August part 2
Two days before August left her parents house was her 22nd birthday. Rosa and Manuel were the only reason she was still there, so the decision to leave came easy. She left without a plan or a destination. She landed in a seedy town about an hour south of L.A. Where she bought an old, beat up Suzuki Samurai to get around in. Not wanting to blow all her money at once, she did what she did best. Worked her charm for all it was worth, hardly paying for anything at all, Saving everything in a high interest account.
She bounced from couch to couch for three years, trying to forge friendships with almost anyone, only to become annoyed at their charade. Everyone she encountered had an alter ego, and big plans to ‘make it’. Either that or they wanted to change her. Every time the people would wear on her to the point of mental burden, she would hop in the Samurai and drive south.
She drove again today. Another stupid superficial boy. She thought of the ridiculous conversation the whole way.
“You’re beautiful.” he had told her, and she looked at him like he had lost his mind.
“You don’t even know what that word actually means. Do you?”
“Of course I do, it means you’re smoking’ hot. You know what would make you even hotter. Tits. I’ll pay for them” he offered in all sincerity.
She stood there clenching her jaw. She was unsure as to why this suddenly made her so angry. It wasn’t the first time she had heard these words. She lost it. She took a step toward him driving a full forced right hook into his cheek. His head snapped to the side from the force, and he fell to the ground gripping his face. She turned and began walking calmly away.
He pulled his hand from his face noticing she had split his cheek open. “You stupid bitch!” He yelled after her “I have a shoot tomorrow!”
She blocked out his whining, shaking out her fist as she walked to her car.
Now sitting on the hood of that Samurai, looking forward to the Mexican border as she had done so many times before. She sighed at the thought of taking the step and just going, but, where would she even look? Manuel hadn’t come looking for her as far as she knew in the last three years, not that she would know if he had. Everything had changed. It was time to go. Leave this place, stop torturing herself with the thoughts of Mexico, and move on with her life as she suspected Manuel had.
She got back in her car and drove all the way to LAX.
August arrived at the airport just before 2:00 A.M, armed with that same suitcase she had left her parents with. She approached a ticket counter.
“What is the next departing flight that I could make?” She asked the hostess.
“We have a flight that leaves for Logan International Airport in an hour. That’s Boston.”
She wasn’t listening, she just nodded her head and handed the hostess her card, and I.D. She signed for the purchase, took the ticket and proceeded through security.
Once on the plane, she stared out the window, lost in thought, and drifted to sleep. She awoke to the flight attendant gently nudging her. She opened her eyes.
“Where are we?” She asked.
“Boston”
She nodded her head, standing up. Exiting the plane, she found a bathroom and freshened up before leaving the airport.
She hailed a taxi, just outside.
“Where to ma’am” the driver asked.
“I have no idea,” She said with a grin. “I don’t want any tourist traps, find me somewhere I won’t get bored”
The driver headed south.
