile. "Hey pumpkin, how's my baby girl doing?" I smiled shyly at the nickname. "I'm doing really good Papa. Actually, I'm doing great! I finally saved enough money to go to college!"  My father smiled at me warmly, a longing look filling his eyes. "My baby girl is all grown up now. I'm so glad for you pumpkin." He pulled me into a tight hug and I snuggled my face into the crook of his neck. I pulled away, smiling up at him. "Don't worry Papa; I'll always be your baby girl." Tears filled his eyes and he laughed nervously, trying to make them disappear. "Well, I better finish this work. You know how cranky Stardust can get when she doesn't get her food." I laughed full heartedly as I petted our oldest horse, Stardust on the nose. "Yeah, I know how my baby gets." Giving my father a quick peck on the cheek and Stardust a quick kiss on the head, I ran back to the house. A million thoughts were running through my head. A Colorado country girl going to college in the Big Apple... What a thought! I waved at my parents as I walked towards the security line. My mother waved back with a tissue in her hand before wiping at her tear-stained face again. A few tears slipped down my father's cheeks as he saluted at me. I smiled sadly before turning around, breathing in a deep breath as I stared at the people in front of me. The security check went surprisingly quick and in no time I was seated. I stared out the window, already missing home. I heard someone clear their throat and I quickly looked up, seeing a handsome man standing at the edge of the seats.  His blonde hair was gelled back, except for one rebellious strand that hung slightly over his brow. His thick brows were furrowed as his chocolate brown eyes stared down at me. His muscular jaw was set and his full lips were pursed together. I gulped as I tried not to gap. It was as if a god was standing in front of me. He smirked slightly, as if me staring at him was normal. I felt a blush creep its way onto my cheeks and I glanced down, completely embarrassed. "Excuse me, not to seem rude or anything, but you're kind of in my seat." I looked up at him in confusion. "N-no this is my seat. See?" I fumbled for the ticket in my bag. Finally grasping it, I held it up for him to see. "Oh, I guess there was a mix up. Is anyone sitting here?" He pointed at the seat next to me.  I shook my head and he sat down, the smirk from before plastered on his face again. "Hi, my name's Henry Reeves." He held out his hand and I took it without hesitation. "Victoria McKinney." He chuckled slightly and a frown formed between my brows. "Is something wrong?" He glanced up at me, the rebellious strand hanging in his eye. The smirk was still evident on his face. "Do you by any chance live on a range?" My eyes widened slightly. "Why yes I do actually. How'd you know?" He shook his head, his smiling eyes staring straight into mine. "Oh you know the country accent gave me a few hints." I blushed deeply, staring down at my hands that were resting in my lap. He placed his index finger underneath my chin before lifting my gaze up so could look him in the eye. He smiled down at me kindly. "Hey there's no need to shy away. I find it cute." I blushed even more at his choice of words. This was going to be an interesting flight.  *** I felt myself being shook lightly and as my eyes fluttered open, I saw the seat belt light flash red. "Vicki, it's time to wake up. We've landed." I groaned as I rolled over, my drooping eyes landing on the gorgeous god sitting right next to me. Henry chuckled as he stared down at me. He leaned forward and my breath caught in my throat. What was he doing? Was he going to kiss me? His hand slowly ran down my side, leaving a trace of heat in its wake. He then unbuckled my seatbelt before giving me his signature smirk. I blushed deeply, looking out the window as I frowned in disapproval. Of course he wasn't going to kiss me! What was I thinking?  I nodded faintly as I avoided his gaze. "Um yeah thank you..." He looked a little confused, but nodded at me none or less. He offered me to walk first and I took up his offer without hesitation. As I came into the walkway, a big guy suddenly bumped straight into me, making me fall backwards. I let out an unattractive squeak as I landed on Henry's lap. His arms snaked around my waist, keeping me from falling onto the ground. His face was inches from mine as his eyes scanned over me. "Are you okay?" His minty breath washed over me and I gave a slight nod, too scared that if I move too much, he'd pull back. I licked my lips slightly and his eyes immediately darted towards it. He slightly leaned forward and I closed my eyes, but of course the universe would not have it.  A throat cleared next to us and we immediately pulled apart. I could feel the blush covering my whole neck and face, but Henry didn't seem at all bothered. He grinned flirtatiously at the flight attendant and she batted her eyelashes at him. I rolled my eyes and let out an unattractive snort. It seemed to annoy the flight attendant a lot at she glanced over at me in disgust. "You need to get off." She gave Henry a little wave before she strutted off. I clenched my jaw as I pulled out my backpack from the overhead compartment and instantly stopped. Why on earth was I jealous? It wasn't like he was my boyfriend or anything. I wish he was...  I shook my head at the thought. "Get your head straight Vicki!" Henry chuckled behind me and I spun around in shock. "Talking to yourself now are we?" I rolled my eyes in annoyance, but a small smile still snuck its way onto my face. "Well you know they do say the smartest people talk to themselves, so I think I just proved that fact right." Henry laughed louder as we both walked through the airport after we got our bags. My eyes skimmed over the parking lot as we stepped through the main doors.  I almost immediately spotted my sister, Caylin, waving her arms over her head like a crazy chicken flapping its wings. "Well Henry, I guess this is it." I smiled up at him and the sad look on his face made my heart skip a beat. "This can't be it! Can I maybe have your number?" I nod before we quickly exchange numbers. He pulled me into a hug before starting to walk away. He waved back at me, giving me one of his many smirks. I quickly rushed my way towards my sister, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. "I've missed you so much." Caylin squealed as she hugged me tighter. "I've missed you too little sis." She took a step and I took a good look at her appearance.  She had definitely taken my mother's good looks. She had the same bright green eyes as I, but she got my mother's rich dark hair that was pulled into a high ponytail on the top of her head. Her light skin seemed to glow in the bright sun that peeked over all the tall buildings. "You ready?" I nodded my head, a sliver of fear finding its way into my mind. College... In two days I would be attending one of the greatest colleges in the NY, Fordham University. Thinking of how long I've studied just to get this far gave me shivers. I can only imagine how much worse it would be now that I'm finally here. Caylin rolls down the passenger window, leaning over the seats to stare at me. "You climbing in or what?" I shook my head, opening the car door before jumping in. It's too late to turn back now.  *** The ride towards the campus took a while, but the wait was definitely worth it. The large gray building stood tall over the trees, all the towers reaching up towards the clouds. The green landscape stretched out before the campus with a few students sitting in small groups on the grass, books and bags spread all around them. They looked so happy. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as I thought. Caylin parked the car in front of the large building, before climbing out and helping me carry all my baggage towards the front doors.  A cheerful brunette came running towards us, a bright smile on her face. "Good afternoon! You must be Victoria McKinney. My name's Amerina Dray and I'll be your campus guide." The blond streaks in her hair was evident as her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and her violet coloured eyes seemed to sparkled as she gave us a smile that could light up an entire room within seconds. Caylin gave me a kiss on the cheek as Amerina took the luggage into her arms. "Enjoy."  Amerina led me into one of the many buildings on campus, before placing everything in the front foyer. "We'll get one of the boys to carry these things up to your room later. Now, it's time for your tour!" I couldn't help but smile at her. I had a feeling that she was going to be a big part in my life. "So Victoria..." I quickly stopped her by speaking up. "Vicki, please call me Vicki." She seemed to mull this over before nodding her head enthusiastically. "I like it. Vicki it is! Anyway as I was saying, what do you want to know first?" I looked around the room, seeing all the happy girls laughing and gossiping. "Anything and everything!"  ***