Something New (A Chris Evans Story)

Chapter One

A/N: The word "Akka," in the Indian language of Konkani, means "elder/older sister". "Desi" is a word that means "from the homeland" in reference to India.

The sounds of waves beating against the shore filled my ears, relaxing all the muscles in my body. Well, that was until the intercom on the plane buzzed, and a piercing voice started to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the flight crew and pilots, I would like to welcome you to Boston, Massachusetts. Thank you with flying with us today." I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes, saying a silent prayer of thanks to the gods while pushing my glasses onto my face and packing up my neck-pillow and sleep mask. Yes, I'm aware that I'm a nerd when it comes to sleeping and relaxation. But what to do? It's a major and important part of my life, seeing as I always end up getting so little of it these days.

I hate flying. Like really, really hate flying. The noise, the claustrophobia, the feeling of being trapped in what's basically a human- created metal bird in the sky. Reaching over, I shook my brother Ananth awake, who jolted up as if he was on fire. I laughed, and unbuckled my seatbelt so I could reach to the overhead compartments to grab our bags. Except that didn't actually happen due to my state as a vertical challenged woman. Laughing, my brother reached over and got the two bags out. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

While laughing, Ananth managed to stutter out, "What, Naina Akka, you wanted me to wait the entire day for your measly 5'1 self to attempt to get the bags?"

I glared at him (apparently in the most non-intimidating manner as he still kept laughing). "Listen, I have the most embarrassing stories about you as blackmail, and if you keep making fun of my height, I swear to Krishna that I'll make your social life a living hell."

Rolling my eyes, I pushed past him, lugging one of the bags out of the aircraft and through the airport towards the luggage carousals.

Even though I hate flying, travelling was one of my biggest loves. And getting to settle in a new place for a while was probably the best thing about the job at that had taken me far away from my home. I couldn't wait to discover the new places that Boston had to offer from some of the movies I had seen. The Boston Commons, the Freedom trail, Fanueil Hall, Fenway-

"Naina Akka, when will the luggage get here?" Gosh, even though he's entering adulthood soon, my brother can be such a whiny baby. Ruining my daydreaming all the time.

"It'll be here soon, just keep an eye out for-"

I jumped when my phone buzzed with a new text message, and obviously Ananth laughed at how I got so easily startled. Asshole. I reached into my purse that was a war-zone from all the random shit that I had shoved in there, and finally managed to reach the phone (conveniently at the bottom of the mess). I unlocked it, and saw the text message from Shanna, my old college roommate who kept me sane when I was a tired, sleep-deprived pre-med student.

I turned to Ananth. "Apparently Shanna is waiting outside waiting for us when we are done picking up our luggage. God, I can't wait to just get out of the airport and see her again! It's been forever since the party she threw for me after I got into my residency in DC."

He nodded in acknowledgment while staring down at the luggage carousels for our bags, but I don't think he was paying much attention. I could feel his nervousness about adjusting to his new elite college prep boarding school in Cambridge that my parents were sending him to so that he could get into the top Ivy league schools. Even though he wasn't staying with me, I knew that as it goes in our big fat Indian family, as the older sister, I'm obligated to make delicious, pure desi food for my little brother and deliver it to him every week religiously. Along with doing his laundry, cleaning his room, and other such things that apparently you need a vagina to do. Ugh, aren't stereotypical gender roles great?