"Ricominciare Bene," I muttered under my breath as I wrote it down on a piece of paper. "Italian cuisine. A four-and-a-half-star rating on Google. Average cost."
I woke up especially early today to do my research on this city. I searched for cool places to hang out and nice cafés and restaurants to dine in. I also looked up the school website to see what they had to offer. Who knows? Perhaps things had changed in the past three years.
After zipping up my bag, I smiled nervously. I had packed everything I needed for school based on the advice given by my best friends. My stomach fluttered. What if people question my sudden appearance in school? What if they noticed that I wasn't with them from the beginning?
Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down. I would have to live with it. I chose to come here, and it's probably the best choice I have ever made in my entire life. There's no room for final regrets. Besides, I'm sure Talia, Erica and Zenia have me covered. I tried my best to conjure up positive thoughts, which did the trick.
At that moment, a thought appeared in my mind. I'm going to start school at Columbia University in a few hours. To think it was only yesterday when I left my town and came all the way to Manhattan to let go of my past and reunite with my friends. Two days passed quicker than I thought.
I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "Holy shit, I need to go," I mumbled. Time surely flies! I needed to meet up with the dean, so I had to arrive at school earlier. I didn't want the dean to think I was tardy. Being late is disrespectful!
I grabbed my stuff and dashed out of my apartment. Just then, I realised something: I didn't know my way to Columbia University. What? Are you serious? You searched about this city, this borough, even the school, and you didn't find a way to get to school?
Yes.
Well done, Alexia. You have outplayed yourself.
Heaving a deep sigh, I went downstairs and out of my condominium. I looked around to try and navigate my way. Maybe it's here. I scratched my head in uncertainty. I don't want to get lost, though. I looked at the time. God dammit.
I looked around listlessly, wondering which was the right way to the nearest subway. I mean, logically, there should be maps on the subway, and the school should be near one too. I sighed, lamenting how growing up in a small town I knew like the back of my hand and had never left had rendered me incapable of navigating through unfamiliar surroundings.
What if I end up late for school? And on the first day of school? That's such a bad omen. It will leave such a terrible first impression on the dean! So much for having a clean disciplinary record. "Oh, right!" I remembered with a jolt that maps existed on the Internet. Crying at my stupidity, I desperately pulled out my phone for the GPS. It was such a huge joke that I had forgotten to use an online map when I was using it just a few minutes ago to look up places to eat.
"Lost?" I suddenly heard.
I turned around and saw that it was Matteo Knight. "Yeah," I replied. "It's my first day at Columbia College, and I just realised that I didn't know the way." Shit, I thought at that instant. I felt stupid for speaking too much. Why did I have to mention that it was my first day at CC? I could've just said it was because I just moved here, so I didn't know how to get to CC from here. So much for pretending that I was a student at CC the whole time.
So much for being the smartest kid in town. I couldn't even pick the right words to say. Well, I already said it. It wasn't as if I could turn back the clock, so I decided to go with the flow and secretly pray that he didn't hear it.
YOU ARE READING
Begin Again
RomanceLife cannot treat Alexia Grey any better. She has amazing family and friends and gets perfect scores. She is destined for great things. She has envisioned a life with her boyfriend, for whom she has sacrificed her entry to the state's best universit...