Hailey's POV.
The plane had barely landed before I was itching to disappear. Not into a new place or new beginning like everyone kept saying... but to dissolve. Just vanish. Because arriving didn’t feel like an arrival at all.
I clutched the strap of my backpack tighter, head down, ignoring everything, my parents.
Everything .
It all made me sick.
The drive from the airport took another eternity. I didn’t care about the clean streets or the fact that the weather here was “nicer.” My chest ached like a balloon filled too tightly, ready to burst with the slightest jab.
When we finally pulled up to the new house... big, modern, ugly in its perfection... I didn’t wait for anyone. I grabbed my duffel bag, ignored Dad’s attempt at a half smile, and walked straight in without a word.
I stomped up the stairs, turning corners I wasn't used to, passing empty rooms and unfamiliar walls. I picked the room at the end of the hall just because it was farthest away from everyone.
It didn’t matter
