Trust me, babe

Chapter 1

Kathryn

"This is so stressful," Persimmon sighed as we left yet another university's stand, thanking the guy who'd given us a thorough explanation on why his school would be the best choice for us. He'd also given us a bunch of brochures I was pretty sure I'd throw away once I'd make it home.

"I know," I agreed. "As if I didn't already feel pressured enough to figure out what I want to do after high school."

We were in the gym of our school along with all the other seniors, wandering from stand to stand, listening to speeches of why we should enroll in certain schools. So far, none of them had sounded that appealing and my panic was slowly increasing. What if I never figured out what I wanted to do after high school?

Persimmon stopped in the middle of the gym and started to dramatically fan her face with the brochure of the University of Sydney.

I stopped next to her, studying the way she pursed her perfectly painted lips as her eyes scanned the stands. My mind took me back to my first day in this school. I remembered the way my heart had been beating like crazy as I maneuvered through flocks of strangers. All of a sudden someone had been in front of me, the same bright red lips in a wide smile, asking if she could help me with anything. I had tried to assure her I was okay and didn't need help but she had been pretty persistent in showing me around the whole day. And the day after that. And after that. And eventually we had become friends, although I had to admit I had been a bit against it at first.

Nowadays, however, I was really glad she had approached me on my first day. At first she had annoyed me with her constant babbling but I'd grown used to it, even starting to enjoy the way she filled every silence even if I had nothing to say. She was basically my only friend here in Australia. Occasionally I hung out with some of her other friends but they didn't really seem to like me that much. Which didn't surprise me.

But even with Persimmon, I missed Sasha and Kenzie more than I had realized I even could. I had never had better friends than them and I doubted I'd ever get. That made a part of me really want to enroll in the same university as either of them. I knew Sasha was headed to New York and if it wasn't for her being there, I wouldn't have even considered it as an option. Kenzie was most likely going to stay in LA but I knew I couldn't go back there no matter how much I would've wanted to. It would bring back too many painful memories.

I scolded myself mentally for slipping down that road again. His face filled my mind and my chest ached. It felt harder to breathe and my hands balled into fists, scrunching up the pages of the brochures I was holding. It had been nearly a year since I found out he had been dating another girl behind my back yet my heartbeat still fastened and anger and hurt took over me any time I thought of him. Any time I thought of Mikey Coldwell.

"I guess we should continue," Persimmon sighed, startling me. For a moment, my mind had taken me so far down the memory lane, I had forgotten where I was. "Although I'd much rather sneak out of this gym and go to the coffee shop with the cute barista. I told you about it didn't I?" she continued.

I nodded as we strolled forward lazily. She had texted me about the cute barista when she'd been at the coffee shop and then the next morning we'd met at school and she had told me everything from what he looked like to the way he had made the making of coffee look like art. Her words, not mine.

"I wish I were brave enough to ask him out but I always get so nervous around cute guys," she kept talking. I was only half-focused on what she was saying, my thoughts wandering to other things. "You would think I wouldn't have a problem talking to guys but it's so much harder than just chatting with a friend, you know? Especially if they're a bit older than me and so cute."