Whirlwind (On Hold-Will Be Back Soon!)

Chapter 1

Alexandra Hastings hastily wiped away any traces of the tears she had just shed. She always cried when she watched ‘Letters to Juliet’… she couldn’t help it. It was just so beautiful! But she did not want her sister coming in and seeing her like this. She would have a field day if she did!

Alexandra pulled her laptop back onto her lap and hit the play button, and the movie resumed from where she had left it. It was nearing its end and she could feel the tears springing on all over again.

“Stop it, Alexandra!” she scolded herself. “This must be the 100th time you are watching this movie! Stop. Crying.”

Her traitorous heart, however, was hell bent on rebelling. A small inner voice whispered, “But it’s just so sweet! There is no harm in shedding a few tears of happiness, is there?”

It was less than 20 minutes later when the movie ended and Alexandra was left entirely to her own thoughts. She was a hopeless romantic, and she couldn’t help it! She tried not to let love and its travails affect her, but to no avail. But you know what the silliest thing was? She herself was not, nor had ever been, in love. She had only lived it through the experiences of others.

And she had not minded, up until now. But things had changed. She had turned nineteen and become impatient. Impatient to be swept off her feet. Impatient to find her one true love. Impatient to live happily ever after, like they did in the movies.

And she was day-dreaming a little too much!

If she could, she would custom-design her soulmate. He would be tall, handsome, moneyed, would love her passionately, almost bordering on obsessive! A cross between Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice and Charlie Wyman from Letters to Juliet.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her sister sauntering into the room.

“Whatcha doin’?” Norah Hastings asked her sister. Norah and Alexandra were polar opposites. Norah was tall, with curly black hair and a Devil-may-care attitude. There was almost nothing in this world that could faze her.

Unlike Alexandra. Alexandra was short and had straight brown hair. And she was fazed-well, most of the times.

Alexandra faltered in responding to her sister’s question.” I, err, nothing. I was just surfing the Net.”

Norah rolled her eyes in indignation, “Letters to Juliet! Again?! What is wrong with you Alexandra? You spend all your time either studying or reading or watching that movie over and over and OVER again. You want to find love? Well, you won’t find it cooped up in this apartment. Get out of the house, for God’s sake! You will meet people and who knows, you might walk right into Mr. Darcy-slash-Charlie Wyman one day. You are doing yourself no favours sitting at home all day, every day.” Norah propped herself down onto the bed.

“I’m the elder sister, remember?” Alexandra asked timidly.

“Well, then you should behave like one.” Norah countered.

“This is just who I am, Norah. Being older doesn’t mean I have to change my personality to fit the molds created by society. This is how I am and I just can’t change! I like staying indoors. I like being alone. I love to read and write and tell myself that true love is not a fallacy and that someday, someday I will find my guy.”

“I know, Alexandra. Of course I do. All I am saying is that you should get out more often. There is so much to be seen and explored. This is the time to do it; else you will regret it when you are an 80-year old grandma with joint aches.”

Alexandra threw her head back and laughed.

“I know you are right. It’s just, it will take some time and I want you to bear with me.” she said.

“Do I have an option?” Norah asked teasingly.

“Hmm, well. No!”