This is an introduction to a multi-part story I have planned. There is no sex or romance as of yet. But the story will have a romance theme as it continues. Bear with me as I go, as this part is simply an opening to give you an idea of where I am going. The next part might be a little more and will continue to build up as more parts are released. I hope you all enjoy. Thank you.
-Nightchild27
*****
I shoved the last box into the back of my Jeep before brushing my hands together and smiling. Finally got everything packed for the next year. My first time away from home and I was both excited and nervous for this new adventure. I had never been to far outside Omaha, Nebraska before. I knew it was going to be tough, college in a different state, but my best friend, Ashley was going to be there with me. We met in first grade, she had just moved into town with her mom from Los Angeles, California. We discovered we both were kids of single moms and stuck together ever since. Now here we were ready to go to UCLA together! Ashley was already there, she spent every summer there with her dad who lived in the area. So, this was going to be a solo trip out there for me. We were going to be staying with her dad, who stated he had more than enough room for us to stay. Given the price of dorms there, we were more than happy to take free housing.
"Erin!" My mom came running out of the house with a small cooler in her hand. I felt bad leaving her behind, she had never been alone before. It was always me and her, now it was just her. I made Ashley's' mom promise to take care of her and call me if she needed anything. I worried but mom said she didn't. She was going to "party" without us kids around.
"Mom, I told you I would be fine and pick up food along the way." I told her as I closed the back of my Jeep and took the cooler from her. I moved to the passenger side and opened the door, placing the cooler on the floor.
"I am not letting my baby waste her money on fast food the whole way to California. What if you get stranded somewhere and need food?" She asked with a worried look on her face as she followed me around the vehicle. I had to promise to call her every few hours to keep her calm. She originally tried to have me agree to call hourly and I told her that was too much. We came to a compromise. Text hourly and call every few hours.
"Thank you, mom." I said as I peeked inside the cooler to find my favorite pop, water, snacks, and a few sandwiches were nestled inside with ice around it to keep it cool. It wasn't enough to last the whole 36 hours it would take to get there but it was enough to cover me for a while.
"You're welcome. You better get going if you're going to make it there on time. Ashley's mom said that Ashley's dad is expecting you before dark tomorrow. Don't drive tired, if you need to stop and break just text all of us so we know you'll be there later than expected and are safe. I want to know the minute you get there." She kept talking as I hugged her tightly and gave her a kiss on the cheek, a lump building in my throat because I didn't want to leave her. She held me close as she finished speaking "And enjoy the next few weeks before school starts. I hear California is beautiful."
"I will, to all of it. I'll call you as we agreed and enjoy my time there. It's only a few months until break. I'll be back for the holidays." I gave her one last squeeze before turning to get into my Jeep and turned it on. I pull out of our drive way, waving goodbye and hitting the go button on my GPS. California here I come!
----36 hours later----
I hope this is it, I thought to myself as I pulled into a drive way blocked off by a gate. From outside the gate I could tell this was a huge house. It was bigger than my house and yard back home. Geez, was Ashley's dad rich or what? I have only met the man once, that was at Ashley's sweet 16 birthday party, he seemed down to earth and quiet... this is not what I would have expected. Well you know what they say, don't judge a book by the cover. I guess his IT company is making more than Ashley said. I picked up my cell phone and hit contacts to look for my best friend's number, hit send upon finding it. I stepped out of the vehicle with the phone to my ear, listening to it ring as I looked around for a button to get in or something. This is going to take some getting used to if this is the place.
"Hey Erin. Are you here yet?!" Ashley's voice boomed over the phone.
"Uh I'm not sure." I answered uncertain, pulling the phone away from my ear and turning the volume down. "I'm at a gate and the number on it matches the address you gave me."
"Oh! Let me come there. Give me a minute." She hung up before I could reply.
Alright, so I guess I'll just wait. I walked toward the gate and peered though it at the front yard. Nice dark green grass, flowers lined the outside of the house. It looked like almost every room on the second floor had a balcony attached to them so you could overlook the yard. The house itself was a light tan bricked home, the wall lining the outside the property seemed to match. The gate was like thick iron, woven into a design that looked like vines.
Suddenly the front door to the house opened and my best friend appeared, she started to run when she saw it was really me.
"You're here! You made it!" Ashley opened the gate and pulled me into a hug while jumping up and down. After a minute, we broke apart. I looked at her. It had been two months since we graduated high school and she left. She still looked amazing at 5'5", sun kissed skin, long blond hair, hazel eyes, average build with boobs and butt that fit her figure. She was, as some guys have told her, a knock out. She never believed any of them and like most women, found flaws in every part of her body. She was wearing workout shorts and oversized tee. Given it was almost 9 p.m. in this time zone, she was in for the night it seemed.
I, on the other hand, did not have guys calling me a knock out. I would say I'm average when it comes to appearances. I stopped growing in middle school when I reached 5 foot, I had brown hair and eyes, my body I would say is average, I had a small bit of pudge in the stomach but nothing I'd complain too much about, the boob fairy finally showed up and gave my breasts a small tap during high school, they were not big but I was ecstatic when I bought a real bra and had cleavage, and last but not least my favorite part of my body was my butt, it's perfect and suits my body well. If you're a butt person, you'd love it. Overall I would say I look like your typical girl next door.
"So is there a certain place I am supposed to park?" I asked, wanting to relax in a comfortable place other than a Jeep and the hole in the wall hotel I stayed at long enough to catch a few hours of sleep before hitting the road again. Ashley's face turned into a shocked look as she realized she hadn't invited me in and we were still standing outside the gate.
"Oh crap! Yes! Dad has a garage around the side, just follow the drive way and there is a garage. He cleared a spot for you. Here I'll hop in and show you." She hopped into the passenger side, moving things out of the way and sitting crossed legged since the foot space was taken up. I got in and turned the Jeep over before following her directions.
"Is your dad here? We might need some help moving the stuff in? Also, any food? I'm starving!" I looked to her as I pulled into the open section in the garage, it fit four cars.
"Dad is still at work. He wanted to be here when you arrived since he hasn't seen you in years but work calls. I can order a pizza. Dominoes still good to you?" She asked. We got out and headed into the house though a door that attached them. She picked up her phone and found the Dominoes app and began to order our usual load of food. We loved to eat. Any time we are together there is food between us. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I walked in, maybe fancy and expensive stuff, but the everything appeared simple. It had everything your basic house hold had, a kitchen, dining room, living room, family room, two public bathrooms, two private bathrooms, and four bedrooms. Every room appeared bigger than the last. I couldn't wait to get to my room.
Ashley and I laughed and caught up with each other as she showed me around. She showed me her bedroom which was perfect for her with pinkish walls and a canopy bed with curtains. She had a small entertainment center with a TV and DVD player. There were two Lovesac bags in front of it. In the corner of the room was a desk piled with school books and papers she had picked up for classes already. Her closet was another room all by itself, loaded with everything she needed. Ashley took me through another door, it led to a bathroom with two sinks, toilet, vanity, and a roomy stand up shower. If I had to guess you could probably fit a few people in it.
"The bathroom connects our rooms. So, if we need each other we can just walk through here. But I made dad put locks on both doors for privacy. You ready to see your room? Dad said if you want to change anything let him know. Oh, and pick a paint color. I said purple should work but he wanted to ask you first. Like I don't know my best friends favorite color." She rolled her eyes and headed through the door on the opposite side of the bathroom.
My bedroom was like hers only with white walls. I had a canopy bed with white sheets and cover but without curtains around the top, there was a small entertainment center with a flat screen and DVD player, and a desk in the corner. Ashley lead me to my closet which I could have lived out of. Everything I had would fit in it. I think I'm going to enjoy this while it lasted. I hugged Ashley and thanked her for letting me stay with her and her dad for the next four years. I was feeling very lucky and maybe a little overwhelmed with the size of it all but it would be nice.
