The Insight on the Meaning of Friends

Part I: Old Friends Galore

Chapter 1

The blinking light from the clock sequentially blinks in a flashy manner, and the loud buzzer rings loudly around the room. Echoing throughout as it rings into her ear, the loud buzzer dissipates the dreams with buzzer sounds. Today will be a beautiful and undeniably fine day, maybe not wonderful but will be fine, or at least a pretty okay, kind of day.

She tossed around on the bed, shuffling the blanket when she sat up with tussled and bed-ridden long raven hair. She skimmed her fingers through the combs and knots, she yawned lightly stretching her arms over her head and straightening her back and neck. She reached her arm out to stop the clock from continuously buzzing.

Maisie's eyes were not yet open, still groggy from sleep. "Mhmp." She stretched her legs out from under the blanket, wriggling her toes and fingers. With the plugin night light being the only illuminating light source, her eyes widened, gazing at the clock on the nightstand.

"Okay, time to get up," she muttered, still half asleep, hopping out of bed. She patted down on her pajamas, fluffing her blanket and pillow. "Looks good." She nodded her head.

After a warm and quick-ish shower, she paced to the detachable hooks on the wall. She already picked out her outfit prior, since she could not waste a minute if she wanted to be on time for the quote-on-quote class reunion post-vacation in Florida. She patted herself dry, leaving the bathroom and heading back to the bedroom to change into the clothes she had set out the night before. Maisie looked at the opened packed suitcase and a duffle bag plus a carry-on bag settled by the bed. "Okay, essentials care also known as the hygiene set, tucked in between my clothes and a few in the flap pockets. That is a check. I also packed one slipper sock, plus three pairs of high-ankle socks. One pair of sneakers, one pair of sandals, and the one I'm going to wear because it's going to be two weeks and I don't want to overcrowd my suitcase or the duffle bag. Enough clothes to last for those two weeks." Maisie sighs softly, zipping up the suitcase and attaching a little Kirby keychain to help her find it later. "It is just two weeks. It will fly by and I will be home soon." Her heart fastened at the thought of vacationing with former classmates and slash friends whom she hadn't communicated with in ages until now. Setting up the suitcase upright and adjusting the handle, she grabs the duffle bag and the carry-on bag out of her room and into the tiny living room of her apartment. "Why did I even say yes to this? Others aren't even going, I had a choice of not going. Why did I say yes?" Contemplating her thoughts, Maisie rolls her suitcase out of her apartment door. Leaving the duffle bag and carry-on to get them last, she locks the door (lock doors, even if you aren't entirely out of the vicinity) and proceeds down to the parking lot where her car is. She unlocked the car, popped the trunk open, and set it carefully inside. Locking her car back up, she heads back into her apartment to get the duffle bag and carry-on bag, repeating her steps, because taking steps and precautions is good form.

Maisie glanced around her apartment after settling all the items of luggage inside of the car, her hand on the door frame with a soft pouty lip, patting the door frame with her hand. "See you in two weeks' apartment. Don't worry, mom and dad will visit and so will the rest of our family. You will be in safe hands." Her eyes flew from the living room couch to the dining table to the hallway, blinking in thought with her mind running on scenarios. "Should probably leave one light on." Maisie runs over to the hallway, turns on the hall light, and dashes back to the front door, nodding her head with a triumphant grin. She shuts the door and locks it, double checking the doorknob she turns it and nods in triumphant. "Door locked and everything is secure." She finally heads out to her car. She had already made spare keys to give to her parents and her siblings so they could check on her place during the two weeks.

Perhaps it was the anxiety peaking, the butterflies residing in her stomach as the plane lifted off into the air. "Florida. Two weeks," Maisie mumbles incoherently, her hands gripping tightly in her lap as she stares out the window. The darkened ascending sky came into view, and the view of the ground became obsolete, like staring at Google Maps in terrain view. Just in real life this time. Her eyes drift off, slowly closing, she falls into a slumber, everything blacking out as anxiety levels soften to a simmer.