When the Sun Shines Again

Going Away

My suitcase squeaked as I tried to stuff my best pair of jeans into it. Just one more piece of clothing; come on, get in! I grunted as I put all my weight onto that denim fabric- trying to squeeze it into my already overflowing suitcase. I should have watched more "How to pack for college" videos. It finally gave way. I quickly sat on top of the suitcase in an effort of zipping it shut. Success. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on Mads!", my sister called out from below. "Coming!". Finally. Going to college. Leaving this musty town behind. Starting anew. Hopefully finding friends. Maybe even-

No, forget it.

My phone ringed with the familiar notification of a new text. Amelia.

-I'm already at my dorm! Check it out!! <33

-Cute!!<33

Her dorm was empty. Not even decorated. Just a plain bed and desk. This was why I needed new friends. Someone a little more like me. Not overly outgoing- but not an extreme introvert either. "Do you want to go to college or not!", Jenny again. "I said I'm coming!". I got up and dragged my heavy bags down the stairs. My mom and dad were already tearing up. "Guys, we're not even at the airport yet". My mom had a habit of tearing up easily; after all, getting to see me go to college was a blessing for her: she wasn't supposed to survive past my 15th birthday because of her thyroid cancer. Dad was lucky too, type 2 diabetes. Luckily, neither me or my sister inherited anything in our chromosomes.

Both of them slightly chuckled and wiped their tears. We drove to the airport- chattering about what college would be like. My mom warning me about drugs; my dad about boys and Jenny- about the "mean girls". Like there would be any. Mean girls, i mean, not the drugs or boys. Everyone wanted to stay with me till I got onto the plane but that obviously wasn't possible, so I kissed a (surprisingly) misty-eyed Jenny, sobbing mom and teary-eyed dad goodbye. 

After going through all the checking, when I had to finally board the plane, I felt my jeans pocket, hoping to feel the familiar bulge of my rescue inhaler. But I didn't. I panicked. No no no no no... I wasn't going to survive one day. I wanted to pull all my hair out. I got up with a jerk and something fell to my feet. My inhaler. My dumbass had packed it in my bag. I sighed and sat back down. I really needed to learn how to chill out.

As I set foot onto the plane, I suddenly expected my alarm to ring and realise that this was all a dream and I was going to the local, cheap college instead of Lincoln's*, but it never rang. I was going to Lincoln's*. I took a deep breath and started this new adventure which hopefully would not end with me being eaten by a pack of hyenas (a.k.a. professors and better students than me).

*Lincoln's college, here, is not referring to the actual one ( which exists in real life). In this story- it is the equivalent of Harvard or Oxford University, i.e. it is made-up.