Zalfie--I Fall Apart

six

I stepped out of the airport and my eyes blinked rapidly as I attempted to adapt to the change of scenery. Instead of the usual, drab, grey weather one usually encounters in London, this weather was bright and sunny, the UV rays were not coming through rain clouds as I was accustomed too. No wonder everyone was so god damn bronzed here--I could feel myself burning and I hadn't even been outside for a minute.

I hailed a taxi and told the driver to take me to the address Dodie had sent me. It hadn't hit me that I was truly in LA but I was absolutely taken by it all. The palm trees, the flamboyant people, even the traffic. Nothing could get me off of cloud nine. I spent the drive with my head sticking out the window as I eagerly took everything in.

Everything was so picture-esque, it was like I was in a movie. It was brighter and everything was just . . . just more.

The cab ride was over too soon. I tipped the driver and stepped out, examining the little, white, Spanish-looking building I was in front of.

It had two stories, and it was--to put it simply--a box. There were red windows and a brown door and lots of flowers on the second floor balcony. The fact that this was home was absolute bollocks. I couldn't even fathom it.

I rapped tentatively on the door and a pretty, blonde girl opened it.

"Zoella!" she said in a thick Irish accent, bringing me in for a hug.

"H-hello," I laughed, wrapping my arms around her, a little surprised about the warm welcome.

She pulled me back until I was arms-length away and examined me.

"You look like absolute shit," she announced with a big ol' grin. "Being on an airplane for what--10 hours?--will do that to, eh?"

"Makes you feel like shiet too," I told her, looking around the room.

"Right, so, it's a little--and I say that charitably--messy in here," she said, gesturing to all the boxes. "But this is home sweet home." She said the last bit sing-songy.

I nodded and smiled as widely as I could. "It's lovely," I said. "It's unquestionably lovely."

She nudged me. "No need to lie here, love," she told me with a warm look. (She was a rather warm person, wasn't she? Like a mum. Thanks the heavens--I could use one of those in a new country.) "I'll give you the grand tour, yeah?"

"Yes, please!" I was practically bouncing at this point.

"Alright, so" her voice changed to that of a sportscaster "here is the living room--which you really might not know as it is absolutely fuckin' trashed. The rug and TV will hopefully give you some idea. If sitting on the floor isn't really your thing--"

"If you don't support racial appropriation," a brown-haired, bespectacled boy interrupted. Where he had come from, I'll never know.

"Ah, yes, this is Jack Howard," Hazel explained. "He loves to make an entrance, Jack Howard does."

He offered me his hand and I shook it gently. "I'm Zoe,"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Zoe," he said. "I've heard wondrous things about your writing from Dodie and Hazel."

"Definitely over-hyped," I murmured, which earned a guffaw from Jack.

"Definitely not," Hazel protested, swinging her arm around Jack. I wondered if they were dating. "She's incredible, Zoe is. Absolutely breath-taking too, isn't she?"

"I know I'm still out of wind," he replied with a wink in my direction.

Maybe not dating.

"There are more of you, right?" I asked.

"What, we're not enough?" Jack teased lightly.

Hazel nodded, looking around. "You have yet to meet Sammy. Where is that bugger anyways?"

Jack shrugged. "Off jacking off, I imagine."

"Don't" Hazel turned to look at me "open doors without knocking first. It'll land you in a world of trouble."

I laughed. "I'll keep that in mind," I told the two of them, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Oh lovely!" Hazel said sympathetically. "You must be exhausted, how stupid of me. What time is it in London, like two in the morning?" She checked the time on her phone. "No, it's three. God, air travel is awful, isn't it? I can wrap this tour up and show you to your room if you care? Or you can sleep in my bed?"

"I don't want to sleep!" I protested, yawning once again.

Hazel smiled. "Just for a few hours. It'll still be sunny, busy LA when you wake up."

I nodded. "After the tour, how about?"

Hazel smiled and dipped her head. "Of course."

"Shall I take your bags up to your room while you two do that?" Jack offered, gesturing to the two suitcases I had rapidly dropped at the door.

"Would you?" I asked thankfully--my shoulders were absolutely killing me after lugging those things around all day.

"Alright, so, over here we have the kitchen," Hazel said without missing a beat, despite the interruption. "This is--"

We heard a grunt and the sound of something heavy falling from the living room. We quickly turned to see Jack flat on his ass, my suitcase on top of him.

"What have you got in here, rocks?" he demanded and that did it--Hazel completely lost it, she started laughing so hard, she was doubled over. I started giggling madly too, tears rushing from my eyes.

"What, was it something I said?" Jack asked from the floor, throwing us into another fit.

So, these were them. The people I would be spending most of my time with in LA. They seemed absolutely, truly delightful. It had been a long, emotional, exciting day. And it had ended very well. So far my leap of faith had been a good one.

I couldn't wait to see what else was in store.