Before I Met You

Chapter 1

Life hasn't been a crystal stair. Well at least not for me. I always imagined being some popular vet, living in a small town with my boyfriend. I think it's time to kiss those dreams goodbye because they go wrong once I finally think it's going good or somewhat decent. Just like last week when I tried to have a smooth, productive morning.

Everything was going great. I had my coffee, did a workout, and I even ran some errands. I guess that's where I went wrong, because when I was walking out of the store, someone ran into the back of my car. $900 right there.

So whether it's with my career (that isn't going anywhere,) social life, (I only have my best friend Leona, ) or relationship, (I haven't had something that wasn't unrequited since high school,) things always go south.

Sometimes I look in the mirror and think about screaming at the top of my lungs because this isn't who I am.

This isn't who I want to be, and the person who's looking right back at me, is a total stranger. I mean, I can't even think about the last time where I truly felt happy and looking forward to the future.... but the future? Does mine even exist?

Leona and I are laying on the couch of her apartment, and I'm down on my 3rd bowl of chocolate ice cream. There's stains on my tank top since I haven't showered in 2 days. You may think it's disgusting, but try to put yourself in my shoes.

It's been weeks, and I still feel like my heart has been stepped on and stabbed with glass. There is no fondness in me. Leona thinks that I'm healing the wrong way and I can't blame her.

After I saw him with another girl, I completely went overboard. But who wouldn't? They were at the froyo place and we used to go there all the time. Just me and him.

It was our thing. But it clearly was theirs too, and I've never felt so betrayed in my life. She forced me to delete his contact, pictures of us, and socials which was the hardest thing for me to do, she had to do it for me.

Once the movie was over, we both just laid there in silence, but then after it just started getting awkward, she got up and began wiping down the coffee table that was filled with lemonade and sugar powdered donuts.

"You wanna bake a smoothie?" she asked in her little accent. I always thought it was the coolest thing ever from the day we first met in 4th grade. She was the new exchange student and I remember her walking into our science class with her pink fuzzy boots and big round glasses.

The kids made fun of her. They did the same thing to me when it was my first day, so right off the bat, I knew we'd make a great pair. Us against these judgemental booger eaters.

It was our first year there at Evergreen Elementary and we were both lost. There were many students there, surprisingly since it was a small town. I remember having a few classes with her and thinking she was a little weird because of what she sounded like, but I grew to love it the day she first went up to me at lunch when I was sitting all by myself, in a cafeteria too loud for my little ears.

I looked up from my ice cream bowl that was almost empty and frowned. "I think I've had enough sweets for tonight."
My stomach felt weird from all the dairy and on top of that I feel like I'm rotting from the inside out.

After watching her do the dishes and straightening up the living room, I finally took a shower and we fell asleep with blankets and pillows laid out over the floor. We used to do this every night whenever we had a sleepover.

Her mom used to bake cupcakes and prepare her special strawberry milk with us before she passed and sometimes I miss those days. Leona was a different kind of happy and now, I don't see the sparkle in her eyes anymore whenever we bake them.