Chapter 1
We take off, leaving New York behind in its pale gray hue. Although I grew up in Manhattan, I’ve developed a certain aversion to the city, especially after spending a year at the University of North Florida. Now here I am on a plane, heading back. Jacksonville is so peaceful, a stark contrast to New York, and it feels like it’s miles away from everything I’ve ever known.
Nolan gently strokes my arm with a wide grin on his face. He’s just as excited about Jacksonville as I am. We’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember, so of course, we chose the same college. After living in a dorm on campus last year, we’re thrilled to be moving into an apartment off-campus together this year. Our living situation last semester was miserable. I had a roommate who was constantly on the phone, and Nolan kept getting locked out whenever his roommate had female visitors, which happened quite often. So, before summer break, we started looking for a suitable furnished apartment. The anticipation is huge. Although I stayed up all night, I can’t sleep now either. The excitement is just too overwhelming.
“Tomorrow, we could go shopping.” Nolan interrupts my thoughts. “See what else we might need for the apartment.”
“The apartment’s furnished, and we already have everything we need.” I reply.
“I mean decorations or something, to make it look less boring.” Nolan clarifies.
“I already have enough expenses.” I say. “I’m not going to spend money on unnecessary things.”
Last year, I worked as a waitress to help cover my tuition, at least part of it. My parents are paying for my education, but I had to cover room and board on my own. Now, I’ll also have to pay rent for the apartment myself. I can’t afford to spend money on decorative stuff.
“You know...” Nolan continues: “I could cover the rent all by myself. It wouldn’t be a problem at all.”
“More like your parents could cover it.” I reply, slightly sarcastic, rolling my eyes.
Nolan has been telling me since last year that I don’t need to work part-time, but I don’t want to take him up on it. After nearly falling apart during my senior year of high school, I promised myself that I’d become more independent. Even though I have people who will always help me, I want to live as if I didn’t. Because you never know who will stay or leave. I don’t want to rely too much on one person. Otherwise, I’d spiral into self-pity, grief, and anger again if that person suddenly weren’t there anymore. I want to learn to fend for myself, even in the hardest of times.
Nolan stays quiet for a while. Maybe I should have answered a bit more calmly. Even though he’s been nagging me about this forever, he just wants to help.
The plane slowly begins its descent, and the familiar airport comes into view. Nolan had fallen asleep earlier, but as the pilot announces the landing, I wake him. Our excitement erases the earlier tension, and we smile at each other, forgetting everything else around us. I can tell Nolan is thinking the same thing I am: finally, our own apartment - no more roommate problems, no noisy neighbors disrupting our studies, and no constant smell of alcohol or weed. We’re so absorbed in our telepathic conversation that we almost miss the landing. Suddenly, the wheels touch the tarmac, and my heart races with excitement. Even though I experienced this last year, a mix of nerves and worries blends with my joy. I’ll have to find a job again, study enough for exams, and settle into the new apartment. I’m glad we have two weeks before classes start. Hopefully, that’s enough time for everything.
With all our luggage, we hop into the first taxi we can find.
“Hey, Mel!” Nolan calls out. “What’s the first thing we’re going to do?”
“Unpack.” I answer briefly.
“Yeah, I know, but I mean after unpacking. We have two weeks before classes start. What do you want to do during that time?”
“I’ll need to prepare. I have to find a job before then.”
Nolan rolls his eyes and stares out the window as we drive. I feel guilty. We’ve been best friends since childhood, but lately, I’ve been pretty dismissive toward him. Still, he’s always there for me, even when I hurt him.
I look out the window and reflect on my behavior. The high-rises slowly give way to residential houses, and the asphalt turns into grassy fields. That’s one of the reasons I chose the University of North Florida. It’s not directly in the city but surrounded by forests and meadows, and it’s not far from the beach. While it’s technically Jacksonville, it’s far from the urban chaos. I already know I don’t want to stay in New York forever. One day, after graduating, I want to work abroad for a while, maybe in Europe or somewhere else. But that’s far in the future. I don’t need to decide now.
We finally reach the complex where our apartment is located. It’s a student-friendly neighborhood near the university and quite affordable. Last year, we attended a few student parties in this area. There are even fraternity houses nearby. We were lucky to get this apartment. They’re usually always taken. Now we’re parked in front of a two-story building, soon to be our new home.
We get out and retrieve our suitcases from the car, noticing that we’re not the only ones moving into this building. Another car pulls up, and three guys with luggage head towards the front door.
“Hey, are you moving in here too?” Nolan asks them.
They turn to us simultaneously, then set their bags down.
“We’ve had this apartment since last year. We just got back from Orlando.” one of the guys says. He has dark brown hair and is at least a head taller than me.
“You’re students, right?” he asks further. Nolan and I nod in response.
“I’m Aiden. Just a warning: We can get pretty loud. But if we ever bother you, just let us know and we’ll keep it down or join the party. That’s your choice!” he says with a smirk.
A conversation unfolds in which I barely say a word. I’ve always been quiet, while Nolan is the exact opposite: extroverted and easily strikes up a conversation. The other two guys introduce themselves as Ethan and Luke. Ethan has black hair and brown eyes, while Luke is blond with blue eyes. They’re all tall and athletic, with Aiden being the tallest by far. They also attend UNF and are part of the basketball team, which explains a lot.
Eventually, I lose track of the conversation, sinking into my own thoughts. We’ve been standing in front of the door for ten minutes, and I just want to get into our apartment and start unpacking. I’m so tired. I haven’t slept in 24 hours. Still, I don’t want to abruptly end the conversation.
“Some students are meeting at the beach tonight. You’re invited if you’d like.” Aiden says, finally wrapping things up.
We all head through the front door. The guys’ apartment is on the ground floor to the left, and ours is directly across. We’ve been given a code for the key safe mounted on the wall in the hallway. Nolan punches in the code and retrieves two keys with our names on them. At last, it’s time for our own place. Nolan grins at me before opening the door. Even though we toured the apartment a few months ago, it looks completely different now. Back then, two other students were living here. It’s fully furnished, but now everything they owned has been removed.
The hallway has two doors on the left leading to the bathroom and toilet. On the right, there are two doors to equal-sized bedrooms, each brightly lit by large windows and furnished with a bed, wardrobe, and desk. At the end of the hall is a spacious living-dining area with a small kitchen. A glass door leads from the living room to a small terrace with a seating area.
“What do you think? Should we go to the beach party tonight?” Nolan asks after we’ve dropped our suitcases in the living room.
“I don’t know. I kind of just want to unpack and then sleep.” I reply. I feel bad for turning down every single one of Nolan’s ideas today. I don’t want to go to the beach party, but I also don’t want to disappoint him again.
“Come on! It’s only 10 a.m. You can unpack and still get some sleep. I know you’ll be busy with school and Job search starting tomorrow. Just come tonight.”
“Okay... but just this once.” I reluctantly agree, and Nolan pumps his fists in triumph. He’s so excited that I can’t help but smile. He’s right starting tomorrow, I’ll be too busy to have any fun. I should at least spend the first evening enjoying myself with Nolan.
