A World Unknown

Chapter 3 The trailer on the Corner

Thursday morning came quicker than I expected. I could see the sun shinning through the curtains and the warm summer air made it smell like it was a fresh new day. Anna was making cute little noises in her crib letting me know she was awake and ready to get up also. I thought it breakfast sounded good and i could just imagine a stack up steaming pancakes and a side of bacon waiting for me in the kitchen. Dad was up moving around I think he was getting ready to work on the cabin. Our house was pretty small for all of us, but I was thankful for the close relationship with my parents that made it work. As I placed Anna in her high chair getting her ready to feed her breakfast as the door creaked open, and Dad walked into the room with a serious look on his face. His usual warm smile was absent, replaced by a furrowed brow and tight lips. He moved with a deliberate slowness, each step heavy with unspoken thoughts.

The room, filled moments ago with the soft hum of morning activity, seemed to hold its breath. Dad crossed the floor without a word, his gaze fixed on the floor. He reached for his coffee cup, the clinking of ceramic against the table unnaturally loud in the sudden silence.

I watched him sit down quietly, the chair creaking under his weight. He picked up his coffee cup, his hands unusually steady, and took a slow, measured sip. The tension in the room was palpable, like a charged electric current buzzing just beneath the surface.

My heart began to race, a sense of unease settling over me. The normally comforting presence of Dad now felt heavy, almost oppressive. I couldn't help but wonder what was weighing so heavily on his mind. The silence stretched, filled with the unspoken questions hanging in the air.

Lizzy sat at the kitchen table, spooning oatmeal into Anna's mouth while her dad sipped his coffee and glanced out the window. "So, where are you going on your date?" Dad asked, breaking the morning silence.

Lizzy looked up, slightly surprised. "I'm not exactly sure yet. He mentioned meeting some people around here. If I feel uncomfortable, I'll come straight back home."

"You don't know anyone here, Lizzy. You can't just trust everybody you meet," Dad said with a concerned look.

"I know, Dad," Lizzy replied, trying to reassure him. "But I need to start meeting people somehow."

'Ding!' Her phone buzzed, pulling her back to the present. It was Jontz.

Jontz: Hey, I know it's early, but what are you up to? Lizzy: Not much, just feeding Anna a late breakfast. How about you? Jontz: Just got off work early and wanted to see if you wanted to meet around 1. Lizzy: Sure, where are we going?

Jontz: I have a couple of buddies that live by the post office. Thought you might like to meet them. Lizzy: Sounds good! I've been wanting to meet some people around here. Jontz: Cool. My truck's broken down. Can you drive over and meet me there?

Lizzy was a little hesitant. It's not really a date, but I am excited to meet more people, she thought. She finally agreed and put her phone down.

She went to tell Dad about their plans, figuring he would like that she was driving herself. "Hey, Dad," she hollered.

"Yeah?" he yelled back.

"I just wanted to let you know I will be driving myself, and he's going to take me to meet some people by the Wyatt post office."

Dad instantly stopped what he was doing and looked at her with a blank stare. "What kind of date is that? Why isn't he driving you?"

Lizzy looked at him, confused. "I thought you wanted me to drive myself, and I guess it would be more like hanging out," she said. She didn't really care that it wasn't going to be a romantic date, honestly. She then told Dad how his truck was broken down. He just let out a soft laugh and went back to what he was doing. As she walked back inside, she wondered why Dad laughed like that. She didn't think there was anything wrong with just hanging out and meeting new people.

I met with Ty at wyatt store. It was a beautiful day the sun was shinning brightly and the air was warm. since when it came down to it i wasnt as comfertable showing up at someones house i didnt know. He was ok with that and gladly met me at hardestys. When i got to the store Ty was half buzzed up standing there with a beer in his hand smiling wide. I waved at him as i put my car in park. He strolled over to my passenger door like he was on top of the world. When he slumped down into the car seat he leaned over im guessing to try and steal a kiss. Turning my face to avoid his lips. Woah woah there buddy i thought we were just hanging out i said quickly. His mouth curved up into a smile as he said "well a guy can try, you didnt think i was going to get into this beautiful girls car and not try and kiss her" I couldnt help but try. You ready to meet some more pretty cool people? I was just there and they know we are stopping over" He said as he sat back ready to go.

Pulling into the driveway, I was surprised to see eight people standing around, drinking beer. Before I could even get the car in park, Ty jumped out with a wide smile and started greeting everyone like they were old friends. I instantly felt like the oddball out.

As I stepped out of the car, Ty began introducing me to everyone one by one. "This is Kenny; he lives here. This is Chrissy; she also lives here with Kenny." He pointed to two guys leaning against a truck. "Those two are Donny and Jacob; they live up the holler but are here almost every day drinking beer. And that boy over there is Jason; he's Denny's son."

As soon as I started to say hello, everyone couldn't help but giggle. A wave of anxiety washed over me, and I'm sure they noticed me tense up because the laughter quickly died down. Then Donny chimed in, "Where ya from, Boston?"

Of course, it made me giggle before I could answer him. "No, but I only lived maybe 30 minutes from Boston." Then I proceeded to do my best impression of a Boston accent, exaggerating the Rs like they were practically another syllable. My impression made everyone laugh, easing the tension a bit.

Chrissy then invited me to come inside while the guys stood around drinking their beers. I agreed and followed her into the trailer. I was slightly surprised to see a few more people sitting around inside, smoking weed. I wasn't against weed, having smoked it in high school, but I wasn't much of a fan anymore. They offered me a hit, but I decided against it since I was around a bunch of people I didn't know.

We talked for a couple of hours, getting to know each other. Chrissy told me how they were Missy's kids and how they had a little girl the same age as Anna. I was so relieved to have met people with kids her age. I thought that when she got a little older, it would be great for her to have friends to play with.