coincidence [h.s]

one

i watched as nicole practically sobbed, hugging her parents tightly, saying goodbye to them.

we were at the airport, getting ready to board our flight to LA. my mom couldn't make it, her job getting in the way of things once again. i understood and i didn't mind. i had said my goodbyes to her last night before going to sleep so now i was just watching nicole cry like the emotional person she is as she bid farewell to her parents.

"vivienne, come here." nicole's mom, pamela, said, as he opened her arms and pulled me into a tight hug that i gladly accepted. "we're gonna miss you so much sweetie."

pam was like my second mom. she'd always been so kind to me ever since nicole and i became friends back in middle school and i could truly say that i loved her and that i was going to miss her so much as well.

"i'm gonna miss you so much too, pam." i said, as i pulled away from her embrace and went over to hug nicole's dad, richard. "you too, rich. don't think i forgot about you."

he chuckles and hugs me back, patting my back softly. "take care of nicole, will you? protect her from those dirty college boys. god knows what this girl would do if you don't keep an eye on her."

"dad, i'm right here," nicole says, "and i'm not a little girl, i don't need viv to keep on eye on me. she's younger than me, for god's sake!"

"wow, by three months," i say, "and don't worry, rich, i'll keep an eye on her for you. she won't do anything crazy while i'm around."

he laughs and says, "that's what i like to hear."

"you guys are no fun." nicole whines jokingly before laughing and hugging her parents one last time before we start walking to the terminal to board our plane. i turn around and give pam and rich a wave goodbye as we walk into the terminal and out of sight from them.

this felt so unreal. last time we had went to LA was a couple months ago to check out the UCLA campus and our apartment that nicole and i's parents were helping us rent out but now we were actually going and not coming back for a long time. we were going to be college students and living in LA. i never thought i'd be a west coaster but, here i was, moving to los angeles.

the plane ride from maryland to LA felt extremely short and before i knew it, nicole and i were getting our bags and walking outside to find a taxi, the sky already dark. it wasn't hard to find one and we quickly got in, making our way to our apartment.

"don't you just love the fresh air here?" i ask nicole jokingly after she had paid the taxi man for the ride and we were walking towards our apartment complex. "it's like i can just feel the smog filling up my lungs."

"yeah, it's wonderful." she replies, walking up the stairs towards our apartment, me trailing behind her. "almost as wonderful as when you smoke your damn cigarettes around me and i breath in the second hand smoke, i love that."

"oh, shut up." i poke her side as i throw the cigarette i was smoking to the ground and stomp on it and she unlocks the front door, opening it. we walk in and set our bags down by the door.

the apartment was small. the living room being the first thing you see as you walk in and a small kitchen behind it. it had two small bedrooms and one bathroom. it was nothing luxurious but it was just what we needed.

last time we were here, nicole and i had gone furniture shopping so we already had a couch and our beds but that was pretty much it. besides that, the house was practically empty.

"home, sweet home." nicole sighs, sitting on the couch. "we need to decorate it though because i am not living in a depressing ass apartment."

"we can go shopping later," i say, closing the front door behind me. "we really need to."