Butterfly Wings

Out of the Nest

Six months prior....

"I'll be fine mom, it's college, not jail" I remind my mom while walking arm in arm with my parents.

"Honey, did you pack Hayley's inhalers?" My mom subtly tries to ignore me while looking through my purse with her opposite hand.

"Mom... mom..." I croak, grabbing hold of her hand to stop her, smiling at her with an all too knowing look, "trust me, or at least try to... please?" I open a hidden zipper to show her my inhaler plus an extra.

"Honey-" My mom sighs.

"MELISSA, trust her, she's a growing woman, she's more than capable on her own." My knight and shining armor replies as my dad pulls me closer to him.

"Thank you daddy, you're the best" I chuckle and take a quick glance at my pouting mother.

I adore her, with long brown hair, pale brown eyes, her long tall skinny frame shapes her personality so well. Her tan skin against my pale white complexion is almost the only difference between us. My dad, John, showcases his bald shiny head, bright forest green eyes which he passed so graciously down to me. Big tan muscled body structure. Both my parents stand at the height of almost 6'5". I smiled at the picture-perfect couple, they really are perfect, truly the best parents ever. Opposites really do attract, even in appearance. My dad pulls me into a bone crushing hug as we walk down the corridor with mom walking alongside looking more nervous than I.

"FOUND THE ROOM, IT'S RIGHT HERE!" my oldest brother Tobias yells from the end of the hallway.

My brother with his head of dark black hair, his body fixed as a Marine, same as my fathers and just as tall as my parents. Sadly, I am the only one in the family who did not get the high, at 5' 1", I am short compared to my parents. Tobias always has a joking smile on his optimistic face, with a mischievous glint hidden within the brown of his eyes.

We chuckled while walking down the long corridor of Emory College of arts and design, my family and I are from Cincinnati Ohio, and drove all the way to Georgia for the photography program. My brother volunteered to help settle me into my dorm room. We walked in to find my roommate Emily talking to my brother who looks flustered, with red cheeks. I step forward to greet Emily, interrupting their conversation and putting out my hand to shake hers. While she seemed happy to greet me, she did seem confused by the formality and instead pulled me into a hug that surprised me as I returned the hug with a wide smile. We both pull away and laugh.

"So... you are my roommate?" Emily questions looking me up and down.

"Yep, I can definitely work with this, but we will need to do a lot of work to your wardrobe. I mean look at you, you are dressed as an old woman for crying out loud, and you are so quiet. Do not worry we will work on that as well, maybe go to some parties, get you some guys to hook up with and some tattoos..." She continues to ramble about what changes I need to make while I look at my parents with wide eyes.

I find humor in their response to her, as I look at them, I take notice of both of their shocked expressions. My mother is looking as horrified as she probably feels and my father who looks taken by surprise suddenly finds a smirk and a happy go lucky laugh as he lets a belly rumbling laugh out immediately cutting off Emily.

"I think that sounds like a great idea, live a little and go crazy, college is supposed to be a fun time, so make sure she has fun and does not get into too much trouble, I trust you know how to make a quick escape from police, correct?" my dad says with a hint of a chuckle hidden by a mastered serious face. Emily, with a hint of mischief looks at me with surprise, suddenly turning toward my dad with a serious expression.

"Oh, of course, plenty of getaways, we definitely won't be getting caught, trust me I have much experience." she replies with a loud chuckle as she turns to throw me a wink.