Ready or Not (DISCONTINUED)

September 1st

please do not read the writings of an insecure 13-yr-old who had no idea what high school was actually like thanks so much

don't fukin do it

"It took too long, it took too long, it took too long for you to call back," I sing into the microphone on my computer. "And normally I would just forget that, except for the fact it was my birthday, my stupid birthday."

Technically, I should be unpacking and getting my dorm ready now. But when I get inspiration for a cover to put online, singing comes first. Always. That's my policy. My roommate should know this by now, but I'm still gonna piss her off anyway.

"Nichole?" I hear from the doorway. I quickly shut my laptop and look at my best friend, Thom Lovett, collapsing from a box he's trying to carry into the dorm. "Do you mind helping me?"

I run over and take one side. "Aria's box?"

"I'm guessing it's her shoes," he says, wincing.

"We can just set it down right here." I release my hold on the box and drop it.

"You had better not drop that!" I hear my roommate, Aria Winters, shriek from outside.

"Why?" Thom yells from back in here. "What is in here? Are your shoes breakable?"

Aria storms in, her blond hair threatening to escape from the tight bun it's in. "That box was about to break, and then my shoes would've fallen out."

"I don't see why that would be a problem," I huff, going back to making my bed.

"It just is, okay?" She rolls her eyes and then turns to Thom, who clears his throat. Throwing her arms around his neck, she says sweetly, "Thanks for helping me today."

"No problem," he responds, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"Um, you guys?" I say awkwardly. "I'm right here."

"Shut up, Nichole," Thom says, rolling his eyes. "We see you and Collin all the time. So hypocritical."

My heart thumps a little harder when he says my boyfriend Collin Brown's name. Tonight's the orientation party for our school, Westlake Performing Arts High School. I haven't seen him since July, due to his family's trip to Europe. They went to the UK, but mostly Ireland to visit his relatives. I don't think Collin's ever been to Ireland before this summer. So tonight will be the first time I'll have seen him in a couple months.

Me, I remained here and stayed inside most of the summer. I live in northern Washington, so it rains around 90% of the time. I mostly just wrote music and played my guitar. But there were a ton of times when I would hop into my car and drive to the beach, picking up Thom and my other best friend Artie Smith, and we'd have a day in Aberdeen. Collin would visit me a ton of the time, or I would visit him. My parents were not happy when they saw how much gas I went through, because my boyfriend lives an hour away from me. I like to call this 'the summer of expenses'.

"Wanna just stay and hang out until orientation?" I offer. "We can watch Netflix and get stuff from the vending machines down the hall."

"That sounds so much better than heading home. I'm in." Thom settles down on Aria's bed with her. Aria nods understandingly.