Living on borrowed light...

Ground Zero

~September 25th, 1974. ~Exhausted, I laid down on my bed with a flop, my sweat soaked brown hair sticking to my neck and face. I had spent the whole day and night unloading all my things from the moving truck on my own. My only friend here, who was supposed to lend me a hand, totally bailed on me to party. Apparently there was a band that she's always wanted to see playing at her favorite bar that night. I was a little bummed, but I'm sure her hangover will be payback enough for ditching me. Oh, just the thought of her hugging the toilet made me chuckle, all joking aside however, I hoped she had a good night. I smiled at the thought of her getting to see her favorite band. Jen is a bit crazy, and when she lets loose, phew, you better watch out. As nutty as she is though, she has a great heart. So, no sleep, several beers, and many hours later. My body was hurting, and I was in desperate need for a shower. Laying there, not wanting to move, I studied the ceiling above me. Making out shapes and faces, letting my mind wander on the coming days, I imagined Jen, more so all her friends here in Utah, what would they be like, would they like me? Would things work out here? Will I be able to become the person I want to be? I'm so far away from where I came. I'm now stationed in Salt Lake city Utah, with only one friend by my side, and a fountain of ideas stuck in my head. Why here though? Well, I needed a change, a big one. My family back home, quite frankly, didn't give a shit about me. Only people I had that I could trust was Jen and my Grandparents. But both of my Grandparents unfortunately, no longer walk this Earth. So naturally when Jen decided to move back here and suggested I should come, I jumped at the idea. But now that I'm here, It's all beginning to sink in, I'm nervous, and can't keep myself from worrying about all the things that could go wrong. Sadly that is one of my greatest faults, thinking too much. Jen said to me over the phone before I left, that I have an accent. To people back home, we didn't, but here, she said the people will  notice almost right away. She was just harmlessly poking fun like she usually does, however  it really does makes me nervous. I want nothing more than to blend in. I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb anymore than I already do. I stick out already because I'm that weird awkward type. I'm shy, clumsy, my words never come out as smooth as I want them to, and I'm not exactly the feminine type as far as style goes. I rarely wear make up, my wardrobe consists of bell bottom jeans, t-shirts, and just regular ole sneakers. I wear my hair long and parted in the middle, its naturally wavy and brown. The most I ever do with it really is blow dry it straight. Oh gosh, one time I tried to walk in heels back home... ( Jen's idea of course ) and it ended in disaster, I just about broke my ankle. I fell, and when I fell, I knocked over Jen's, and her friends beers. I never did have any friends of my own other than her, so of course the first time I met them, Einstein had the brilliant idea of me wearing heels. Smooth right? Needless to say, I was left embarrassed, and traumatized about heels ever since. So that means no heels.... Ever.  Laughing nervously out loud to myself, I look over at the clock, it was 3 am... " Yeah, I should probably get moving, and get some sleep..." With a groan I finally muster up the energy to move. Standing up I begin taking off my clothes, and throw them in the hamper near my door. Before walking out, I grab some towels to bring with me. Weakly walking out my bedroom, I walk right to my bathroom. Upon entering, set the towels aside, turn on the shower, and let the room fill with steam. I let out a deep sigh, and after the water is just right, step into the shower. Letting the hot water run over and sooth my aching body. Closing my eyes, I wash my hair, my body, the usual things we all do, and when I'm finished, I stand there for awhile, running over the busy day I just had and not wanting to step out into the cold air. Basking in the warmth, I sigh to myself and eventually  turn the  water off, and when I did, I instantly regretted it. I step out of the shower now, grabbing the towels I had set aside earlier, and begin drying myself off. I shiver slightly as my skin raises with goosebumps from the cold air. After spending some time getting as much water out of my hair as possible, I finished it off by drying my it with the hair dryer that I had put away in the drawer earlier that day. Walking back to my room now, I throw the towels in the hamper, and throw on a pair of pajamas. Which was simply a tank top and underwear, classy right? I turn off the over head light, and climb in bed, making a point to leave on the bedside light. I never did like sleeping in the dark, it made me feel... Uneasy. With the comfort of my bed now surrounding my tender body, it marked the end to a very long day, and the beginning of my new life. I just hope Jen takes it easy on me, or maybe, I'll end up having to take it easy on HER, after her escapade tonight... With a soft chuckle, I close my eyes, falling into a deep sleep...