Chapter 1. Far away from home
The alarm made her shoved her vibrating phone out of the bed. She took a peep from her window as her bed was just one crawl away from her antique window.
'Ughhh...it's still dark. I hate darkness', with her sleepy voice and landed herself back on her soft million dollar mattress.
'Wake up it's 6.00 AM!', a loud bang at the door.
'I'd liked to..... skiiiip today's routine', she yawned back at her sister.
'Okay lazy head...Melina Elizabeth procastinator who never keep her words', her sister replied and went back grumbling and thudding the floor like she was going to cause a moderate earthquake.
After that Melina rolled back in trying to continue her dreams. She was trying hard to picture again the sudden incomplete ending of a crush story she just dreamt about.
'Damn the alarm is a killer..never spare me once to marry my guy', she said to herself.
After 15 minutes of complete silence carrying the winter cold breeze, Melina started to feel her cosy space inside the blanket as a den with lava slowly embracing her from head to toe. She kicked her blanket off and started whispering alone, 'Who's there?'
'Who's there? I can't hear you!' she asked again.
'I'll be here with you... I'll always stay...'
Her phone ranged. She opened her eyes and found the sun lighting every corner of the room.
'Awww... This teal wall with my rainbow tapestry....I'll miss waking up with a positive energy as such', she said to herself while her right hand was stretching in search of her phone.
She dialed back her bestfriend,
'Oh! You called...sorry I just woke up'
'I called you 5 times this morning... thought you went for a walk or something... actually is the tye-dye two piece with you? I can't find it anywhere', her friend on the other side.
'I will check but who does packing at this time....too early for any of us girl...but even I will do the same because I miss you so much', she chuckled and stepped out of her bed.
'Anyway don't forget to bring the tye-dye if it's with you. I need to wear it on the first birthday party of this semester', the other person said.
' Kay Camille, see you love you', Melina replied.
'Take care bye love,' Camille replied back.
Melina put her phone on charging and went again. She reflexed back and looked her phone.
'Gosh, it's afternoon!!!' she exclaimed and rushed to tend her long tedious packing list.
Her mom already left for work but she had prepared foods for her and her sister as she always did. Melina was in a haze and hurry but before everything she put a reminder on her phone about the tye-dye.
'You seem like you regret not starting this yesterday', Lola grinned and locked her arms, standing at the door without helping Melina.
'Yah should have listened to you all my life', she replied back to her sister.
'Make sure you carry everything, your new stilettos and don't forget to wear them occasionally and send me pics', Lola said and smiled.
'Thank you for those... I like to rock them sooner now that I've packed the cami silky dress as well',
'Yah I bought for that reason only you seem like you lack senses now... No more fancy camisoles, no waxing, no mani-pedi, nail polishes, morning beauty routines and I guess the high-waisted also stays because they're universally comfortable', Lola said and pointed with her girly fingers with long nails at her sister, 'if you consider stepping back in but either I like both of your personality but girl I care about you...hope you'll be okay soon'.
Melina sighed and nodded her head like a good doggy. She stood up from her packing and looked at herself in the mirror, 'I do need to steep back in...I'll just make things work perfectly', she did the self motivational talk. She took off all those saggy baggy clothes, long half- sleeve tee shirts and tried to cheer up her baggage. She decided to wear her confidence once again which she lost while trying to save a lot of money. She thought to herself that she had taken things on another level of seriousness, seeking to live as a minimalist that she forgot her small package of happiness.
Later that evening, she found herself wrapped up in a blanket of emotions because her home vacation was too short. They had to travel many places for spending time with their distant relatives. She felt that she got quality time to appreciate the beauty of nature and life while looking at the hustle bustle of each and every person. But she still felt it was too short as she didn't get to spend time properly with her sister and beloved mother for discussing family matters.
'Have you finished packing?' her mom asked.
'Make sure you don't make me drive hundred miles again for your things', she added.
'Of course I won't....okay you go ahead...I'll join you at the dinner table after some seconds', Melina said.
She walked the passage and down the stairs, suddenly she turned around and looked back. It was looking blurry and she blinked her eyes once more to check herself if she was in a hypnosis.
'You will miss the old painting that we both did', Lola broke the suspense.
'Correct but I'm staring at this Deja Vu thing. It hits me again this time', she replied.
'That happens all the time', Lola answered back.
'Yah I can't tell the difference sometimes', she answered as she walked barefeet rubing against the wollen huesome rug all the way down to the ground, getting the vibe of a princess on her special ball.
They were sitting at the dinner table with their special food cooked by their lovely graceful mother. Lola grabbed her plate up and shook her head.
'This will cancel my two days work out', she smirked.
'But still mom's food is the best always....no worries', she then grabbed the beet salad and placed some of it at the side which added more freshness and appetizing look to her plate filled with brown rice, a chunk of butter herb steak and sliced baked potatoes.
'I will miss her food and her mysterious secret ingredient...hope you didn't cook with your stinky feet', Melina chuckled and then they continued dining with their usual jiggles and made-up stories but seldom talk any catastrophic topic at the dinner table.
A while later Melina checked her phone with junk messages from her friends crying that they still needed more time and didn't want to leave home the next day. She replied with a stern look at her phone, 'Me too'.
She jumped in her comfy bed thinking she would miss it but life had to go on somehow and she didn't want to be clingy.
'Oh shoot!... naahhh don't need them....today I'll take a good rest. I need a beauty sleep for you', she said to herself while stalking her crush profile on Instagram.
The alarm ranged and it was 7.00 AM.
'I made it past through the night...no big deal', she got up and straight to the bathroom.
'Oh can't wait to see how this semester works after lot of troubles last time', she stared at her own image admiring her cheeks bones and collar bones.
'Don't be too depressing girl. You will work your butt off. Look at what you've become now after those tough adolescent crappy feelings....clear your head', she assured herself.
She headed downstairs and found her sister arriving at the front door from her morning jogging with sweat all over.
'Go shower fast and nicely', Melina teased her fondly.
'You stinks'.
'Yikes!!! I'll kiss you with this stinky mouth before you're heading off', Lola giggled.
'Come if you dare', Melina replied and went off to her mother's room.
'Mom I'll text you for sure after reaching there.. won't forget this time like last time...I was caught with Camille like you know...', Melina told her mother and hugged her.
'Go be safe...make sure you get a college degree', her mother said.
Melina then called Camille as they would be heading back together with Camille's dad dropping them. Their campus was 250 miles away so they were leaving early and also the girls didn't want to miss the welcome back party by their nutty but caring warden.
She then took out her luggage and one full tight backpack.
'Bye LOL, be a good girl... I'll keep in touch', she told her sister and they hugged tightly for a minute.
She then turned to her mother and hugged her while her mother kissed her at her forehead and said, 'I love you...stay strong'.
Melina suddenly exclaimed, 'Shoot!!!! Almost forgot'.
'Forgot what?!! I knew it damn well', her mother said and slapped her own forehead.
Melina rushed back to her room and opened her closet hasteningly.
'There you are!' she cried
'Camille is here.. do fast', Lola called while a black SUV honked twice or thrice.
'Make sure you take your meds seriously', her mother told her as she walked Melina to the car while Melina was busy checking the tiny round bag.
'Yes Mom... Won't forget that now that I remember this at the last minute', she smiled while showing her mother the bag and the medications that was inside. She entered the car and both her and her best friend waved at her mother.
'Hello! Mr. Rudwick',
'How's your morning?' asked Melina.
'We're about to find out but till now it is beautiful so far', Camille's dad replied with a warm smile.
Both the girls laughed at their new highlighted jokes and stories. They sang along every song in the playlist with their made-up lyrics. Then laughed at themselves for their silly mistakes.
After every stop they took pictures or selfies randomly and then spammed the group chat with their weird faces mimicking all their favourite emojis in their keyboards.
'If I can go to college for the rest of my life with you', Camille softly said.
'Yeah I heard you girl', sighed Melina.
Both know so many people in their surroundings wished they had their bond as they were being referred to every time when anyone spoke about friendship.
'Not even our so called imaginative boyfriends can do so', they laughed and hugged each other with Camille's dad watching through the rear view mirror and sighed, 'What a romance!'
It was afternoon and they finally arrived at their campus staring at the facade of their hostel. Camille's dad took out their heavy luggages and then called Camille for a pep talk while Melina wished some of her batchmates.
'Thanks Dad...love you...safe journey back home', Camille cried.
'Thanks Mr Rudwick....see you again', Melina waved at Camille's dad. They both headed struggling with their heavy luggages.
'Hope you bring the tye-dye girl', Camille said.
'Girl you will get into serious trouble for that one', Melina sighed and nodded her head which guaranteed that she had brought it with her.
'Once again we are back here', Camille sighed.
'Oh my mom!'
'Hey mom we have safely arrived here and you should see our faces and our hair, we look like we are coming straight out of the roller coaster', she told her mom while laughing at herself looking at the mirror.
'Okay bye, need to go shower. Great day to you mom....love you', she then hunged her phone.
She then threw everything under the bed and took out only towel and headed to the bathroom.
After the shower, she was arranging all her things folded her clothes nicely and then took a long gaze at the photo frame of her family which was placed at the vanity with the never faded nylon flowers along with a basket of beauty creams, foundation, blushes, contour, brushes of all sizes and all types, eye-liner, mascaras, 6 shades of matte lipstick, pallete and packet of eyelashes. She sighed again and touched the frame. While moving away her hand, her elbow pushed one of her lipstick and it fell down at her feet.
She quickly picked it and put it back in place and again looked at the photo frame. She felt weird like she had been repeating it over and over again. She started to feel the goose bumps over her body and trying to comfort herself she rubbed her arms swiftly.
'I miss my homies as well', Camille interrupted.
'Yes!', she exclaimed.
'Come here you look weak', Camille pulled her in her arms and then padded Melina's back.
'Here we are far away from home', Camille said and shoved a big wide smile on her face trying to make her bestfriend comfortable.
'Yes, we are. I'm just glad we got each other Cam', Melina smiled back.
'Now enough crying... let's get ready for our first party', Melina broked the awkward situation full of emotions.
'Hey girl we came here to study', Camille joked about it.
'Yups but we are far from home so our parents won't know', Melina chuckled as she handed Camille the tye-dye two piece.
'Nah!!! Keep it with you first. I'll wear on Samantha's birthday', Camille declined.
