Miles Away

Chapter 2 - Plans Are Set In Stone

Chapter 2
Ella
Plans Are Set In Stone

“You honestly need to get out more,” Charlee urged, throwing herself onto the chair next to mine.

I was in my bedroom on my laptop, trying to finish up some last minute project for my psychology class. She had been bugging me to go to the mall with her for the past hour and a half, and I wasn’t anywhere near finished when she first barged into my room.

“I will, as soon as I finish this assignment,” I said, keeping my eyes trained on the words scrolling across my PowerPoint presentation. I needed an at least a C to pass this class and so far, I was steadying myself on an A-, which wasn’t too bad.

She threw her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder and let out a breath. “I hate waiting around for you.”

“Stop complaining. I’ll be done soon Char.”

While Charlee found amusement in eyeing her fresh manicure and tying thin braids over and over in her hair, I focused as hard as I could to finish so I could finally be done for the semester. After this spring semester was over, I had to be ready for the summer classes that I signed myself up for. I was determined to finish college early and get myself as far away as possible from Everest Hills.

“Done,” I sighed, saving my program and shutting the lid of the laptop. I looked over at Charlee as she beamed a bright smile. She picked her bag up off of the floor and slung it over her shoulder.

“You’re not going to class today?” I asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes at my concern for her academics. She always said I was like her second mother. “Nope. I emailed my professor my assignment and told him I had important matters to take care of.”

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. “What important matters could you possibly have to take care of?”

“Important…shopping matters,” she said slowly, batting an eyelash at me. She knew I wasn’t going to be happy.

“I cannot believe you,” I sighed, grabbing my bag from the floor and following her out of the bedroom door of my apartment.

“Ella,” she whined. “Stop trying to make me feel bad, okay?”

“Your classes should come first if you plan on doing anything with your life,” I commented dryly.

Before leaving, I threw my long brown locks into a ponytail. I hadn’t had time to become presentable since this morning. I’d spent the whole morning working on my assignments so I could prepare for next semester. Then Charlee barged in sometime during the afternoon and wouldn’t even let me put a little mascara on.

“God, you always do that,” my best friend whined again. I swear she hadn’t matured a bit since she left high school.

Charlee and I have been best friends since kindergarten. We’d met while putting our backpacks in our cubby holes for the first time and we were inseparable since. Sure, we fought a lot but we always found a way back to each other again. These was mostly due to the fact that I was pressuring her into taking school seriously, when Char would rather knock back a few alcoholic beverages and hook up with boys rather than do an essay.

We were so different sometimes that it made me wonder how we made it this long as best friends.

“Not my fault I want you be able to leave with me after all of this,” I said, gesturing around the living room of my apartment.

I cringed a little when I saw pieces of crumbled notes on the floor and a half eaten plate of pizza sitting on the coffee table. The papers were strewn around the trash bin, never having actually made it into the bin itself. I also noticed a few crushed up soda cans and coffee mugs that were empty on the side table. I really did zone out when I was doing school work. I completely forgot to clean up the mess I had made last night before passing out on the couch.