A Billion Stars

Chapter 2

"You've got everything?" Kourtney asks me as I look around my bare apartment, just minutes away from getting into my moving truck and leaving behind my Salt Lake City life. I nod absentmindedly, and I wander through the empty place quietly. "This place was safe" I admit to Kourtney. She nods and brings her arm around my shoulders. "Think about being happy AND safe though. It'll take some time, no doubt, but you can't let yourself stay here." I nod and pull her into a hug. Her words were my final encouragement and all that I needed to get into my moving truck and to not look back. After our final goodbyes, I blow a kiss and pull out of the parking lot. Just 10 hours until I reach my new life. As I activate google maps I see a text come across my screen. "Find yourself AND a man, babe" it reads and I laugh, rolling my eyes. That can't be too hard right? 

Five hours into my drive it feels as though I'm feeling every emotion possible. I'm scared, but I'm so ridiculously excited. This was my chance. It was my chance to prove to my moms that I'm more than the shy homeschooled girl that lived in their house for eighteen years and who graduated from an average university with a music degree. I have three months to work my ass off to get into the Los Angeles College of Music for the fall semester, and hopefully when I do that, they'll be so proud of the person I've become. It's a chance to prove that the music that I made was worth the hours that I spent in my bedroom creating it. Overall, it was my chance to prove to myself that in my twenty-two years of life, I accomplished something incredible. Something in my gut told me that I could do that, with just a little effort and my eye on the prize.  I guess you could say I've got a lot riding on the universe, but for something this big I trust it entirely. 

I blink, and somehow I'm in Los Angeles. As I drive through the city I take in the beautiful palm trees and the bright sun and I feel everything from excitement to anxiety. This was it and as my Google Maps directions tell me that my apartment complex is only a few minutes away, my heart starts to pound in anticipation. "Calm, calm, calm" I remind myself as I drive up, but I can't stop the smile spreading on my face. 

I pull up behind a car and park the giant moving truck, jumping out in excitement and looking around. The sun was starting to set and the beautiful orange sky gave the palm trees a perfect background. The surroundings alone gave me butterflies, and part of me wants to call Kourtney asking her who the hell needs a boy when they have this. I smile as I imagine her answer and I take out my duffle bag from the front seat, along with my apartment key and my apartment form that I got sent to Salt Lake. 

As I search around for my door, I take note of how incredibly immaculate the building is and how  eager I am to begin writing new music here. The writers block that I had in Salt Lake was getting old and thinking about all of the new ideas that were stewing in my brain brought me excitement and a sense of anxiousness. My thoughts were interrupted though as I slam into someone. I drop my duffle bag in shock and reach out to stabilize whoever I might've just hurt. "Oh my god I'm so sorry" I rush out and I look up to see a tall, curly-headed guy with a bright smile. He held a guitar case, and I watched as he looked at me a little curiously. "No worries, I should be the one that's sorry, I almost took you out." He tells me and I smile. He was unbelievably kind especially for someone who almost got run over. "No trust me, they raise us tougher in Utah." I say and I mentally slap myself. Why the hell would I say that? I'm not trying to insult the unbelievably cute boy in front of me, the very first person I've met in LA. I grimace but he smiles brightly and shakes his head. "I figured there was something different about you. Almost a little too genuine to be born and raised here." He says with a laugh and I shake my head. "Whatcha mean? I just literally said I was tougher than you and we met five seconds ago." He laughs loudly and points at me. "That's true I should be pretty worried, Utah woman." I fight the blush that was starting to form on my cheeks and he looks down at me. "So you live here now?" I nod. "I do now! I just got here like five minutes ago and I'm finding my apartment." He smiles and pushes his hair back. "You need a little help? I know this place like the back of my hand." I nod eagerly. "Oh my god please, I might be here all night if you don't." He laughs and leans over to read the paper with my apartment information. As he enters my space, my heart starts to pound and he smiles. "You're right across the hall from me, I can take you there right now." I smile and nod, grabbing my bag and taking a second to pretend to zip it up as I calm my emotions. I'm not this easily rattled and for some reason this boy was getting to me. "You ready?" he asks kindly and I gesture for him to lead the way. "I'm Ricky by the way." He smiles and I nod. "I'm Nini. It's really good to meet you."