"So, are we nervous? Excited? How we feeling?" My mother sounded annoyingly cheerful as she attempted to break the tense silence between us for the millionth time in the countless hours we've been trapped in this clunker of a car. I continued to stare out the window, determined to pretend she didn't exist.

She sighed, sounding very tired and frustrated. "You're still angry with me?" The sadness in her voice made me feel slightly guilty, until I reminded myself she was dragging me across the country against my will. "Gia..you're going to have to talk to me sometime." She didn't sound like she was entirely certain, knowing too well about my extraordinary ability to hold a grudge.

She pulled the car into some random diner on the side of the road called "Moonshine Diner," that looked like it hadn't been updated since the 1950s. After she found a parking spot close to the front and shut off the car, she turned to face me. I kept my eyes out the window, examining my surroundings. So far, I wasn't too impressed.

My mother once again tried to fill the silence, while I stubbornly refused to make eye contact with her. "We are just outside of Meadow Hills. We're almost there, can you believe it?!" Her excitement was apparent and it made me roll my eyes. If you couldn't tell already, I was not happy with this move. I was not happy with a lot of things.

"Gianna Marie Asher." My mom said my full name with an angry edge in her voice, the way she did when she's trying to show me she means business. I couldn't stand being called by my full name.

"Look at your mother when she's speaking to you." She commanded, trying to remain calm as to not upset me further, but losing her patience with me at the same time.

Reluctantly, I turned my head and looked at her for the first time in hours. A hopeful expression came over her face, until she saw the anger in my eyes..and then the expression faded as soon as it came.

"Gia, I know it's been a rough year on the both of us. But don't you see? That's why we need this move. We both could use a fresh start." She smiled at me, desperately wanting me to see this move as a positive. But there was a look in her eyes that told me she knew I didn't agree.

"Mom, I wish you wouldn't do that." She seemed startled when I spoke for the first time probably the entire trip.  "Don't act like this move had anything to do with me. I had a life in Denver, remember? I had a boyfriend, I had friends, and I had a father. You're the one who needed a fresh start. You wanted to get as far away from dad as possible." There was a defeated look that came over her face, giving away that I was right. "That's why we moved. This whole thing is about you, I'm just along for the ride."

Okay, so to be fair..I was idealizing my life in Colorado. Not that I would ever tell my mom about any of this. But I was pretty positive my boyfriend had been cheating on me for quite some time. It was common knowledge actually, no matter how much he denied it.

When I told him the news of this move, he seemed relieved. I honestly think he was trying to find a way to break up with me, and this made it to where he didn't have to.

My friends..well, they weren't real friends. They only started talking to me after I started dating my now ex-boyfriend, who was kind of a big deal back home. They weren't very nice people and we didn't have much in common. They too, didn't seem too upset about the revelation that I was leaving. I even suspected that at least one of them was actually sleeping with my boyfriend, but I could never prove it.

Then my dad..he had been distant for a very long time. We used to be close, but towards the end he started staying away more and more. For work, he said. But even when he was home, he wasn't really there. Then after my parents separated, he stopped coming around all together.

In retrospect, I suppose my life in Denver wasn't all that great. But I still found myself annoyed by this whole thing. At least I knew people in Colorado. At least it was familiar. What the hell do I know about 'Meadow Hills?'

All I know, is that it was where my mother grew up and she always talked like it was the greatest place on earth.  Something told me she was seriously over-exaggerating though.

"Gia, please. Meadow Hills is a nice place, I promise. You'll like it if you give it a chance." My mom softened her voice as she tried to reason with me. She was on the verge of pleading at this point. She gestured toward the little diner in front of us and attempted a smile."Let's just go in and get some food in our bellies, what do you say? Might be nice to stretch our legs a bit."

I scoffed bitterly, my sarcasm rearing it's ugly head. "Yeah, it would be nice. Especially considering you insisted on driving the twenty-six hours here instead of the three and a half hours by plane." I turned to glare at her just in time to see her rolling her eyes.

"I thought a road trip might give us a chance to bond." She admitted in a mumble. Something told me she regretted that decision now, as she underestimated how pissed off I was. "Come on, Gia. We're here. This is our new reality. Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

I glared at her once more, her words angering me. "Excuse me, I'm making things difficult? You're the one who left their husband and father of your child to move across country so you could take a trip down memory lane in some trashy town." Her mouth dropped open and her brows furrowed. She was definitely losing her patience with me.

"That's not fair, Gia! That's not fair at all!" I was taken back as her eyes filled with tears and she turned away from me to look out the window. I took in a deep breath, feeling guilty I had hurt her feelings.

"You and dad are never getting back together..are you?" I finally said in a quiet tone, staring ahead. I wasn't too comfortable talking about my feelings with my mother, and the last thing I wanted was to get emotional, too. But I suppose part of me always hoped that their seperation was temporary. This move was making it feel way more permanent than it felt back in Denver.

"Your father filed for divorce, Gia." Her voice broke as she started to cry. I stared at her with my eyes widened, not wanting to believe what I was hearing. "He's seeing someone else. That's why he was always away so much. I told him we should tell you it's over together, but he refused. Coward."

There was a small part of me that wasn't entirely surprised. It made sense, the way he was acting so shady and secretive. But it was still a tough thing to hear. I also hadn't realized how much pain my mother was in until now.

I knew how hard it was to know my boyfriend was cheating on me, I can only imagine how it must feel when it's your husband and the father of your child. I suppose it would be even harder when your daughter has been a total witch to you the entire time.

"I'm..I'm sorry, mom." I seemed to surprise her as I swallowed my pride and let my guard down just enough to try to comfort her. She wiped the tears off her face, doing a quick look in the mirror before letting out a frustrated grunt when she saw the damage to her makeup.

Being seen in public without her hair and makeup flawless was pretty much my mother's worse nightmare. In that regard I would wonder if I was adopted, if we didn't look so much alike.

Don't get me wrong, I cared about the way I looked. I made somewhat of an effort. But my mom was on a whole other level. Every eyelash must be curled, every hair must be in place.

"I'm sorry about dad, I mean...and about being so difficult." I continued as she pulled out a tissue from her purse. "I guess I'm just..a little scared." This was about as open with my mother as I got, and I could see a weight was being lifting off her shoulders.

She dabbed at the tears on her cheeks with the tissue crumbled up in her hand, and smiled at me. "It would be strange if you weren't scared, sweetheart. To be honest, I'm scared too. Not only am I still getting used to not being with your father, but I haven't been to Meadow Hills in..well, decades." She shook her head, seeming to be in disbelief it had actually been that long. There was a thoughtful look on her face that told me her mind was elsewhere, probably back to when she was last here.

"Truth be told, I never wanted to leave here. I loved it in Meadow Hills and I had hoped to raise you here as well. But your father.." Her voice trailed off and she looked at me from the corner of her eye, like she was deciding how much to actually tell me. "..well, it just didn't work out that way. Denver is his stomping grounds, it never really was mine. So, I guess you're right. I am the one who needed the change." She looked as though she felt guilty for dragging me against my will, which in turn made me feel guilty as well.

"I guess maybe I needed a change, too." I admitted, trying to be more optimistic. I still was nervous about starting over and hated the idea of being 'The new girl,' but I could tell my mother really needed this. She needed for me to give her permission to be excited about it.

As much as my mother and I clash sometimes, I actually do care. I mean, of course I do. She's been there for me in a way that my dad never was. It was just the two of us, long before it was actually just the two of us.

She looked at herself in the mirror attempting to fluff her hair and straighten her mascara. "You look beautiful, mom. You always look beautiful." She smiled at me, her pretty blue eyes I inherited filling with tears. Her smile was warm, and she lovingly brushed my long brown hair away from my face.

"So, what do you say? Are you ready to go eat yet?" She asked, her cheerful disposition returning. I sighed and took another look at the old-fashioned diner. The truth was that I was starving, I was just also stubborn.

I opened the passenger door and began to step out of the car. "Alright, let's go."

Moonshine Diner  was pretty much everything you'd expect out of a diner. I'm convinced that all these little diners across america are the pretty much the same.

They were the place to be in the 1950s. The kind of place teenagers went on dates for a cheeseburger and a milkshake, their poodle skirts in tact. But now? They were the place you go to when you've been traveling all day and don't feel like going any further without eating something.

Our waitress approached our booth by the window. She appeared to be my age, and she was one of the prettiest girls I had ever seen. Perfect mocha skin, big dark brown eyes, and shiny black hair that was in long braids.

There was something about the way she carried herself that told you this was a girl with a cool kind of confidence that everyone else wishes they had.

"Welcome to Moonshine Diner, I'm Chanel and I'll be serving you today." She gave us a friendly smile as she set down menus in front of us. The way she rattled off the sentence with ease gave away she had said it a million times.

She pulled out a notepad and pen out of the pocket of her entirely too old-fashioned uniform. "Can I start you ladies off with something to drink while we look over the menu?"

My mother, had been awkwardly studying the waitress intently who identified herself as 'Chanel'  did not speak, as though she hadn't been listening to a word she said. Instead she kept her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, her eyes narrowed at her like she was studying a painting.

The waitress looked from my mother to me inquisitive, and I took that as my cue to speak. "Um..can I have a Dr. Pepper please? Mom..do you want coffee?" The waitress scribbled on her notepad while I looked towards my mother with my eyebrows raised, silently begging her to stop making it awkward.

"You're related to Nadine Carlita, aren't you?" My mother finally said, surprising both the waitress and myself.

"Uh..yes, actually. Nadine's my mother. But how did you know?" The waitress professional demeanor vanished temporarily as she looked at my mother confused. I had to admit, I might be even more confused than she was.

My mother's face lit up in excitement as she sat up straight in the booth.  "Oh my God, I knew it! You look just like she did when she was your age!" She beamed, a smile spread across Chanel's  face. "Your mother and I were great friends in high school. I haven't seen her in years, though. I just moved back to Meadow Hills with my daughter." My mother gestured towards me, and I could feel my face flush. I could already see it in my mother's eyes where this was headed.

"Maybe the two of you should hang out sometime! You look like the same age. Perhaps you could show Gia around." My mother suggested, humiliating me in the process. Nothing says 'I have no friends'  like your mother trying to pimp you out.

I suddenly wished teleportation was an actual thing. If awkward situations could kill, I'd be six feet under. "Mom, come on. The poor girl's just trying to take our order." I looked at the waitress with remorse on my face, silently apologizing for my mother's pushiness.

"It's okay." The waitress named Chanel  laughed, seeming entirely unphased as she turned back to my mom. "You're Caroline right? My mother has been going on and on about some friend from school that was moving back." She gave me the side-eye, making me wonder if her mom had the same idea about us being friends that mine obviously did.

"Yes, that's me! Oh, I can't wait to see your mother again! How is she?" My mother was so excited, I could see a glimpse of the teenager she once was as her mind went back to a simpler time in her life. Although I felt entirely too awkward right now, I had to admit it was nice seeing her excited about something. It made me realize how long it had actually been since I had seen her happy.

"She's doing great, actually. She owns the salon on first street." Chanel  said with a smile, putting her notepad and pen back in her pocket.

"Oh wow, she got the salon? She always used to talk about wanting to own that place someday. That's amazing." My mother went on and on about her friend Nadine, and I was beginning to feel like I did when I was a kid and my mother would hold the whole line up at the grocery store chit-chatting with the cashier. All the customers behind us staring us down like we were ruining their entire life.

"Mom, I'm sure Chanel has other tables." I nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and my mom looked embarrassed.

My mother flipped her brown hair back and turned her attention back to Chanel."You'll have to excuse Gia's rude behavior. This move hasn't been easy on her, especially with her father and I--"

"Oh my God mother, enough! Just tell her what you want to drink! Please!" I snapped at my mother, cutting off her sentence. I know I'm probably making myself seem rude, but I couldn't believe she was about to tell our entire family history to the waitress who was just trying to get our drink order. I mean, she knows her mother..but this girl is still a stranger.

My mother's tone became rushed as she fell quiet. "Coffee, please."

Chanel  politely smiled at the both of us as she excused herself to go get our drinks. My mother glared at me before turning her attention to the menu in front of her. "I'm getting really tired of your attitude, Gia. It's embarrassing." She sounded annoyed while she pretended to look over the menu.

"I'm embarrassing?! Mother! The waitress does not need to hear about your failed marriage, even if her mother was your friend once upon a time." My mother winced, like my words stung. "I'm sorry, but it's true. Also I appreciate the thought, but I'm sixteen-years-old and I can make friends myself." It was now my turn to pretend to look over the menu, mainly out of embarrassment. I'm sure that girl thinks I'm sad and pathetic.

My mother sighed, seeming defeated. "I'm sorry. I just can't seem to do anything right, these days." I looked at her wearily as she sat herself up out of the booth, tears filling her eyes once more. "I'm just going to go use the restroom."

As my mother walked away from the table, the all too familiar feeling of guilt washed over me. I had unintentionally hurt her feelings..again. Ugh, why am I such a jerk?

I let my elbows rest on the table and put my face in my hands. My mother wasn't the only one that felt like she couldn't do anything right.  My head was such a jumbled up mess with thoughts of the life I left behind and the unknown future that is Meadow Hills.

One of the hardest parts was knowing that my 'boyfriend' and 'friends' have most likely forgot about me already. Then this whole thing with my dad..I was entirely unsure of where my place was in the world.

I was pulled out of my self-pity when Chanel returned with our drinks, setting my Dr. Pepper  down in front of me. When she noticed the empty seat across the table from me, she looked at me confused.

"She's in the bathroom." I said quietly. She nodded and looked down at the table, seeming to sense something was wrong. "Should I come back to take your order then?" She finally asked. I shrugged indifferently, not sure I was so hungry anymore.

"Listen, do you think you might want to..after you're settled in or whatever.." I looked up at her when her voice trailed off, her confident demeanor slightly shaken. "I don't know..hang out or whatever?"

I had to admit to being really surprised. I could certainly use a friend, and I got a good vibe from her. But I was afraid she was suggesting we hang out just being polite. "You don't have to just because my mother--"

"I'm not. Trust me, if I didn't want to hang out I wouldn't have said anything." She assured me, cutting off my sentence while she studied me. "I get a good vibe from you."

Huh, so it's not just me? Wait until my mother finds out her 'friend matchmaking' actually worked. We'll never hear the end of it.

Just as we exchanged numbers, we were both distracted by the bells attached to the front door making noise, giving away someone had just walked in.

Chanel  gave a knowing look like she recognized the new customer that had just walked in, and my mouth dropped open in shock.

"Who the hell is that?!"

Authors note: If you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to vote :)