Suddenly Popular

Chapter 5

   The car slowed down and finally stopped. Brianna took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had and she needed to calm herself down.

She stepped out of the car and took a glance at the area. A paradise-like beach was near and there were a couple of small one-story houses spread everywhere. It reminded her of that show she used to watch where people lived their best lives at a communal camping site.

Before leaving her home, she had expected to hate the place but for some reason, it almost seemed welcoming. The air was pure and the sun shone brightly. Maybe it was an opportunity for her to escape reality for a little while.

The past summers had been spent at home with her parents and for the first time, she would live with other teenagers and share a room with other girls her age. A feeling of excitement and nervousness took over and she shivered.

"So, how do you feel?" her mother smiled.

"I love it! I mean I did not expect to feel excited but this actually looks fun!" she replied.

Her father and mother looked at each other and grinned. It was the first time they would leave their daughter by herself with complete strangers.

"Bri ..." her father began.

"Yes?"

"It's time to give us your phone."

"Now?"

"Yes."

Leaving her phone to her parents was not a big deal but she knew that she would not be able to easily reach out to them and send them a text like she often did.

"You'll still be able to call us if you really need to."

"It's alright, don't worry! I'll survive."

"Aw, we're going to miss you, Bri!"

"So am I but it was also your idea."

They stood there, on the deserted parking lot, hugging each other as if it was the last time that they would see each other. However, Brianna would only leave for a couple of weeks which actually did seem like an eternity.

Suddenly, the sound of another car interrupted their moment. Within seconds, the passenger seat door opened and revealed a beautiful girl with dark skin, brown eyes, and black hair which had been carefully straightened so that it looked perfect. She merely waved and headed towards a house that had a "main" header written in bold capitals.

The brand new, shiny sports car left with a loud noise and it was as if nothing had happened.

Brianna turned to her parents in shock and fought back tears. All the excitement she had felt was now gone and fear had taken over. She began to bite her nails but her mother grabbed her hands and looked her straight in the eyes.

It was something that she would always do and it never failed to calm Brianna. She took a couple of deep breaths and she finally relaxed.

"It's all good, Bri. Don't worry."

"What if I have to deal with girls like that though?"

"You'll always have to deal with girls like that but what you need to remember is that nobody is better than you. We're all humans so we're all equal. She might appear to be confident but I'm sure that she also has her struggles. Just be kind and it will pay off!"

Her father always gave the best advice. He was a pacifist and always recommended a peaceful approach to any conflicts. It had helped Brianna a lot and she always respected everyone, even the people that did not deserve her respect.