Playing it Straight

Chapter 1

One

Today was the day Lily Everet had been waiting for all summer. She and Jenny were finally moving into their first apartment. This was a day they had dreamed about since they were kids. Jenny and Lily had been best friends since third grade. They always talked about living together in college, and while they had roomed together in the dorms the last three years, this was the first time it felt like they were truly adults. No dorm rooms, no community bathrooms, no one burning popcorn at 2 am. No one watching over them. Their senior year at the University of California, San Francisco was officially starting.

Lily was moving in on Friday, just a few days before Jenny. Lily was a cheerleader, and cheerleaders and other students involved in specific activities were required to help the freshmen move in on Saturday. Jenny wouldn't be moving in until Sunday with classes starting Tuesday. Monday was a holiday, meaning everyone used that day to get settled, catch up with friends, and relax until classes started. So Lily got the apartment to herself for the next few days.

She spent all Friday moving in with the help of her parents. Lily's dad helped her bring in boxes while her mother made the bed and unpacked. Although the apartment was small, Lily knew this would be the perfect place for her to spend her last year at school. She loved thinking about getting to have people over for dinner, or hosting parties, or even just watching tv on the couch with Jenny. This place already felt special, and she had this feeling that this year would be life changing.

Lily's room came together piece by piece. Her blue comforter brightened the space, and the fake plants created a nice, homey feel. Of course they were fake because Lily couldn't ever keep anything alive. Her small desk was organized and color coded, just how she liked it while books lined her shelves. She pictured herself in her room, studying or just watching TV, and it all just felt right.

Slowly, the day moved forward, and it was time for her parents to leave. Lily and her mom were extremely close. Lily liked her dad too, but she and her mom had a special bond. As an only child, she had turned to her parents in ways other kids she knew didn't. She was comfortable talking to them, not just as parents, but as friends. Lily's mom was a daycare teacher, so she was always incredibly patient, and her father was the owner of a cyber security firm in her hometown of Sausalito. Lily grew up talking to her mom about everything from relationships, to issues with friends, anxiety and stress, and everything in between. Lily's dad was good when it came to school questions, but he didn't have the same openness as her mother.

While her parents were both busy, they always made sure to be there for her cheerleading competitions, spelling bees, national honor society dinners, and all her other activities. Lily loved being at school and the freedom it gave her, but it was also great knowing her parents were only 40 minutes away. She told her mom everything, and she knew she was incredibly lucky to have their support.

When it came time to say goodbye, her mom stood on the front porch wiping away tears.

"Mom, you don't have to cry. It's not like I'm dying. I'm just going to be at school. You know I will call you all the time."

"I know. The house just feels so empty without you."

"You have dad. You can live it up as empty nesters. Enjoy the freedom. It isn't like this is the first time you guys have been home without me. You know this is the fourth time you are dropping me off at school, right?"

"I know," her mom said. "It just never gets easier leaving my baby behind."

"Use this time to try new things and get used to me not being there. Once school is over, I'm not moving back home," Lily joked. She knew just how to push her mom's buttons.