MADE FOR YOU | 18+

one

"Anastasia!"

My mother woke me abruptly, interrupting my peaceful dreams of dropping out of school and running my own vineyard in Santorini. This option sounded much better than my current reality. I responded to her with a loud groan, rolling over onto my left side.

"Ana. You're going to miss your flight if you don't leave within the hour!" she retorted, opening my sheer curtains and letting the sunlight trickle further in.

Today was my last first day at St. George's Boarding Academy. I've been in boarding school since the seventh grade, and while it had its perks, a small part of me always seemed to miss home the minute I'd arrive.

St. George was located in the beautiful and luxurious city of Genéve, Switzerland, a long way from my hometown in Providence, Rhode Island. My parents sent me here hoping I'd be able to experience one of the finest educations the world has to offer, while simultaneously immersing myself in different cultures. St. George was definitely a "rich kids" school, as most boarding academies are, but I was incredibly fortunate to score a scholarship after my first year of being there. By no means was my family dripping in wealth, but we were lucky enough to have money for travel, and to maintain a stable income that provided us a comfortable lifestyle.

"Alright, alright, I'm getting up!" I lurched upwards, my thoughts coming to a halt, as I saw my mom approach with a throw pillow, ready to strike. We immediately let out our stifled laughs and shared a warm embrace. While we rarely said we loved each other out loud, it was the little moments like these that confirmed it. Albeit her natural beauty shining through, I could tell from her aging blue eyes that she was worn out, her light brown curls speckled with gray streaks and frizziness from the summer heat. The stress of the divorce had wreaked havoc on her. After my father left last year, it was just the two of us, leaving my mother to throw herself into her career and my personal life. I haven't seen my father since, and it was probably for the best, considering I was the one to break the news he was having an affair.

Releasing me from the hug, she left me to get ready, giving a kiss on the cheek before exiting. I took a quick glance around my mess of a room, making sure I hadn't forgotten anything from my tedious packing the night before. After doing a once-over to confirm I had what I needed, I hesitantly changed into my outfit for the day, mustering up the courage to leave my bedroom, which had been my safe-haven this summer. I chose to wear a white collared blouse, paired with my school's navy blazer, and a black pleated skirt, which effortlessly draped over my mid-thigh. My dark brunette hair laid in soft waves from the braids I'd slept in the night before, slightly lighter in color than usual, thanks to the summer rays. Making my way to our bathroom across the hall, I did a light face of makeup which consisted of some concealer, blush, mascara, and my signature dahlia red lip gloss. Looking in the mirror once more, I decided to leave the top two buttons of my blouse undone, showing just the right amount of skin, not wanting to look like a total snob. After that, I was ready to go.

"All ready?" mom asked with a bright smile, as I hauled my heavy luggage down the stairs, already dreading the long flight ahead of me.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I smile back at her sarcastically, letting out a sigh.

"Honey, you'll be just fine. I know it's different this year without Victoria, but at least you have Carson and Kennedy." she stated matter of factly, in an attempt to ease my thoughts as we walked out of my home's arched doorway and loaded my bags into the trunk of her Honda.

While I knew she meant well, she was completely oblivious to the fact that Carson, my ex boyfriend, was now my ex. I tried to tell her countless times over the summer, but every time I'd find the courage to mention it, I'd lose it just as quickly. I wasn't sure why I was so afraid of telling her. I guess I was always used to being a perfectionist, and to some, this could be considered a failure. My first failed relationship. Carson and I had dated on and off since my first year at St. George. We both were "the new kids", him being from Greece, and me from the States. We dated for nearly five years.

Mom was convinced we'd get married one day, but as the years went on, I'd started to realize we had become such different people, with very different goals. Carson was your typical trust fund kid, without a care in the world about what he did with his life, because he knew he'd always have something to fall back on (aka his family business). His parents were world renowned art dealers, owning museums all across Europe, and were easily the richest family in all of Greece. I, on the other hand, came from a standard upper middle class family, my mom owning a respectable furniture store and my dad working in the finance industry. I had to work my ass off in order to be successful, to get into a good college. I broke things off back in May, and we haven't talked since. Of course I still had lingering feelings for him, but I didn't see us getting back together anytime soon. On top of that, my best friend Victoria decided to transfer to a public school in Munich, Germany for her final year, staying with a host family, rather than finishing up at St. George. We'd been inseparable ever since I came to Switzerland, and it was hard to deal with the fact she wouldn't be there this year. I snapped out of my depressing thoughts as the car began to move.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll be fine." I flashed a fake but convincing smile, kicking my feet up on the dash and letting my eyes close, as we headed towards the airport.