Ruined

Chapter 2

The drive seemed endless. I hit every red light possible. My mind reeled with excitement. I stopped through the drive -thru, realizing the time was 12:00 AM. I wanted to wait until I got to the apartment to eat my very first meal there, but once the heavenly aroma of Chick-Fil-A hit my nose, the chicken sandwich was a goner.

By the time I'm done wolfing down the last waffle fry, I see the turn for Silver Lake Apartments. I shove the whole thing in my mouth and throw on my blinker. As I pull into the almost vacant lot, I see an older man with tattoos up and down his arms and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I sigh in relief when I see a much younger looking girl come bouncing out of her apartment and down the steps to meet him. He flicks the cigarette away before opening the door for her and bounding to the other side of the car in three hardy steps.

I'm trying my best to stay away from scum this time. My party days are over. I am no longer a sorority girl. I am no longer Jules, holder of the championship ping pong ball for most won beer pong games at Duke University.

No, I am Juliette McGraw, dental assistant and going into pre med. I am a grown woman, calm and free. No one or nothing can take away my future of becoming the greatest RN ever known. Not even my mother. And with that thought, I slam the car into park in the first vacant spot and swing the door wide open. I grab the keys and sashay to the trunk to grab small things first.

Walking up the steps with two table lamps is pretty hard, but running them out of pure adrenaline is even harder. By the time I get to the top my heart is pounding out of my chest and I just can't control the excitement anymore. I pass 48B and 50B...there it is! The shiny new plate with words sketched into them are a warm welcome in this frigid air. Almost like saying hello, a reflection from a nearby car causes the plate to shine a little brighter, making the 52B stand out even more. I smile, biting my bottom lip to keep from screaming and jumping up and down.

That's exactly what I need, my new neighbors calling the cops because the new girl is overly dramatic and surely stupid. I push the key through the doorknob and bump the door open with my hip. Luckily, it's not one of those automatic closing doors like at nasty motels and it stays open. The first thing I notice is how amazing my new furniture looks. Of course, I already had the furniture brought here because I had been the only one to look at it. The walls were already the exact colors I wanted and the bookcases had already been installed.

My hand runs over my granite countertops in my kitchen. The cold contact sends chills through me but I don't remove my hand for one second. My dining room table is sitting nice and polished up against a mirrored wall. The open living room is the perfect size for me and my stay at home movie nights. My television has already been installed and sitting on the entertainment center. The love-seat adjacent to the couch is calling my name, with its fluffy pillows and red cushions. I decide to push the thought of rest to the side. I want my belongings in by night time.

I grab my bathroom box and head into the master bedroom. The pale yellow walls catch me off guard. I guess I was so used to the bland, color walls of the sorority house. My crème furniture makes the room feel sophisticated. I smile a little wider than I already am and make my way back to the bathroom. The jacuzzi-style bathtub would be a huge distraction right now, but I decide against that too.

I start unpacking my things and decide to turn on music. I grab my radio and turn it on my favorite station. "I can't make you love me by BonIver is on next. Keep your requests coming in!" the man's thick voice booms over the stereo. This has to be my very favorite song. It's an awesome bubble bath song.... I look over to the bathtub and push my hand down into the third bathroom box I brought up moments ago.

I pull out a hair clip, menthol bath salts, and a huge bottle of my favorite Avon bubble bath, Peach Mango Bellini. The chorus comes on as I turn the handles on and wait for the warm stream to come rushing out. I think I deserve a bubble bath after the two hour finishing touches I have been making. Finally, the tub is filled with bubbles and warm menthol-ly water.

I lean my head back against the tub and listen for the next song to come on. Just as Augustana's Boston fills the room, a knock raps against the door. "You have to be freaking kidding me." My huff of anger and annoyance comes out much louder than i intended. I drain the bubbles out of the 15 minute solace that I just had and step into an over size shirt and pajama pants. Whoever is at the door is not gonna expect this, but I wasn't expecting them either.

The knocks are coming on much louder now and they are starting to give me a headache. "I'm coming!" it comes out like a bitchy-whine. I don't even bother looking through the peephole to see who it is. The door swings wide open and suddenly so does my eyes.