KIWI - {H.S.}

Chapter One

"Hollis, wake up! We're landing!" My best friend Charli shakes me out of my sleep, and I look out the airplane window, watching us descend to land. 

We get off our flight, exhausted from the long flight from Georgia to Los Angeles. Charli tucks her phone in her fanny pack while we walked to the baggage claim to grab our luggage. She's so giddy, basically skipping her way through LAX. But I can't help but to finally let my nerves creep through. I can't believe we're freshman in college, going to a college in my old hometown.

When I begin thinking about how I haven't been here in 10 years, Charli interrupts my thoughts,

"I can't believe we're here!" She tosses one of her bags over her shoulder and looks to me, noticing my worry.

"It's okay, we're going to make our college experience an amazing one." She nudges me and we start to laugh. I feel a bit more at ease when we're able to catch a bus that drives straight to our University.

I text my mom to let her know I've landed and snap a picture of the "LAX" sign to send to my little sister, Beck.

​When Charli and I get to campus, we walk on the sidewalk that surrounds it. It's just as hot as it is in Georgia, but the air is definitely crisper. In Georgia, if it was hot and humid outside, it was difficult to take a deep breath because the air was so thick. I think being near the beach is a factor as to why it feels cooler here than back home, there's way more wind near the beach.

I'm starting to sweat from walking and pulling my luggage when we finally come up on an extravagant red, brick building that reads Studio Flat Dorms.

​"Wow. My mom really picked the most expensive dorms she could." I say to Charli.

"Girl, look how close we are to the beach. I don't want to hear any complaints!" She pulls me toward the door.

​As soon as we walk into the front lobby of the building, a hint of excitement hits, but I push it back down trying not to get my hopes up, considering we haven't seen the room yet. I'm just thankful Charli and I were able to be roommates. Her being here makes me feel more at home.

We walk onto the elevator and look at the small, white information card to see what floor we're on and what our room number is. It reads, Twelfth Floor. Room 1431. Ocean View. Ocean view? I think to myself.

​When we get to the room, I unlock the door and we step inside. Everything is grey and white, aside from one wall, which is covered in red brick. There are faux plants, and all-white furniture. It looks like the front lobby, just with white beds and desks instead of lounge chairs. It smells like a scented candle from Bath and Body Works, and I take a deep breath.

I look around the whole room, both sides of the room are bare, and I have no idea how I'm going to decorate my side of the room. My mom bought me a big calendar, and I brought a few framed pictures from home, but that's all I have right now.

​I walk out onto the balcony of the dorm room, and I see the ocean right outside the building.

"Charli, get out here and look at this!" I yell to her inside the room.

I could walk out of the back door of the building, and there's a pathway that leads right to the sand. The ocean water is baby blue with a hint of a teal-green color. The sand is so white, you can see a few cans that people have left sitting next to the silver, tin trash cans from how high up I am. This is too good to be true.

"Oh my gosh!" Charli shrieks before continuing, "this is going to be so amazing."

We walk back inside and the A/C hits my body and sends a small chill down my legs. I walk around the rest of the room, wondering if I want to start unpacking right now. I'm not sure if I have enough energy to make a mess unpacking right now. That five-hour flight just about killed me and not only that, but there's also a three-hour time difference here. So, it feels like three o'clock to me, but it's only noon. Hopefully I'll get used to that quickly.

Taking everything in, I notice the most amazing perk of this dorm, it comes with its own bathroom. I makes me uncomfortable to even think about showering in the same room as ten other people. I begin unpacking my clothes anyway just to see how much room I'll have for extra things I need to buy.

​Charli and I spend the weekend shopping for some more décor and supplies for our first day of classes tomorrow. We're dragging all of the stuff off of the public bus, and I miss my car, and Charli's. My mom made me leave my car in Georgia for my first year. Charli chose that fate for herself.

"This whole shopping thing would be much easier if we both had cars, oh wait? We do. They're just not here." I say in the most sarcastic way I can. Which makes Charli laugh.

"You'd never meet anyone if you relied solely on me to drive you around. And you know it. We're pulling you out of your, what do you call it? Self-exile bubble?" She laughs louder, sticking her tongue out at me. I chuckle along with her and roll my eyes. She knows she's right, and so do I. I promised myself that I would try my hardest to do and experience thing that I usually wouldn't. So leaving my car and taking public transportation is apparently the first step.

It's her and my mom's way of forcing me to meet new people. Whether it be on the bus or asking for rides. Charli doesn't have that problem. She can make friends wherever she goes.

At least I live on campus, so I know I can walk to school.

Once we have everything we bought set up, I get ready for bed. Charli turns off the lights. My mind is racing. I haven't been back to this place since I was 8 years old, I'm living in the same town as my father, who I haven't spoken to in years, I'm a freshman in college and-

"Stop freaking out." Charli cuts into my thoughts through the darkness. "You're going to be fine tomorrow, and your dad doesn't even know you're here."

Her words relax my mind. She's right. Everything is going to be great. I reassure myself.

"I better hear tomorrow that you met some new friends for us to hangout with too! You know that's what I'll be trying to do." She laughs and rolls over.

"This is going to be epic." She whispers.

I let out a small laugh through my nose and close my eyes. I silently hope for the same thing.