You don't really need to read the prologue if you don't feel like it. It does however establish some of the relationships with Ivy (the main character).
My freshman year at college is racing towards me like a freight train, and my graduation seems like it was forever ago. I was completely terrified, not because of stage fright, but because I knew that I would miss high school the moment I left. They were some of the greatest years of my life. I had friends there, but now we're all splitting up, going our own ways.
I am attending California State University. It is far away from my home town, Davidson, North Carolina, so I won't get to see my family very often, if at all, during the school year. I have a second cousin that is goes CSU, but I haven't seen her since I was eight. She'll be a Junior in a couple weeks, so I'll have her to rely on if I need it.
My stuff was all packed up into boxes. My room looked so strange with nothing in it.
"Honey are you ready?" I hear my mom calling from downstairs.
"I'll be right down."
I grab the last couple of boxes and carefully head down stairs.
"I think those'll fit in my car, hun. I'll let your dad know we're ready to go." She gives me a forced smile and heads down the drive way. We had to take to different cars because not everything would fit in my mom's little Toyota.
Eventually, my mom and dad finished arguing about nothing, and we got on the road, it was about a 20 minute drive to the airport. My mom and I didn't talk much. We only started talking when the airport parking garage was in view.
"Hun, I know that we weren't always super close, but I wanna tell you, we are all going to miss you."
Yea right, mom. When was the last time you really cared I was gone?
"Honey, are you listening?"
Bite me. The last time you cared, you wanted to get custody of me, so it looked good on your record.
"Ivy! Hello? I'm talking to you!"
"Yes, Mom, I know. I can hear you."
"Then say something! Please." My mother pleaded. She knew we weren't close, but what really hurt was that she only really cares now when I'm going to leave, hopefully forever.
"What do you want me to say, Mom. 'Thanks for doing the absolute minimum at raising'?"
"Ivy--!"
"Mom, what do you want from me? I know that you are sorry for not being there, but you can't change the past."
"l understand that you aren't going to forgive me easily, but all I'm trying to tell you is that I'm here for you now. when ever you need me."
"That doesn't make up for you leaving."
By now we had reached the visitor parking lot, my Dad pulling up next to us.
My mom gave me a weak smile. "Grab some boxes" she said opening the trunk .
*****
We approached a large folding table with a sign that read "Freshman Sign in".
"Name?" The girl behind the table asked.
"Ivy Miller."
She scanned the list. "Aha," she pressed her index finger into the parchment. "Ivy Miller," she handed me a pair of keys along with a map of the campus. "Room 316. Your dormmate is..." she scanned the list another time, "Robin Moore,"
"Thank your." I said. She flashed me a fake smile and moved on to the next person.
At first, the layout of the campus was very confusing. We got lost a couple times, but we eventually made it to my dorm in one piece. It was larger than l expected. It had a main room, which had two beds on either side, a couch, and a small kitchen. It also had it's own bathroom, thank God. I remember the horror stories my sister would about her college's communal showers.
"You can just set those over there," l direct my Dad towards one of the beds. He sets down a box labeled "Ivy's books". Box after box fills a good portion of my room. The new challenge becomes figuring out where to put them, rather than getting them up the stairs.
My mom comes up with the last box, "Hey hun, your father and l need to get going. You okay here?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for the help. There's no way I could have done all that by myself."
"Are you kidding? My baby's off to college! Of course I'm gonna help." She gives me a genuine smile. "I love you."
It pains me that my heart won't let me say it back, "I know." Her expression dissipates slightly.
We hug awkwardly and she leaves. I watch them both drive away out of the window. I'm alone. It's finally official.
I'm at college.
And now I'm tired. I'm going to read a book.
