back to life, drew starkey

two

drew's pov 

i try to rub the tiredness out of my eyes.

the bags under them show clear evidence of how much i have slept lately. out of all the nights i have had to rest this past week, i have totaled about 3 whole hours. it's 5AM and i am getting ready to board a flight to north carolina. you'd think if i had a flight in less than 2 hours, for the most important event of my sister's life, that i'd be packed by now, but i am not. it's been the craziest fucking month of my life. it will be nice to get away from the noise of la for a while. i'll be spending the week enjoying all the festivities that come with being included in the wedding party. a fun bachelor party, a fancy rehearsal dinner, and all the grandparents questioning why i didn't bring a plus one. i can't wait for all the questions about maya's absence. maya, my ex-girlfriend, will absolutely not be attending the wedding. about a month ago, we decided to call it quits. mutually, or so i thought, until she went and decided to blast lies about our relationship all over social media. how nice of her. so to say that this trip will provide a much needed break is an understatement. i start to pack up my clothing. about seven outfits, a weeks worth. some t-shirts, jeans, shorts, caps. just about anything remotely nice that i can also wear to the beach because that's about all there is to do. i pack my toiletries and all the essentials. i take another sweep around the house, making sure i have everything i need. i head out my bedroom, through the living room, past the kitchen, and there it is. the wedding suit, hanging right on the door of the laundry room. how could i forget the single most important piece of clothing. i check the bag the suit is in, making sure i have it all. the suit is simple, but it compliments the wedding theme nicely. i take the bag, making sure to fold it nicely into my suitcase. now that everything is packed, i grab a snack before i head out the door. just a banana to hold me over until i get off the flight. i run out of my house and to my uber, which has been waiting outside for over ten minutes. i thank my driver, as he takes me to the airport. a 15 minute ride feeling like a century. its somewhat peaceful as the sun is rising, still just as busy as ever. after the driver drops me off, i make my way into the airport, battling security hoping to make it to my terminal before my flight that leaves at 7AM. somehow, i make it, dreading my four and a half hour flight. just as i board, my phone dings, a text from sienna coming across my phone. "I hope your flight goes well. We can't wait to see you." i heart the message, settling into my seat, hoping to sleep the whole flight.

i wake up, with about ten minutes left on the flight, gathering myself to prepare to land. kid cudi still playing in my headphones from departure. i am nervous, i genuinely don't know why. it might be the fact that i am facing my highly judgmental family, after a huge change in my life, or the fact that they'll ask about my career and i can't provide them with any new updates, as to what new role i am playing. they seriously don't get it. they don't get why i don't have a normal job, like sienna. they wanted me to be a doctor, or a firefighter, but just can't seem to accept acting. my phone dings again. its sienna. the message says "here." she is going to pick me up, she must already be at the airport. before i know it, we land, and i get off of the plane as fast as humanly possible. excited to stand on solid ground. i find sienna, greeting her with a big hug. she rambles about everything, catching me up on all i have missed in the few months i haven't seen her. surprisingly, i love to listen to everything she has to say. digesting every piece of information like my life depends on it. i have always been more of a listener and less of a talker. she shows me to the car, and we drive back to my parents house. it's like a house out of a movie. a gigantic cape cod right off the beach. the smell of the salty air and the sounds of the water calm me, although i am about to face the beast that is my parents. i understand it's out of love, and they just want the best for me; but it can be intense. anxiety-inducing questions that i don't have the answers to. i walk in the house, and i instantly get greeted with hugs and affirmations of love, everyone letting me know they've missed me. i go to my room, the guest bedroom. my parents had moved out of my childhood home quite some time ago, i start to reminisce, thinking about the terrible star wars sheets and spiderman curtains from middle school. being back in north carolina brings up some memories, good, bad, everything in between. its my first time back since permanently living in la. shocking me out of my thoughts, my mom meets me at the bedroom door, urging me to come out and talk to her and dad. i oblige, making my way out to the living room. at first its the "how have you been?" "how is work?" which i can handle. i successfully navigate those questions before they get to the, "have you talked to maya?" "have you heard what she has been saying about everything?" "i think you should talk it out with her, honey" "maybe get back together?" "she was perfect for you." i can't take it. i just broke up with this girl a month ago, she's dragging my name through the mud, and now i have to hear about how great we were together.

 i am sure sienna can feel the discomfort in my body language because she suggests i get some fresh air. i silently thank her, walking out of the house and go wherever my body will take me. i think i will go into town, maybe get some coffee. an iced vanilla latte sounds great right now. i walk to the nearest coffee shop, which happens to be a starbucks on the boardwalk. i walk in, the door dinging. it's quiet. i stand in line waiting to order. a pretty bright blonde catches my eye. she's about five foot four, soft features, a cute bikini under her top, just like every girl here. but what really draws me in are her piercing bright blue eyes and the fact that they were looking my way first. i send her a slight smile, something about it just has me wanting to learn more about her. i don't think i have ever felt this way about a complete stranger. i am going to talk to her. just before i finish my thought, she bolts out of starbucks, with her coffee, like a bat out of hell. 

author's note:

hi! chapter two! i am so excited about all the new friends and readers i have acquired! thank you so so much for even opening this book. i thank you for being patient with me as i build my writing skills and my story. i am so glad to have introduced you all to drew in this chapter, hoping you all love his role in this story. its been challenging to write from this new perspective but i love it.  the chapters will be longer as i find my way through the story, but for now i hope you still enjoy these little ones. once again, thank you for reading. <3 

 with love, 

cbbloodlines