Look After You | Colby Brock

Adulthood

The rain hitting the window awoke me this morning and had me thinking back to my life back home in Arizona. I spent the morning on the phone to my parents, catching up on FaceTime. Kane and Kyle already looking older than when I left which saddens me. The time reads 8:40am and I have about 20 mins to get to class for my first full week.

I need to give Jake and the others in my group an update for our project today, but I still haven't heard from Colby since Saturday. I sigh and finish putting my books into my grey rucksack before slinging it over my shoulder. I opted for a ponytail today and some white jeans with my grey vans, my outfit completed with my black oversized sweater.

"I'll text you after my classes and we can make dinner arrangements if you would like" I say to Rose as I pick up my phone. She nods and I agree to meet her before heading off out of our dorm to begin my day.

The rain is unlikely in Los Angeles from my research so when I walk outside of the building the campus has almost completely dried up and the sun splits the streets. It makes me smile a little as I walk towards the on campus cafe for my coffee and snack for my morning class.

Whilst talking to my mom this morning she reminded me I need to find a car so I spent sometime researching whilst on FaceTime and noted down a few places to check out. I have some free time before lunch so I might try and work on that.

"Hey" Jake smiles as he hands me my coffee as I walk into the cafe, "Oh?" I laugh quietly as he hands me a bagel smothered in cream cheese. "I figured you were running a little late" I frown and look at the clock on the wall, it is just about to hit 10 to 9 so I thank Jake over and over.

We walk to class and I finish my bagel off on the way. "Are you excited for Professor Cowden's class today?" He teases and I sigh, "Nope. Colby disappeared so I only have a little bit of discussion to bring to the table which is definitely not how I wanted to start my semester. I might just swap clients" I take a sip from my coffee as Jake leads me into the psychology building. "So much for anonymous clients huh" I look at him blankly, rethinking what he was saying before realising. "Oh shit! Ok well, you already knew. I spoke to you at the skatepark?!" I chuckle nervously and he shakes his head, "I know I know. I'm just reminding you in case you mention names in front of those other girls" I nod and take a seat next to him in our first lecture.

—

My morning classes fly by and my hand aches from the amount of typing I did. Taking notes is definitely a specialty of mine. Jake agrees to meet me in Professor Cowden's class after lunch to end the day. But for now I have sometime to study which I'm going to use to check out these car dealers.

I pull out my phone and check my notes to find the first I'm going to try. I take a seat on a bench at the gardens on campus and ring up the first company.

"Dixon's Car Sales, How May I help you?" A woman's voice sounds through my phone, "Hello. I'm just wondering if you have any small vehicles that I can take a look at today" I clear my throat after speaking. "Of course. Are you the lady purchasing today?" She asks. "Yeah, I have a budget of $4000 I tell her and she tells me she will get back to me within the next half hour after she looks at the lot.

I ring up the other companies listed in my phone but none seem to have anything in my budget that I can look at today which is not ideal. I decide to take a trip back to my dorm as I await for a call back.

I empty out my rucksack of the books I won't need for later today and grab my credit card from my desk. I slide it into my wallet with my drivers license and head back outside just in time as my phone starts to ring.

"Hello. Sorry I didn't catch a name before I got your number?" The lady I spoke to early asks, "Aliyah" I smile even-though she can't see. "Alright Aliyah. We have a white 2010 Volkswagen Golf just below your budget. You're more than welcome to come take a look at it just now" I agree to make my way down and she states the address to me which I take a note of before hanging up.

It's not the most modern car but it's far better than some other vehicles I could've came across for my budget in LA. The money I have I earned after I passed my drivers test by working summer jobs and babysitting. Having my own car is a big step forward in adulthood as I only had my moms SUV back home that I could only use when she said I could.

My Uber to the dealership doesn't take too long to show up and the drive only lasts about ten minutes through LA traffic.

The lot is covered in cars new and old and there are a few mechanics, this place is a pretty hardworking company by the sounds of things which relaxes my second thoughts about purchasing the vehicle. "Hi, I'm Aliyah Michaelson. I spoke to someone on the phone about viewing a Volkswagen Golf?" I ask the short woman behind the front desk. She smiles at me and leads me to the car outside. The first thing I notice is how clean it looks and it doesn't look as old as I would've thought. She takes her time to let me know of the important details of purchasing and I climb into the drivers seat to take a test drive. It drives smooth and smells lovely inside which gives it bonus points. By the time I return to the lot I've completely made up my mind. "I'll take it!" I squeal and the lady excitedly claps for me.

The paperwork takes too long and starts to cut into my lunch break which doesn't bother me as much now that I have my own car. After several shaking of hands the woman places the key into my hand and I take off with a huge smile.

"Eeeeek" I say as I sit into the driver seat of my car. I throw my bag into the passenger seat and take off to find some lunch before I have to make Professor Cowden's class. I pull onto the road of where the burger shack is and my stomach growls, so I find a parking space next to the skate park and head to the shack.

"What can I get you?" A boy asks as he stands with his back to me before turning, "Aliyah?" His voice sounds again taking me from my study of the menu. I look at him and suddenly realise who it was, "Colby?" I frown and he looks at me with petty eyes.

"What can I get you?" He repeats bluntly, signalling to the queue that is starting to build up behind me. "Uhm..Chilli fries" I say, looking away. He works here? Is that why he hasn't answered me since yesterday, he's too busy working? Or is he straight up ignoring me for other reasons. He was pretty blunt, I sigh and stand to the side to await for my food, feeling the piercing blue eyes of Colby Brock staring at me.