The Badboy's Secret

XII Nostalgia

UNEDITED SORRY- am in the process of editing past chapters atm. Carly in the pic played by Alicia Banit. I know it was supposed to be updated like 2 hours ago but my data wasn't working sorry guys :( anyway here it is so enjoy xx

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I wake up to the fragmented spots of sunlight shining through the hotel window. I guess at sixty stories up you can only expect that. I'm not in a hotel exactly. I'm actually at Carly's penthouse guestroom suite which is a bedroom and bathroom across the hall from Carly's house which is in fact the penthouse. Her parents own a hotel here in Sydney. I roll over on my crisp white sheets to avoid getting blinded by the hot Sydney sun. We spent most of our childhood here. A hotel is really magic when you're little, running through the many halls, discovering new rooms every day and of course -raiding the pool and all-you-can-eat buffet. It's been a week since mum let me come here and today is Wednesday so Carly is at school of course. I'd been tempted to go back to my old school just for nostalgia's sake but I decided against it, thinking too many memories will come back. Today I'll go for a walk, I decide hopping out of the bed and pulling out my overflowing suitcase from the wardrobe. I'm still on the pills so by now its late afternoon as I normally sleep for up to 16 hours. But today I have some kind of odd energy. Maybe it's because I'm away from that stupid little town and away from Archie and Serena and Mum's depressing mood.

I slip into some jeans and a t-shirt and walk out to the elevator. Carly's parents are traveling in Hong Kong, making deals for their hotel so it's just me in here. I enter the elevator and press for the ground floor, already anticipating where in Sydney I will walk.

When the elevator comes to a halt at the ground floor I am immediately met with a doorman.

"Any breakfast today Miss Fox?" he asks, gesturing towards the breakfast lounge.

"No thank you," I say, although it is tempting. I only realise later with a laugh that its two 'o' clock in the afternoon- not the time for breakfast. Carly obviously told them I'd be up late. She's been trying to force feed me the minute I got here. Here voice echoes in my head: "Jesus Christ Lexa, you need to gain some weight or you're going to lose your sexy ass" and I chuckle relishing the moment I got to see her again. It was so good- meeting an old friend. I reach the revolving door of the hotel and walk out into the humid Sydney's day. Somehow it feels so much better to be in a different climate to the crisp air back in my town in the US. The hotel is right next to World Square and near China Town. Already I feel more comfortable around the hustle and bustle of people, buying lunch from the café or shopping in World Square. Everyone is so different- men in freshly pressed grey suits, edgy women with half shaved heads and thigh-high boots, mothers struggling to push their prams up the uneven Sydney ground. I take a deep breath in, smelling the familiar smells of fresh coffee and humid air. The day is beautiful with not a cloud in the sky. I begin to walk the path I planned out in my mind. I used to hate the hilly nature of the city but now I love it. I begin panting as I get to the top of the hill. After a little more walking, I reach a cute little café with red decorations and antique stools filling it. I open the door to hear the bell jingle and a familiar face emerge from the kitchen.

"LEEKKA!" screams a voice.

"Linda!" I reply before being pulled into a tight hug with a small Vietnamese woman.

"Sit down, sit down let me get your order," she says, flicking her long black ponytail behind her head. I follow her orders and take a seat on one of the antique chairs. I would never disobey one of Linda's orders. I look around at the familiar place smelling the rich incense and cooking pork. It was my favourite lunch place to go and I came almost every day, hence why I know Linda so well. God, I missed the feel of little lunch places like this that they certainly don't have back in the little town where I live now. After only a few minutes, Linda brings out my favourite food in the entire world; a fresh Vietnamese Banh Mi crackling pork roll. I dig in immediately, savouring the taste of fresh French white bread, hot chilli and the most perfect crackling in the world. Linda takes a seat across from me, smiling at her handiwork.