Black and White

Chapter One - Homecoming

Chapter One

Have a happy New Year everyone, party hard and stay ballin'. I hope you enjoy the first chapter to my new fic xx

I was home for the summer. Back in Huntington Beach, my hometown. Nothing had changed since I’d been there last. It was still sunny. It was still hot. It was still the same. I pulled my suitcase up the driveway and towards the house, thanking the taxi driver over my shoulder. Mum and Dad were waiting for me when I walked into the house. I made a point of flexing my ankle out and looking grumpily at my father, “You really need to pavement the driveway or something. I just about broke my ankle walking up.”

He chuckled, “That’s because you’re wearing heels my love. It’s good to see you.”

I succumbed to their warm smiles and opened arms, giving them both tight hugs. God knows how long they fussed over my time in New York before I was finally able to slip away upstairs. My room hadn’t changed either, it was still the same as I had left it last summer. It was simple, nothing exciting with just a bed, desk, computer, a bookshelf and a love seat tucked away in the corner. I plonked my bags down and opened the double doors that led to my balcony. It was much hotter than New York so the navy blue pinafore and closed heels I was wearing made it almost unbearable. I heard Mum yell up to me that dinner was going to be on the table in thirty minutes so I allowed myself to have a cool shower. I had to sift through my suitcase to find some shorts and a simple tank top. I felt much better when I eventually seated myself at the dining table. The whole dinner I had to tell my parents about how everything was going in New York, how I was coping at NYU and if I was keeping my marks at a high level. I was happy answering all their questions because I had good answers, answers they wanted to hear. After dinner, I was almost falling asleep in my seat so my parents let me go to bed early and avoid washing up. It was such an effort to drag myself up the stairs but I eventually got their and after doing my nightly routine, I permitted myself to drop into bed and fall asleep straight away.

--

The next morning, I was up before everyone else so I could partake in my daily session of yoga. It helped me to relax and stretch out all my tight muscles.  Mum came down into the lounge to see me in a complicated pose; she gave me a smile and a ‘good morning’ before making her way into the kitchen. I could hear her clearly banging pots and pans so my relaxed trance was no more. I heaved myself off the floor and through to the kitchen, "Geez Mum, it's like Hurricane Linda in here. What the heck are you doing?" 

"I'm not a Hurricane." She stated gruffly, "Just a woman trying to make breakfast. Now where did your father put the non-stick pan?" 

"Well I have no idea considering I've been here all of one day," I said with a shrug. "You don't need to make me breakfast. I'm just going to have a fruit salad." 

"Of course. Your rabbit diet, I almost forgot." 

I gave her a frown, "Mum it's called being healthy. I'm sorry if I care about what I put into my body." 

She shrugged, "Pancakes aren't going to kill you." 

I rolled my eyes at her, "I'm going to shower." 

She was left there to find the pan while I went upstairs and cleaned myself, ready for that day. I remembered my Dad mentioning that he wanted to take me to see our cousins after breakfast so I changed into something suitable. A chiffon blouse and simple skirt was suitable to me, my dad however had different ideas. He tried to convince me to 'chuck on shorts and a tank' but I wasn't having any of it. I would only wear that in the comfort of my own home. Presentation was key. Numerous times, I've had to remind him that, that wasn't my idea of dressing appropriately and that just wasn't me. Eventually he gave up so I was allowed to leave the house in what I was wearing along with a pair of leather sandals and a chain link bag.