5Hey loyal readers!(: It's been a while, right? Well here I am with the first chapter of the second installment of the "Pieces" series:) I'm so excited! This story is a wild and crazy ride so I hope you brought your seat belt! However, I do have to admit this chapter isn't very exciting...and I finished it in a rush.../: Blahhh. Any forms of constructive criticism are appreciated!
Lost Pieces
Chapter 1
Cold, black terror clutched my stomach as I looked over the dashboard. Today was the day my life really changed. It was silly of me to be scared of something so small. I'd moved once before and this really was just a move.
Really it was a life changing move with thousands of new people, but still. It was a huge change. I was moving into a dorm with thousands of girls I didn't know. I hated meeting new people unless I was with someone I really knew. This was like putting a little fish into a tank with Great White sharks.
I felt nauseous. My hands were gripping the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles were white. I did not want to get out of this car. Ever.
Oh dear God. I slipped a sweaty palm off the steering wheel and onto the door handle. I pushed it open, closed my eyes, and walked out into the sun.
The campus had two intertwining sidewalks with long, green grass growing around it. The actual dorm was a square, white building with many windows and a huge glass front door. People were sprawled out on the lawn, enjoying the hot New York sun. Some guys were even playing a game of football. I wiped my hands on my jeans and walked into the dorm entrance.
In a moment, I felt instantly comfortable. There was a flat screen hung up on the wall to the right and the left, with different colored beanbags and chairs strewn everywhere. Girls around my age were sitting in them and talking, a few even had magazines with them. Straight ahead of me was a desk with an older woman sitting behind it with stairs on one side of her and an elevator on the other.
The woman saw me as I stood in the doorway, fidgeting.
"Hello! Come here, come here! Let me get your name and I'll give you your dorm number and the rest of your paperwork!"
I shuffled over to the desk, gave you my name and watched as she grabbed a stack of papers for me.
"My name is Helena and I'm a guidance counselor for the girls here. If you have any problems with your classes, classmates, roommate, money or any other problems, you just let me know and I'll try to help you! You are in room 2J with Christina Ambrose. That's on the second floor closest to the back wall."
I nodded, took my papers and key, and headed into the empty elevator. I walked down the long hallway and stopped just in front of room 2J. I hesitated. Inside the voice of a girl rambling on and on awaited me. I pushed open the door to see the very tiny living room of the dorm. It had a small TV with two chairs and a coffee table. The beds were pushed up against the wall, with a drawer sitting next to each. There was a small kitchen attached to the living room through an open doorway. A large widow was to the right of the beds, giving me a nice view of a beautiful tree.
Christina was in the kitchen, her back to me. She had long red, wavy hair which was pulled up into a ponytail. She must have heard me come in, because she turned to face me, a huge smile on her face. Christina's bright brown eyes were enthusiastic as she squealed and ran towards me in high heels. It was a bad idea. She slipped on a green rug and came crashing down onto the floor. I gasped and rushed forward to help her up.
"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry. I was just so excited to meet you I rushed in these stupid heels." She said.
I gave her a hand and hefted her up. She was taller than me by a few inches and gangly too. Her face was round, with deep set hazel eyes.
"Now that you're here, we can go to lunch or something! Get to know each other. We have a whole year with each other, so we might as well start off on the right foot. I have a feeling this year will be pretty amazing. You seem so nice too. That's always a ni-"
"You're rambling, Christina." I said with a smile.
Now I didn't know what I was so worried to meet my roommate. She seemed nice. I'd go as far as to say sweet even. I could tolerate her for a whole year.
Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands for a moment.
"I'm so sorry. I usually end up rambling when I'm nervous which is like, always. I actually don't know why it happens to me so much. It's kind of weird isn't it? Maybe it's-"
I interrupted her again. "You're doing it again."
Christina stopped speaking and thought for a moment. "You're right. We should go to lunch to this little diner across the street."
My stomach rumbled at the thought. It was a great idea actually.
"You know, that sounds really good right now."
"Great!" She smiled. "I'll grab my coat and we can go."
We walked out the door a few minutes later. Once I was out the door, I smiled. The sun hitting my skin felt amazing. Fall would come around soon and I would have to start wearing a coat against the chill, so the warm temperature was nice. We started walking across the grass, avoiding the busy sidewalk.
"Have you lived in New York long?" I asked, glancing over at Christina.
Christina nodded, pushing her red hair out of her face. "I've lived here my whole life. People make New York seem like a bad place. It's really not that bad. Crime rates are going down and so is the population." She shrugged. "I love it here. You are not from around here, are you?"
I frowned. "Nope. I'm from L.A. originally, but moved to Chicago for my senior year of high school."
Christina's eyes went wide as she opened her mouth to speak. "Watch out!"
I didn't have a second to think, to even breathe before I was tackle to the ground by a mysterious two hundred pound object. I heard air whoosh out of my lungs as I landed on the grass, gasping for breath.
The person who ran into me pushed himself up on his knees. He ran his fingers through his short brown hair and looked at her with bright grass green eyes. They reminded her briefly of spring. In his other hand was a football.
"I didn't see you standing there, I'm sorry." He flashed me a bright smile, stood and offered me a hand.
I considered taking it before getting up myself. "Next time, look before you leap."
I started brushing bits of grass off my shirt and jeans as he spoke.
"I will." He glanced back over at his group of friends briefly. "I'll see you later…"
"Samantha." I filled in. "And you are?"
He was already gone though, back to the game. I guess I'd have to pick up his name next time I saw him.
"Wow…" Christina said, watching the guy that tackled me. "He's really cute. It's too bad you didn't get his name."
"You think so?" I questioned, watching him too. He might be a little cute. You know, for girls who were looking for a boyfriend. I couldn't date this year. It would take awhile to get over Jesse.
Jesse was a blonde haired, blue eyed arrogant asshole that I fell in love with last year. I thought he loved me too. It was the first time I had ever felt safe and happy in a relationship. Honestly, I thought we were going to last. When we dated, my crazy ex-boyfriend stabbed me. While I was in the hospital he broke up with me through a note. My heart was shattered. I have yet to put it back together.
"Yes totally!" She snapped me out of my thoughts.
We walked across the street to Diana's Diner. It was a sixties diner, decked out in reds, whites and silvers. It even had a jukebox in the corner. There was a long counter with red stools in the center of the shop, surrounded by booths. There were quite a few people here, being served by waitresses.
I walked up to the counter and hopped up on a stool, looking up at the menu sign above me. Christina followed suit.
"They have the best milkshakes here. They come in that old fashioned glass cup too."
A burly middle aged man came out behind the other side of the counter and had a wide smile on his face.
"Christy! How are you honey?"
I raised an eyebrow at her. She must come here more often than I had originally thought.
"I'm doing good Mickey. How are you?"
He laughed. "I've been missing my favorite customer. What kept you away so long?"
She inclined her head towards me. "I moved into the college dorm. I decided to take Samantha, my dorm mate here, to the best diner in New York."
He turned towards me, his dull brown eyes sparkling. He put out a hand, and I did the same. "My name's Mickey. I am part owner of Diana's Diner. Any friend of Christy's is a friend of mine." He slapped the palms of his hands on the counter. "So what do you girls want today?"
"Vanilla milkshake with a double cheeseburger please." Christina said.
"I want a regular hamburger with a chocolate milkshake."
He came back ten minutes later with two hot plates and two glasses. We ate through idle chitchat about our high school lives.
"I've lived here my whole life," She started, taking a sip of her milkshake. "I went to high school here and it was okay. It wasn't really a long walk and we didn't have anybody too horrible. There were, however, quite a few incidents like fights and vandalism. Once there was even a guy who got his car totally trashed because he cheated on her!"
I looked at the glass my milkshake was in, took a spoon and swirled it. "Did you know a boy named, um," I paused, unsure if I could say his name. "Jesse McGraw?"
"Jesse McGraw? Yeah there was one guy in my grade named that…did he have blonde hair and blue eyes? His older sister's name is Lacey right?"
I nodded.
"He was a total player." Christina rolled her eyes. "But every girl dated him once or twice. He is totally hot. It's too bad he moved away. I think he's back though. Why?"
I took a sip of the milkshake. "Oh nothing. I just heard of the name, that's all."
"Maybe we'll run into him!" She exclaimed. "I dated him freshmen year and broke up with him within the same day." Christina stuck out her tongue. "But we stayed friends on and off until he moved. I heard his parents kicked him out and told him to grow up and to come back when he did."
I stayed silent. So it really wasn't a surprised that he left. Just when I thought I knew him too.
"Yeah. Maybe." I said quietly.
Some part of me wanted to see him. I wanted to look him in the eyes and ask him why he would put me through all that to crush me in the end. I wanted him to say that he was just playing me to my face.
"Let's leave." She took out a twenty and slid out of the chair with me following her out.
We walked around campus for a while before deciding to sit outside on a bench. It was way too nice outside to waste it inside. There were quite a few people out, either playing a game or just sitting around talking. Then there was a couple a few feet from us under a huge oak tree madly making out with each other. Christina made a face at them.
"Ew. Who makes out in public? I mean really. That's just gross!"
I nodded. "Totally."
It was a tall blonde girl with an even taller blonde guy with spiked hair. They looked familiar somehow. I racked my brain for a moment but came up with nothing.
"I don't think I can watch anymore. Have you seen the mall here in New York?" Her hazel eyes brightened.
Immediately my mood lifted. Shopping just does that to me. I did hear that the malls here were absolutely amazing.
"Not yet." I said.
"We have to go right now. It's within walking distance from here."
We left and I soon found out what New Yorkers call within walking distance. If you could even call it walking. You literally had no breathing space on the sidewalks. There are just so many people! Every time you move, you just bump into yet another person.
I stared at it in awe for a moment before rushing in, pulling Christina behind me. We ran in every store, and looked at every item twice. We tried on crazy outfits and crazier accessories.
Christina wasn't as bad as I thought she was going to be. She was actually nice and I could have fun with her. It surprised me how I could click with a friend so easily and be so…social. It felt…normal.
By the time we were done it was already dark, so we walked in the last light of the day, hurrying to the dorms.
"Crime is a big issue, especially at night. Next time, we really need to watch the time!" She let out, still winded from our run home. I unlocked the dorm and collapsed on the couch.
"Christina?" I called out. She had gone to change into her pajamas.
"Yeah?" She answered.
"We're no longer dorm mates." I said with a grin.
"What?"
"We're officially friends." I turned to smile at her. She had a matching one on her face.
I stayed up while she went to bed, watching TV for a little while. My eyes drifted to my phone on the coffee table. Maybe I should text Becky and tell her how my day was…or maybe I could do it tomorrow.
I headed to bed, my thoughts still lingering on today.
:) Sorry for the boring beginning chapter:P I promise this one just sets up for the next one, which brings a lot of drama and tension=)
Review!
Pweeetty please?