Insane

//College//

Chasten's POV

//Three weeks prior//

I was sitting in my chair, third row, seventh seat. Chris was giving his valedictorian speech that he had practiced over and over again. I wouldn't be surprised if even I had memorized it by heart.

Chris and I had always been close. Not in the sense of I visited him every weekend, or even dropped by his house. I meant in the sense of we had almost every class together this past year. Now that I'm graduating, I will miss his antics and paper ball tosses that failed to ring the trash bin. He very well may be the valedictorian, but that didn't mean he wasn't a teenage boy.

When his speech was over, we all stood and did the annual tossing of our caps. I had watched this for the past four years, and now that I'm down on the field is a miracle. Living with my family was definitely not the easiest thing to do, I was just glad that I could finally move onto college. No one in my house hold actually believed in my ambitions. The ambitions that I had talked non stop about since freshman year started.

Once graduation was over, I finished packing my things and telling my family our goodbye's. The college I had been accepted to had dorm renovations recently, and were ready to move into. It would give me a head start especially with the fact that California was such a long way from Portland, and I need to start looking into the majors. I know I should have already done this, but the first college I saw in California that accepted me, I sent in my information for. So what?

My mother insisted that I take a plane so that my travel is safer. Plane's are definitely not safer than a Honda.

Once I arrived in the marvelous California, I had officially been disappointed. I expected palm trees everywhere, the only palm tree I saw was the one on the keychain that belonged to the scruffy guy standing next to me.

When I got to the dorm rooms, I had officially completed my side of the room with paint samples ranging from just about every color on the wall. It was basically my idea of creativity.

My dorm roommate had yet to show up, so when I got into bed I didn't expect pounding at the door. And I sure didn't expect a girl about my age bundled up, with a journal clenched under her side and a laptop in the other hand.

"Is this the right dorm? My name is Daniella, i am so sorry for arriving so late, my plane was put off and-"

"I'm guessing it is. It's alright. I'm Chasten. But you can call me Chase."

"I'll be right back, I have to get my bags."

She seemed sweet. Sweet enough, maybe an introvert. Like me. I then started picturing the books she might have, and if the way she thought about the world and the people around her was similar to the way I thought about those things as well.

When she came back, only then did I realize that she indeed had books. When she started shuffling them out, I saw a copy of one of my favorites.

"You're a To Kill A Mocking Bird fan?"

"Oh dear, yes. Ever since I picked that copy up for two dollars, I never let it go."

"Interesting."

She put away her things, and shuffled onto her bed. We were both laid back, just staring at the ceiling. I guess you could say it was one of those not very comfortable moments.

"Daniella?"

"Yes?"

Her voice was very, endearing. Like silk.

"Where are you from?"

"Colorado."

It was nearing midnight, so I rolled over and eventually drifted into sleep.

When I woke up, Daniella wasn't in the dorm. I don't really remember much about her since I was very tired and not to mention jet lagged. I know that my subconscious managed to catch the fact she was from Colorado and had deep brown hair.

I got myself dressed for the day. I hate that I have to take showers in almost public, configuring that the shower areas are almost open to any one, and the only thing shielding me from another persons withering eyes is a measly shower curtain.

I ventured out for an omelette and a book. I left my To Kill A Mocking Bird copy at home, with my little brother. He loves books, and I know when he's old enough to understand the concept of it, he will pass it down to Connor, the youngest. That is, if he has a place in his heart for books like the rest of us.

I found a dusty old bookshop on the corner of third avenue. It was like something from an old Harry Potter story. The cutest little thing i'd ever seen, really.

As I entered, I went straight for the adult fiction section. Teen fiction just wasn't cutting it for me anymore.

This continued for three weeks.