The Dorm Next Door

Chapter One

I wake up to the sun shining through white curtains and involuntarily groan dragging my body out from under my duvet. I can already hear my moms heels clicking against the kitchen floor and I cringe at the already forming headache.

I am not surprised when I hear the doorbell ring from downstairs as I am brushing my teeth. I run down the little staircase and open the front door to greet Toby. He has his blonde hair gelled back and my favorite sweater vest on that has green and blue stripes matching his beautiful eyes.

"Today is the day! Aren't you excited Katie?" Toby beams as I move my body from in front of the doorframe to let him into the kitchen. "Of course i am excited, why wouldn't I be?" If i am being honest I am nervous to move all the way to the big city of New York but i would never let Toby know that.

Toby is the type to already have everything planned out and not have a single worry about the future, I am the type to worry over every little thing.

As he is making his coffee I go through my list of things that I need to have packed for the tenth time. "You know reading that thing over and over wont help anything." Of course its my mother wearing her fancy red dress and her entire face painted, nothing new. She always has to have her hair and makeup done to even step out of the house.

"Im just trying to be prepared, mother." I say forcing a smile as she simply gives me a nod and brushes passed me to fetch the coffee pot. I love my mother dearly but I have always been put on a pedestal six miles into the air. That makes me who I am today, I am a perfectionist and my mother just increases the need to be one.

I watch as she prepares the coffee, hair slicked back into a neat bun. I start to wonder where by wavy dirty blonde hair came from. All of the photos I have seen my dad has the darkest hair along with my mother. They have brown eyes and I have light green, they are on the taller side and I am definitely on the short.

Toby washing his cup out pulls me out of my thoughts and I ask him if he has his stuff in his car or if we have to go back to his house before we go to the airport. He tells me that he has everything in the car and that he is ready when I am.

"What time is your flight?" My mom asks with a hint of annoyance in her voice. She was never happy about me going to New York, she wanted me to go to a university here in Florida so I could stay with her. That was definitely not going to happen, a part of me is bouncing off of the walls because I get to leave this small town and do something with my life. I want to become a successful journalist and I will stop at nothing to achieve just that.

"Eleven o'clock" I say while trying to avoid eye contact as I feel her eyes glued to the back of my head. "Well its ten now so you might want to get going" First she doesn't want me to go and now she is practically pushing me out of the front door. "Why the sudden rush?" I am making full eye contact while seeing Toby stiffen in my peripheral along with my mom. "Well if you are planning on leaving me I want you out now."

Well, that stung a little bit but she needs to understand that I am not leaving her, just making something out of myself. "Mom i am no-" and she cuts me off by saying "I've heard that over and over Katherine, just go." Turning her head dismissing the conversation. "Ill get your bags" Toby says trying to distract me from saying more than I should. He gives swift kiss on the cheek and starts jogging up the stairs to my bedroom.

After he has all of our things in the car he tells my mom that we are both ready to go. She grabs her keys and goes to the car without saying a word. "Well this is it, we are finally going to college." I say while looking at Toby. "I know its crazy, it feels like we were a sophomore just yesterday. But we cant sit here and reminisce we have to get going." I nod my head and follow him to the front door silently bidding my house of eighteen years goodbye.

The car ride to the airport is full of stale air as my mom glances at me every once in while through the review mirror. The airport slowly comes into my view and I let out a breath of air that I have been holding since I got into the car. "Katherine, I want to you to know that I actually am happy for you and I am glad you are doing what you have always wanted." Wow, she could have fooled me. "I am upset that you couldn't do that here in Florida but that's besides the point. You can always call me if you need anything." She is so confusing, now she is telling me that i can rely on her.

As we pull up to the curb I tell my mom goodbye and grab Toby's hand as we pull over things behind us and head for the plane.