The Exchange

Chapter 15

I climbed into bed with my diary after all the boys left to go out clubbing. I open my diary and begin writing about the day I had. I start with school, work my way up to the grocery store, write a few pages on dinner and sign off with a simple good-night. I look back in my diary at the last few entries and come across one of my longer ones.

It was the first one I wrote after coming here.

I am surprised to see how much I ranted and how sad I sound. It wasn't long ago really that I was so upset at the school and sad about missing my family most of all. My entries have gotten quite a bit happier since then but I still have my moments. It hits me every once and a while but not constantly like it did my first few days. I realize that with everything, you have to take it just one day at a time, and eventually everything getes easier.

I savour the absolute silence in the flat for a moment. Usually when I go to bed around 10:00 I can still hear Harry and Louis puttering around. Sometimes the boys are still here watching highlights of a soccer, or technically football, game. It is calming to be in a quiet place all to yourself but that feeling lasts only a moment at the most. I'm not really one who likes quiet.

I put my diary on the night table next to me because I'm too lazy to walky across the room. Wait, am I actually that lazy?

I sigh and swing my feet out from under the covers and stand up. I grab my diary and walk the two feet to my desk and then put it in the top right corner. I carefully place the pen on top of the cover in a straight, vertical line and then turn on my heels and climb back under the clean white comforter.

Reaching over, I turn out the bed side lamp and snuggle in. The warm bed spread wraps around me and the pillow under my head feels like a cloud. Comforting, relaxing, calming. All things I'm not used to, yet, they all seem to be so nice.

I try to focus on my breathing. I read somewhere that focusing on something will help you fall asleep but sometimes it doesn't help me. After a few minutes my mind begins to wander and I realize this is one of those times.

I think back to after dinner. The kitchen looked spotless after everything was put away. As if no one had even cooked. Niall took the liberty of sneaking the last piece of banana bread while no one was looking. I don't think he even noticed I saw him.

They refused to allow me to help them clean up. I felt bad since it was partly my mess too but every time I tried, someone stopped me. At one point I tried to get the cloth to wipe down the table but Louis stopped me and said,

"Don't you have homework to do or something?" Well, yeah I kind of did so I didn't really have a come back for him.

"That's what I assumed." He said as he saw me thinking about it and Liam scooted me out of the kitchen saying,

"Homework is more important." Like I don't know that. My parents had that cemented into me brain by the time I was eight.

I don't really consider one French worksheet homework though. I got through the conjugations for the past tense in five minutes at the most by remembering what my teacher taught us in grade eight. It was mostly review.

So far school hasn't been too overwhelming for me. Except then I remembered school back home and kind of remembered that I have to prepare a presentation for when I finish this "cultural experience."

I spent over an hour googling creative presentation ideas. The most creative idea I found was a movie and I'm not the best at editing stuff. If I ever have to make a video for school I usually ask Hayden to do it.

I will admit that I was frustrated when I decided to take a break from the research and plonked down on the love seat in the living room next to Niall.