Sleeping Beauty (with a Modern twist)

Chapter One

I’ve done a lot of stupid thing in my life so far, but this has to be the stupidest.

Completely relocating my life, not even considering my personal safety or accounting for homesickness…I mean I don’t even know anyone down in LA. Oh but you do… my subconscious thought. I grinned at that statement, “Yeah, I do…” I said aloud to a car full of boxes and various junk. It was a bit, un-thoughtful of me doing this. But, I mean, I had my parents permission of course, after varies procedures of begging and pleading. I showed them how safe the campus is, how my scholarship money will cut the tuition in half, how responsible I am, and I even printed out a map to show the small distance between Washington and California, just for good measure. So it is slightly for a good education… even though I know full well I could have gotten a perfectly good education back at home, and I wouldn’t even have to pay for out of state tuition or anything like that. But mostly it’s for selfish reasons…. A band I love lives down there. And I guess it’s rather naive of me, but maybe I’ll get to meet them.  So because of the band R5, I am as of now, driving to my new home, Los Angeles, California.

            Driving along the mountain side of California is breathtaking, in my little red Honda fit, gliding along the used, one way, Cali. Free way system.  The sun going down, its ember flames illuminating the sky. I had my shades on, my dyed blonde hair up in a sloppy bun; my I-pod was plugged into the cars speakers blasting my R5 playlist. Everything seemed perfect, moments like this is what I live for, when I see my dreams and determination playing out before my eyes. A huge grin spread across my face, it was too beautiful to be true. A green Welcome to Redding sign came into view and I saw a small city form before my eyes, the gleam of the buildings and the lights shinning through the town, I took the exit into the tiny city. After maneuvering through crowded intersections and passing countless restaurants and motels, I found and empty parking lot outside a closed down restaurant and across the street from a Red Lion Hotel. I parked in a fading white stall and turned off my engine, here was a good place to take a quick nap, or it was also a good place to easily get mugged. I grabbed a pink blanket from the passenger’s seat of my car, spewing the wrappers from my lunch all over my dash in the process. I covered myself in the blanket except my eyes and forehead, then I looked, squinting around the abandoned parking lot, no one was in sight, a few plastic bags flew around, but no one was near. My eye lids felt droopy, I let out a monster yawn, and was out in an instant.

            I woke up to a small tapping noise on my window; I nearly shot out of my seat like a rocket. I looked over to see a girl looking into my car. She was about the same age as me, had sandy blonde hair that was down a little passed her shoulders, it was made up in perfect curls that pulled lightly in the direction of the breeze, she had a sparkly blue eyes, and a pretty, trusting face, that seemed to be smothered and consumed in absolute panic. I rolled down my window just a crack, pushing my blanket off me. “Hello?” I confusedly asked, unsure about what’s going on here.

“Hi, umm… I was wondering if you could possibly help me out.”  She quickly muttered to me, looking around the parking lot as if someone was following her.  I looked around to just to make sure there wasn’t anyone there.

“Uhh… sure what’s wrong?” I asked hoping It wasn’t for directions, I don’t even know what street I’m on let alone what town I was in.

“Well, I was on my way to Los Angeles when my car broke down a few miles from here, I called some tow truck guy, and he came to get my car and told me he’s going to need to order parts for it and I’ll either have to stay here for a couple of days or he could deliver it to LA. And then he asked If I had someone who could give me a ride, but I lied and said I did, because he was a really creepy guy and I didn’t want him staying, but the truth is my family lives in Oregon not Cali. So I walked all the way to Redding, and I don’t have enough money to take a bus all the way to LA, and I have to be in LA by tomorrow at 4 to register into my dorm, because I’m trying to get to college, and you seemed like the only one here who won’t kill me, so maybe you can help me out…” she spit out, her face flushed red and see seemed rather flustered.