Passengers | Edited Version

Chapter Three

THREE

"Where did you say you came here from?" I ask, as we make our way back to Miss Mariam's house. I remember that she mentioned it in a blur of sentences before she went to get the brownies, but I don't remember exactly what the name that she said was. Since being out of school for about a month now, my memory has been drastically fading, which probably isn't a good thing. Maybe taking a gap year wasn't the best choice to make if this keep going.

"You mean the last town that I was in or where I was born?"

"Are they two separate things?"

As much as I love Miss Mariam and the fact that it's hot in South Carolina most of the time, I really wish that I wasn't still here in Franklin. It's the only place that I've ever been able to call home, just like a long line of Drehers before me. Most people in Franklin can say the exact same about their ancestors, too. Nothing ever changes here. The farthest I've ever been from here was three way away to Myrtle Beach the summer before high school with Mama and Miss Mariam, but we only went there because Mama went through a bad breakup.

"Yeah, it's two completely different things!" She laughs as if she can't comprehend a sedentary life. "The last town I stayed in was this town in North Carolina, right outside of Charlotte. I was only there for a month, though. I don't remember where I was before that, to be honest. Somewheres in Virginia and so forth for a number of towns in each state from here to Maryland. And Tennessee. And West Virginia. And Kentucky. But I was born and raised in Lanham, Maryland."

Lord almighty, talk about well traveled.

At least compared to me.

"Why did you move around so much?" I can't imagine getting to see that many different places, all of it a stream of road signs and a group of people more diverse than the last. Maybe she's seen snow on Christmas morning that was so blinding that the whole town looked as if it were frozen or seen the White House on a rainy day or seen one of those country singers that are always on the radio out on the street in Nashville or took a picture in front of the world's largest ball of string or seen a town that has stores open later than eleven o'clock at night or any of the thousands of tourist attractions that someone who has never left their tiny southern state would never get to see.

Indie's lips pull into a grimace, as if my question was one that she didn't want to answer. Was it the wrong question to ask or something? I don't think it came off as rude. Miss Mariam is always going off about how the fact that my high level of confidence tends to come off as too direct and therefore disconcerting, so maybe she was right. Indie looks as if she's still going to answer my question, but by the time she opens her mouth to get the words out, we reach the back gate of Miss Mariam's and all chances of a private conversation goes up in flames.

I'm the only one to use the gate, as it's seen to be more customary to use the front door, but I used to do it when I was younger and haven't gotten around to breaking the habit. The downside to that, however, is that she automatically knows that it's me coming. "Eleanora! You better have taken that pie over to that girl staying in Johnny's old lot that I've been telling you to for days now. I know you heard me for sure earlier."

I let out a laugh. "I already did that, Miss Mariam! I even brought her back here for company."

I look back over at the new girl and have to catch a second glance because she's standing there with her shoulders tense and a look I can't pinpoint on her face. I guess she's a touch on the shy side. I place my hand on her bare shoulder to make sure that she knows I was just teasing about how she had to come here with me. "You'll be fine. Just relax, okay? She's probably the nicest person in town and possibly that you've ever met. If you really don't feel comfortable, you could just make some excuse after saying your greetings and no one would blame you."