Chapter 4: New Beginnings

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       When I woke up, it was dark outside. Though the windows in my room were bare and uncovered, there were no streetlights outside to help me try and decipher how late or early it was. It was hard to believe that I had slept through the entire day, but the darkness outside was enough proof that I did.

       A fluffy blanket had been thrown over me that wasn't there before I laid down. Auntie Vera must've come in to check on me throughout the night. That was nice. She seemed to really want me to like her. I never had somebody try so hard for me, It felt odd.

      I yawned softly as I began to stretch the stiffness out of my limbs. My bones popped and cracked into place like the old lady I was inside.

      "What time is it?" I asked aloud to no one in particular, searching for my phone.

       The small amount of moonlight shining in my room, helped me see my way to one of the light switches for the hanging light in the middle of the room. My phone had gottenlost between the mountain of pillows piled at the head of my bed.

       3:52 AM

      I groaned internally. My phone was already adjusted to the new timezone, letting me know that I'd slept the entire day and night away. It was later than I thought.

My dad left me a slew of text messages and voicemails, demanding that I check in with him. Though I was sure that by now, he had the chance to hear from my Auntie Vera. She would let him know that I'd made it here safely.

       With the lights on, I could see the full interior of the room. The first thing I noticed was how big it was. It made the room I had back at home look more like a shoe box in comparison. I had no clue what I would do with all the space. Auntie Vera had it decorated heavily in pastel colors. It was very girly, and light, and so unlike me.

      There was a faint smell of sage that permeated the room. I remembered it being stronger before I fell asleep. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all the way pleasant either.

     I decided to get out of bed and open my balcony doors to both air out the smell and take in the warmth outside. It was surprisingly warm out, even in the middle of the night. I was still wearing my camisole, sweat pant combo from the plane ride here, but I was comfortable in the weather.

      The houses in Seaside Hills were all large and lavish. Only the extremely wealthy could live in these types of homes. I took in the views around me, awed by how close we actually were to the water. Aunty Vera wasn't lying about that part.

     I could hear the waves crashing against the shore all the way up in my room. It was so quiet where we were that I was sure if I concentrated, I would be able hear much more.

This view, the area, this place I was set to live in would definitely take some getting used to. I hadn't seen or done much much beyond the trip here from the airport, yet a part of me felt unfit to even be here.

        I was surrounded by mansions, the kind you only ever saw in magazines or fake reality shows. The one closest to us had to be the biggest in the entire neighborhood. They took up a good fifteen acres with their palace of a home. Only one light was on inside, making it almost easy to see the life roaming around within the room.

       I didn't pay too much attention to the inside of the room so much as I did the whole house itself. My view only extended to the side of the home, where a large pool lit up the ground below. It looked deep enough to get lost amongst the water.

       My gaze lingered on the glowing water as small waves trembled across the top from the sudden breeze. I never had a pool growing up, but I was always equally fascinated, yet terrified of them at the same time.

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