We trudged through what seemed to be the main gate of the 'neighborhood' that had guards at what seemed to be a post. The ground we walked on was striped from the gate with the full moon acting as a spotlight going through each bar. It definitely had the prison effect.
As a huge group we moved through the new area and saw that there were rows upon rows of small cottages with just enough yard so that the houses wouldn't be touching each other. The homes themselves were not anywhere near big themselves maybe the size of an apartment with a roof over it. We got to a residence with the number eighteen on the door which didn't take long at all in the first row. Rachel and I were pushed inside with the door slammed behind us.
Rachel and I did not move from the doorway, taking in what had just happened to us. First we were in the dark in a strange place. Not only was it a home, this was my new home. Correction this was our new home. I was to live here with Rachel even though we're still in high school and my family was living a few streets from there. I looked over to see that there was a table near the door, where we will eat eventually. There were two plain rings just laying there. I assumed they were supposed to be our wedding bands, for us reflecting in from the moonlight shining through the small window. This was all for me and my wife, Rachel Hertz. She was now Rachel March, tying us together legally. The girl I grew up with, and now she was my wife, Mrs. Nick March.
5
Rachel
"Rachel?" Nick asked, and I turned to look at him.
I pushed my hair behind my ear. Glancing around the small room I didn't know what to say. There was so much to take in, so much to be questioned that I didn't know where to start.
"I really don't know what to say, or…I don't know," I tripped over the words, feeling flustered. "We're married?"
Nick's eyes went to the window.
"I guess we really are, it was one thing when it was a project, but now…" his voice died down as we stared at each other. "Rachel, how about we get some sleep and figure this out in the morning?"
"Easier said than done," I mumbled, knowing sleep was not going to take me over tonight.
We took a few steps through the living area which was in front of a small back area which held a bedroom on the left, then a miniature bathroom, then another tiny bedroom on the right. The doors for all three were open, so we leered into the two not decorated rooms. Feeling exhausted, I just stepped into the room on the right, not in the mood to argue who took what room. I shut the door then changed into the pajamas that I had packed for the trip. I gazed down at the mattress that was on the floor that appeared to have sheets. Sitting on the mattress I attempted to sleep on the unfamiliar bedding. The room was so impersonal, not a home. The sheets felt stiff and rough against my skin. My eyes wouldn't close as I lay on my back, eyes glued to the ceiling. I realized I never heard the other bedroom door close. Pushing aside the sheets and opening my door, I tiptoed out of my room. There on the couch, I saw Nick's silhouette.
I leaned against the entryway between the bedrooms and the rest of the house. He hadn't noticed me yet, but I did not want to scare him. Nick was hunched over with his fingers in his brown hair.
"Hey," I finally spoke up, my fingers still touching the wall.
Nick glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, I thought you went to bed," Nick responded, his lips in a weak smile.
Taking a couple of steps I sat next to Nick on the couch, bringing my knees to my chest.
"I couldn't sleep," I answered, as my fingers ran across the corduroy fabric of the couch. This had to have been a used couch.
I looked around the room I was in which was my new home, well I guess our new home. There was a window that was on the opposite side of the room. There was a TV probably from the eighties near the window and a small fireplace on the third wall. Even in the dark I could tell that the whole rug in the room was some shade of pink that appeared extremely cheap. There was a small table and two chairs made of a light color wood right next to the door on the other side. A lot of this stuff, if not all of it, seemed like they would be found in a thrift store or some type of donation center, or even from the random pieces of furniture people leave at street corners.
There was another entryway off to the side. There in that vicinity was a small kitchen that had room for all of the cooking, but nothing else. It appeared like something my mother would call 'charming'. Scanning the room, my eyes locked with Nick's blue ones.
"This almost seems like a dream," I finally spoke.
Nick sighed. "A little."
"We'll be watching our spouses grow up," I continued, the words just spilling out of my mouth causing Nick to raise an eyebrow.
"We aren't children Rachel, we are almost adults."
"We aren't children, we aren't adults," I responded, resting my head against my knees facing him. "I knew something was wrong about the trip, I just didn't expect this. I wonder how they picked who was married to whom. That’s a big deal. Why did they pick our school out of all the schools in the
