problems: e.v.

1990

4:56

4:56 AM, to be exact.

Amy was wide awake, even though she knew she shouldn't have been. She was laying on her side, nodding along to the vinyl playing beside her. It was never too early for a little Pete Townsend.

A sharp ring broke the peaceful state Amy was floating in. She groggily rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, and turned over to find the source of the noise.

She found her mustard landline ringing. She groaned while she reached over and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" She spoke, her sleepiness evident in her voice.

"HellOoooo Ames!" A deeper voice slurred. Amy didn't have to think about who it was. She grew up with that voice, and will probably die with it too. She couldn't believe her ears.

Jeff Ament.

Was calling her at 4:36 AM on a Tuesday night.

"Jeff?" Amy quickly sat up in bed, "Why are you calling? More importantly, how'd you get my number?"

"I have my ways, honey." He responded mysteriously. "I wanted to ask how your life is goin'. A little birdie told me that you've been trying to move out."

"Well living with my mom isn't exactly easy, Jeffrey." Amy spoke, twirling the phone cord between her fingers subconsciously.

"Where are you trying to move to?"

Amy looked at her lap. She hadn't thought about where she was going to move, yet. She just knew that she needed to move away from her mom.

"Away from everyone." She replied honestly. "Montana hasn't been the same without the Jeff Ament." She joked.

"Of course!" Jeff scoffed. "Listen, this is a bit of a stretch, but I have an empty room up in Seattle. I'm living with my singer, but I'm sure he won't be much trouble." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I'd love it if you could come over. If you really wanted to." Jeff drew out.

"Jeff," Amy sighed, "I haven't got a clue as to how I'd be able to get to Seattle. I'm broke."

"I could buy you a ticket!" He quickly interjected.

"Jeff... I can't take your money like that. Look, I'll save up my paychecks, and I'll be able to move maybe next yea-"

"That's too long!" Jeff whined. "I can pay for it now, Ames. My friend Josh is a travel agent. I'm sure I can hook you up with something." He reassured her.

"But-" Amy tried to interject.

"No butts! I'm gonna call Josh right now and get the details. I'll call you back. Bye."
And the line went dead.

Amy put the phone back on the receiver and pulled at her hair.

She couldn't just spontaneously move to Seattle. She had family, friends here.

But her friends are moving away too. And her family - or what's left of it - wouldn't care. Hell, they'd be ecstatic to hear she's leaving.

And she needed to experience the world. She'd never left her home town of Havre. Sure, she'd do road trips every now and again, but she wanted to live

The shriek of the phone broke Amy's train of thought. She quickly reached over and grabbed the phone again.

"Okay... I got tickets. But uh..." Jeff trailed off, "they're a little, uh, early."

"What do you mean?" Amy questioned.

"The flight takes off at 6:45." Jeff sheepishly informed her.

Amy turned and looked at her alarm clock.

It was 4:59.

"Jeff!" Amy whispered-yelled.

"I'm sorry okay! It was the only way I'd be able to get you here without dropping a million bucks."

Amy sighed and massaged her temple with her free hand. "Just fax me the info."

She couldn't believe it.

She was moving to Seattle.

In an hour.

She quickly slammed down the phone and rushed over to her closet. She grabbed a duffle bag and shoved clothes into it, not bothering to fold anything. She threw her shoes into a grocery bag and tossed it to the side. She picked up her jewelry box, her cassettes, her vinyls, and carefully set them on top of her clothes in the bag.

She made her way to her bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush and hairbrush and put them in a baggie. She rushed back into her bedroom and shoved them into the bag, and quickly tried to close it.

She grabbed her backpack which had her wallet and other necessities. She sat down at the edge of her bed and exhaled. She looked back over at the clock.

5:05 AM.

She needed to get to the airport. She got up, but sat down again. She didn't have a ride. She couldn't ask her mom, because would never help her move out. Her step father wasn't legally allowed to drive.

The only person she had was Chloe.

Chloe was Amy's best friend who lived at the very end of her street. Chloe was always there for Amy, and vise-versa. Chloe was moving to Seattle at the end of the year to live with her boyfriend, Andy, who she had met online. She would tell Amy how amazing Andy was.

"He's written songs about me." Chloe would gush.

Amy looked up to see her fax machine printing out a piece of paper. She walked over to her desk and found a spare notepad. She grabbed a pen and scrawled out a note to her mom.

Mom,

By the time you're reading this, I'll already be in Seattle. I've decided that I need to go out and experience the world for myself. I'm sorry if my decision will cause any harm.

Even though I know you don't feel the same, I still love you, and I'm gonna miss you.

Amy.

She put the cap back on the pen and grabbed the faxed paper. She shoved it in her backpack and threw her duffle bag over her shoulder. She turned off the light in her room and made her way downstairs. When she reached the door, her hand ghosted over the handle.

She was doing this.
She was really doing this.

The turned the handle and walked outside, closing it behind her. She stared running down the street towards Chloe's house.

But she was really running towards her new life in Seattle.
-
this is an edited part of my original first chapter.

- abby