So, now, I’d rather sit at home and do all the nerdy things that actually bring me some joy.
And while someone like Christie may not like all of those habits, I know the right girl won’t mind.
Hell, back in the day, I had someone who enjoyed doing the nerdy things with me. We may have just been friends, but I know I’ll find that in my love life someday too.
I had hoped that one day that friendship and my love life would have intersected, but it never happened.
And that girl is long gone, and I doubt she’s ever coming back.
Good.
That’s one headache I don’t need.
Chapter five
Red Bull, Burritos, and Brothers
Jo
Afew hours after leaving Mario’s, I’m flying down the highway while sucking down my second Red Bull and a gas station burrito. I know it’ll be hell on my stomach, but damn, it tastes good.
My car makes a weird noise that I’m trying to ignore. While I know some car maintenance thanks to my brother and brothers-in-law, I haven’t had the time or money to try to diagnose it.Maybe I can have one of them look at it when I get back home—although I’m really not sure if it’s even worth it at this point.
Right now, it just needs to get me back home. After that, it can finally kick the bucket.
Not wanting to hear the noise, I crank up the music. My playlist is a chaotic jumble of everything under the sun. It goes from Rob Zombie to Taylor Swift to Tupac to the soundtrack from Wicked.
It’s all over the place—quite similar to who I am as a human being.
The highway signs speed by, but I’m still hours away from home.
Home.
That’s a word I haven’t used to describe my hometown of Lilly Leaf Falls in quite a while. It’s been years since I’ve lived there.
At eighteen, I was so excited to get away from it. I wanted to go have crazy adventures and never stay in one place for too long.
Well, I did it. And now, I’m over it. All I want is some normalcy with my family. Since I left, all four of my older siblings have coupled up, and I now have five nieces and nephews. I only had one when I left. I’m tired of missing out on all their big moments.
Also, while I did have some wild adventures, I’ve also gotten into trouble, dated some jerks, and never stayed in one place for too long.
Some time in my hometown sounds like exactly what I need. Family is what I need.
Speaking of family, I decide to call one of my sisters. Ronnie may be seven years older than me, but as adults, we’ve become infinitely closer. Like me, she also had the urge to get out and see the world. Unlike me, she wasn’t such a hot mess while doing it. She became a high-profile photographer while I partied my way up and down the Western seaboard.
The phone rings twice before I hear a cheerful, “Well, hello, my delightful baby sister.”
“Why are you in such a good mood?” I ask. “Did you just get laid or something?”
“Hey! I’m always in a good mood…but yes.”
That’s Ronnie. Always a little crazy and has zero filter.
She asks, “What are you up to? You sound like you’re in the car.”
“I am.”
“You on your way to work?”
