Story Requests

A new life

Victoria was watching the window. Her deep chocolate-brown eyes followed the raindrops that splattered against the glass; she continued staring as they travelled further down to the outside windowsill and splashed noiselessly against the wood. 

She turned away, flicking her long brown hair back behind her shoulders. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat in a cross legged position, turning back to the photo album that lay in front of her. Turning through the pages, her eyes came to rest on a photo of four girls. 

Three brown-haired, one blonde-haired. They were all standing in the middle of a busy shopping centre and had all linked arms, their faces were upturned to the camera, and were smiling. 

Diana, Summer and Kayla. Victoria's friends, and her among the middle of them. 

She closed her eyes tight and tried to remember that day. Summer's parents were at work and Kayla's mom was sick. Victoria had been having a sleepover with Diana at the time, so she'd rang up her friends and invited them to go shopping together. Victoria's dad had driven them to Myrtle Shopping Centre, one of the most famous places in Myrtle Beach. They'd been so excited they'd sang Ariana Grande songs all the way there. 

They'd visited multiple shops, tried on dresses and jewellery, had their nails done, watched a movie in the cinema and had coffee and ice cream. 

Her eyes blurred with tears as the memories came flooding back and she pressed her fingers hard against her eyelids to stop them. 

The door creaked open. Victoria looked up. "Hey honey," Mom said, entering the room. She sat down on the blue quilt cover that was spread out neatly on the bed. "You missing your friends?" 

Victoria nodded. "I just feel so lonely here," she burst out, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "I want my old life back. I liked  my old school. And I know we've only been here two weeks, but it—" she waved her left hand in the air as she said this — "feels empty. And everything in Toronto is so different. I miss my friends a lot. I just wanna go home!" 

She sighed long and hard, trying not to act like a baby. Her cheeks reddened. 

Mom replied. "I know how you feel. But we came here to get a better life, remember? Your dad needed a better job and now he can work less hours. And the payment is higher than what he got before." Mom stretched her arms out and folded her hands in her lap. "Hey, you know what? School's starting tomorrow. A new year, new teachers. New friends. Maybe you won't even need your old friends anymore. Oh, I bought your uniform yesterday and it looks so amazing!" 

When Victoria didn't answer, she stood up and walked over to the door, placing her hand on the handle. "I'm whipping up a salad, ok? Sandwiches are on the counter." She paused, and took one last look at her daughter, who was staring at the picture again. 

After her Mom had disappeared, Victoria closed the album. She walked over to the window and lifted the latch, pushing the frame so it slid upwards. 

A car had stopped in the middle of the street. A man got out; walked up to the front door of their house. He raised his hand to knock. Victoria leaned out of the window and cupped her hands round the side of her mouth. "NO THANK YOU! We don't want any well wishes, visitors or distant relations!" 

The man looked up, confused. Victoria glared at him, eyes narrowing down to slits. As the man rushed back to his car and sped away she slammed the window shut, satisfied. She leaned against the wall.

 Her mother's words echoed in her ears and she clamped her hand over them as if to shut them out. New friends. Maybe you won't even need your old friends anymore.  

Summer, Diana and Kayla's faces seemed to flash before her eyes. The picture from her photo album found its way at the front of her mind. Memories flashed before her eyes and Victoria knew one thing: She would never, ever not need or forget her friends. 

Tears threatened to fall. She looked at the closed album on her bed and tears trickled down her cheeks. Her face crumpled and muffled sobs filled the room. 

Later that night, Victoria was lying in bed. Dinner had been particularly dull and upsetting. Her parents had droned on about school. School was starting tomorrow and Mom had jumped on the subject. She'd glanced at the website on her phone earlier, she said, and had seen all the lessons they'd would learn. Her dad had described the uniform in painstaking detail, and kept coming back about how she'd 'love it'.  It was a white dress with navy stockings and shiny black boots. 

 She couldn't recall the name of the school. Victoria thought long and hard. Riverdale High. That was the name. It had spilled from her parents lips at least a thousand times during dinner. 

It had been unnecessary conversation. 

Now, as Victoria's eyes swept over the uniform that was lying over the back of a chair, the name Riverdale High embroidered clearly on the front, she thought for the one millionth time how happy she'd been at her old school. 

The thoughts of her friends kept coming back to her. Her chest tightened, and she rolled over in bed to get comfortable. Memories of her old life washed over her, but then disappeared as her body folded itself into sleep.