I was a city girl, not a small town person. My mother decided we needed a break from the city after my father was labeled the Serial Lover by the police and FBI. My father, John Foreman, killed for my mother's love. In his twisted way, he thought that killing girls that looked like her would make my mother realize that he still loved her. I was astonished by this. Love made him go crazy.
My life was horrible after that. For the two weeks I stayed at my old school, people would look at me weird, call me names, and keep from talking to me. I didn't mind, though. It was just what happened. I was glad when my mother told me we were moving. I packed my stuff in two days and we moved a day after that.
My new house in a small town in North Carolina was beautiful. It was a pale blue with white windows and a white door. There was a white gate surrounding the front and backyard and there was a big willow tree to the side of the house, covering the little pond and white bench. It was like a picture out of a book. My room was on the second floor. It was a pale yellow room with white molding. It had a bay window with shelves underneath it. It was where I kept my books. My bed was a small twin bed placed up against the wall and had a pale blue comforter with yellow birds. The window above my mahogany desk showed the backyard.
I sat on the ground, a packing box next to me. I was still unloading even though we had been here for a few days. My mom had left to go shopping for the essentials we had left behind in the city. I had watched her car back out of the small driveway. The driveway only had enough room to hold one car. I had to park my volkswagen bug in the street.
The day was cold and windy. The sky overcast and the trees were whipping around. I got up and stretched. I had been like that for hours, unpacking and unwrapping a lot of my stuff. So far I had most of my books done, my diaries and journals placed in the side table, my lamps on the side table and the desk. My pens were in the pen holder. I looked around my room. It looked okay, a little bare but it was progress. I left to go down the stairs. Our kitchen was at the bottom of the stairs. It was white with steel appliances. The old owners had them put in so that the house would sell. The kitchen was small, just enough for a little bit of counter space and storage, and a table. The wood table was leaning against a wall with a window above it. You could look into the backyard as you ate. The backyard had a garden that Mom said she was going to keep. I looked into the cabinets for something to eat. We had nothing at all except for granola bars. I was in the mood for a good hamburger and fries.
I ran back upstairs and changed into jean pants and jacket. I grabbed my black purse and made sure that my phone, wallet, and IPod were there. I walked downstairs to the counter in the kitchen. Mom kept a notepad and pen there for when people called. I wrote down that I'd gone exploring and that I have my cell phone on me. I signed my name and left out the front door. I took my keys out of my purse and headed toward my car. The midnight blue colour was bright in the gloomy day. I unlocked my car and hopped in. It was a chilly day so I immediately turned on the heater. My windshield fogged up at the edges of the window. I saw through the fog and headed down the street. I turned on my radio and rocked out to Journey while I tried to find a spot to park. Betty's diner didn't have a whole lot of customers when I came in. I took a seat in the back and looked around until someone could take my order. It had a 50's theme to it. I grabbed a menu from behind the red jukebox at the end of the table. On the back panel it had a complete history of Betty's. I read that it was locally owned and that it was established in the early fifties.
"Hello, sweetie, what can I get you?" A lady with bright red hair asked me. I hadn't really looked at the menu but I knew what I wanted.
"I'll have the hamburger with fries please and a Coke. Please and thank you." I smiled warmly at the lady. She seemed really nice, but then again, looks can be deceiving.
"You must be new here, doll. I haven't seen your face at all." She smiled warmly at me. This must be a small town I thought, if everyone knows everyone.
"Uh yeah, I'm from the city. Just moved here a few days ago. I'm Haven. I live in the house on Poplar Place." I put out my hand for her to shake.
"I'm Rosy, Betty's sister. It's nice to see a fresh face. Sometimes you just get tired of the old ones." She laughed a deep rumbling laugh. "So you'll be going to go to school at Willow Creek High, I assume."
I nodded and added, "I don't know a soul yet, except you of course. You're the first person I've talked to since I got here. " I smiled warmly at her.
"Well, then, if you need any help finding anything, you just let me know, Miss Haven." She said. "I'll go put your order in." She winked and left.
