Stray from the Seen

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

*Arya's POV*

Wow. I never knew this day would come and I'd wake up feeling this anxious about starting over like this. I just got a new job, moved into my new apartment two days ago, and just finally got settled into my new life. It's so wild considering I've just been through so much, especially with Jackson.

I can't wait to see what my new start has to bring considering I am finally away from every toxic connection with which I was tied to. I am going to miss the one real friend I left behind, but I also can't wait to have new adventures with new people.

I always figured I'd do this with my first love, the man whom I'd planned so much of my life with, while only being 18 and young and intoxicated by his love. All I can do in this newfound moment of waking up is to look at my completely unpacked stack of boxes, ones I know hold so many precious memories. It's going to kill me to go through them and see what people I thought would always have my back, but yet just end up stealing every ounce of happiness I originally had found for myself. Now it's time to do it all again.

I finally decide to pull myself off of the couch to get my morning started. It feels so mundane to start the day in the city. Waking up to hear nothing but the noises of the entire world around you, when you want to do nothing but go back to bed. I start the coffee for my breakfast when I realize that my alarm was set to go off in another 45 minutes for me to get to orientation for this semester's classes.

I grab my cup of coffee and basically sprint to my bedroom. I start panicking as I have half of my clothes still packed up and the other half I've already worn and haven't had a chance to hook up a washer or dryer to my place yet! 'Fuck,' I mutter to myself stumbling over my half-unpacked boxes and piles of constant reminder of how things will never be the same as they were before.

I start to stumble around in all of the piles of my belongings until I end up having to settle on my rocker tee, some vans, and a pair of sweatpants for the day. I rush to the bathroom to see that I've still yet to unpack my entire makeup collection, so I have no choice to search for it today. The clocks reading 8:32 AM and I have to be at my campus within 28 minutes with a 20-minute drive to the campus.

I start grabbing everything out of all the unorganized drawers and trying to steadily get myself ready. After brushing my teeth, throwing my hair into a messy ponytail for the day, and realizing I don't have any deodorant, I see the clock is still ticking.

8:38 AM

I grab my keys and hurriedly gather my few papers that I will need to help move along my orientation; things like my transcripts, former textbooks, etc. I end up pulling my messy ponytail down to replace the look with a red beanie. I can't help but feel that a lot I do, I second guess myself and change a whole look instantly!

        Once I get to the car, I see that it's looking like it's going to be a downpour any minute and I instantly regret wearing my slides with some comfy socks. 'Hopefully I can just make it inside once I get there,'  I think to myself frantically trying to get my car crunk.

8:45

        Once I'm on the road, I begin flipping through my songs using the button on my steering wheel, and that's when I realize, I'm always just listening to the same old music. And this time the music only makes me realize that I might've moved away, but every feeling has followed me to my new state, new house, and new life. I bring myself to just hit the power button to the car radio and finish out the rest of the ride there with nothing but bittersweet silence. Hopefully things begin to change very soon.