A New Beginning

Chapter 2

I sat down on the ice cold floor listening to the woman on the other end.

"I am very sorry , miss . But there was nothing we could do," she said. The sounds that you could usually associate with a hospital , sounded through the speaker of my phone.

"Uh , t-thank you, " I managed to say. " I appreciate your call."

That night I rolled around in my bed , thinking. Giving up on the thought that I might get some sleep I went and made myself a cup of Earl Grey tea and sat on my couch , contemplating.

My parents are dead.

Words I never thought I will hear, especially not so early in my life. Maybe this may sound far fetched as I am only twenty years old , I someday wanted my children to actually know their grandparents.

A week that was supposed to be great , before college started again , turned out to be the worst of all times.

Out of respect , I hurried the funeral arrangements along so that my parents could be layed to rest on Sunday morning.

A few hell of days went by and we all stood side by side, in black at my parents' coffins. It is empty though. After the car accident there was not much left to show.

At the reception I met aunts and uncles I never knew I had. Apparently my parents didn't want to know them because of their money status. Was my parents really so cruel?

Bless the reception for going by rather quickly. I have had enough of people telling me how sorry they are for me.

When I went home I undressed and got into bed straight away. But I couldn't sleep yet.

I always thought my parents were the nicest people I knew. I maybe thought so because I never actually met their colleagues, family or friends , which they had little of. Only snobbish people who always just had a need to brag. I have always felt such great pity for such persons.

The next morning I was almost late for class. I managed to sit down before the lecturer could turn around to face his bored looking students.

I sat and twirled my auburn hair around my fingers , barely listening about some other Renaissance artist. I usually loved learning about art but today was just not one of those days.

As soon as I finish my degree in history of arts , I want to open my own gallery.

My dream for the future.

After class one of my friends , Danny , called me up saying they were at the Coffee Bean. A very popular place for all the college kids to hang out. It's always so crowded. I didn't like it that much, you could barely hear yourself think.

After making up some lame excuse , I went back to my apartment.

All my friends are those in the same high social rank as I am. I was always obligated to only mingle with people the same status as mine.

Things started to make a completed puzzle of who my parents actually was. They were materialistic. Without a doubt. It made me sad because of the wrong perception I have always had of them. I guess when they say: your perception of me is a reflection of you and vice versa , is really true.

Before I went upstairs I first went to get my mail. It was quite a lot seeming that I have cleared my mailbox recently.

Most of it was just junk mail but there was one unknown letter.

I quickly went to my apartment and opened the envelope. It was from attorneys. About my parents' will.

It said that there were a meeting to be scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Luckily I didn't have a lecture on Wednesday . I called them to confirm the time and place then I hit the gym.

I was always told that I was very lucky to have a hourglass figure, but I still needed to workout unless I wanted to look like a potato.

Suddenly someone talked to me on my left. The woman just stepped on the treadmill with flower tights and a loosely fitted grey shirt.

"Hard day , huh?" she asked me.

"More like hard life , " I said not knowing why I suddenly talked to strangers. She must be a very easy person to talk to, maybe.

From what I can see , she was very pretty as well. Tall , skinny and a blonde bombshell. Suddenly I felt mousy and drab.

She laughed. "That is a bit depressing don't you think."

" I guess," I breathed. I was out of breath so quickly. It was propably because I didn't excercise at all the week before.

"My name is Sarah Harding. "

" Sophia, " I said.

"Nice to meet you Sopia."