The Exchange

Chapter 4- Hello Stranger

It was a hard morning for Sasha and Cass. Both woke up with pounding head aches, uneasy stomachs and throbbing bodies.

Sasha felt even worse about the night before now that the alcohol was out of her system. The memory of her frolicking about the garden with Daniel made her want to bury herself deep into the ground. Her brain continued to play the image over and over again in her head like the never ending reel of a horror film.

"I feel like absolute shit!", Cass declared, flopping back onto the bed and covering her face with a pillow. The dark eye shadow that she had forgotten to wipe off had created blurry circles making her look like a panda.

Groaning, Sasha took a sip of water and stretched out her legs, "I behaved so badly last night!"

Cass observed her dejected friend silently for a moment as if trying to work something out.

"I don't understand you, Sash", she wondered aloud, "You're so funny. Like are you really going to beat yourself up over this one kiss?"

Sighing Sasha began to shake her head, "Not really", she replied, "It's just that when I do something with someone, I want it to be special. I want them to be special. I want there to be a connection. I want to like them. I don't want to do stuff just because I can. Does that sound really cheesy?"

Cass rolled her eyes before snatching the glass of water from Sasha's hand, "You're such an old romantic", she teased.

The two spent the rest of the morning lying in bed, drinking coffee and orange juice and watching random cooking shows on Sasha's laptop. It was a sunny day outside but neither were up for going on a walk or swimming in the pool. They felt like snuggling under huge mounds of fluffy blankets and feeling sorry for themselves. 

It was mid afternoon when Cass finally decided to walk home and the sun no longer hung directly above them in the sky. Reasonably recovered from their horrific hangover she engulfed Sasha into a tight hug. 

"Thank you for having me. I had such a good night".

Sasha smiled, squeezing her friend back, "Me too".

"Bye then", Cass said, pulling away, "See you soon!"

Sasha watched as her friend walked down the path and out the gate. She didn't know why but inside she felt like something had ended. The party last night was all about celebrating the end of college and drinking to new beginnings. But it also symbolised the transition to adulthood and leaving behind a large part of their youth. 

She was growing up.

And there was something else as well. A glimmer. A flicker. A promise that change would come in a number of different ways and it would be the start of something unknown. 

Looking about Sasha felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. The house was empty. Annette was out somewhere and Ben had gone to his friends. 

Standing alone she suddenly thought of her dad sitting in his new house, with his new wife and baby. He was a man who demanded power just by being in the same room as you. He was loud and charismatic but he had a temper.

Sasha's earliest memory of him was his broad shoulders and large back as he turned away from her bed to switch off the light each night. She remembered watching him go and feeling scared; then, because she hated the dark and now, because something was ending and she didn't like change. 

What this feeling truly stemmed from was the fear of abandonment. The fear of rejection.

Sasha shook her head 'Maybe I do have daddy issues', she joked miserably before turning to go back upstairs, ready to bury her head into a book.

-----

Sasha spent the rest of the day in bed, catching up on sleep. When she woke the next morning she felt refreshed and new.

Removing her covers she took a deep breath in, exhaling slowly. Today was a new day and she was going to seize it rather than let it slip by.

Grabbing a towel from the cupboard she padded barefoot to the bathroom and ran a warm and soothing bath.

Adding a generous amount of bubble bath the waters surface began to foam and she eased herself into the steamy pool. 

'It's time to do things differently!', she thought as she began to massage shampoo into her scalp, 'switch things up'.

No matter how much she resisted change she knew that it was needed. She couldn't hide away forever hoping that prince charming would find her. The world doesn't work like that. If you want something you have to go and get it.

"I need to be more open", Sasha murmered, "no more shutting people out". 

After her bath she felt instantly more relaxed. She wrapped her hair in the towel to dry and covered herself in a silk dressing gown before heading downstairs. The morning sun had begun to seep through the windows, creating a warm glow in the house.

Turning around the corner to enter the kitchen Sasha stopped in her tracks, her legs going numb.

There he was, standing in the kitchen. Shirt off. Just jeans. And beautiful, smooth olive skin. The light rays from outside framed his head, like a halo. The most beautitful person Sasha had ever laid her eyes on.

He held a mug in his hand and was leant against one of the kitchen counters in a somewhat graceful manner. Sasha wondered how this slouching, half dressed boy could look so dignified at this time in the morning. 

Surprised to see this perfect stranger in her house Sasha gave a quiet cough in hopes to gain his attention and ask him who the hell he was!

The boy looked up lazily, his eyes like water lapping over her body as he took her in. His gaze was soft but she felt as though it were piercing through her very core causing her breath to catch in her throat.

"Hello", he said. His voice was low and thick with an accent. He didn't smile, just looked. 

"Who are you?", Sasha managed to stutter, "you're.. um.. in my house?"

Her voice wavered making her sound as though it was her trespassing in a random persons home and not the other way around. But this boy just looked like he could belong anywhere. 

"Yes, obviously", the boy smirked. He took another sip of his coffee, taking his time in explaining the situation, "I am Julien, French exchange. And you are Sasha". 

This was not a question but rather a statement and Sasha couldn't get over how this French angel had just said her name. He made it sound beautiful speaking it softly as though he were turning it over in his mouth and was relishing every bit of it. It got right under Sasha's skin. 

"Right", Sasha said looking down at her feet as an awkward pause ensued. She suddenly realised she was wearing only a silk dressing gown and had a towel piled on her head making her flush even more. 

She opened her mouth to ask if he was fitting into the home okay but before she could make a sound Julien drained his coffee in the sink and stood up brushing past her in a dismissive manner.

As he wandered down the hallway, Sasha could hear him snicker and the casual comment, "Bye, England. Beaux vêtements" (Nice clothes)".