The One That Was Once MINE

Chapter 1

Living as a foreigner in your own country is one thing not a lot of people experience, it makes you feel as if you are halfway between Earth and Mars, not really belonging to any, just lost between two cultures you will never 'feel' that you belong to.

I am Annika Williams, my friends call me Anne.
I've always wondered why people can't simply stick to your REAL name?

But humans are humans they don't always do stuff for a reason maybe its because it makes them feel special to that person, or merely the shorter the name the easier it is to use or something.

Anyways, I've lived 18 years of my life in the UAE, moved to LA with dreams of career, marriage, love, education, independency and all other things people dream of when going to LA.
I am originally American but I've been raised and born in the UAE, in an American-cultured space, as my parents would like to call it, as if America has any culture at all. *eye roll*
My fantasy was short-lived however, I was in LA with as little as $20, and if you have ever been to LA you would know that a meal and some donuts from Randy's would cost you $20 the least.

Fortunately, I wasn't COMPLETELY alone, (this isn't some sad movie where the main character dies at the end), I wasn't completely hopeless, I was with Allie, making my so-not-happening dream a bit better.

Allie: Annika's childhood best friend

We moved to an apartment in Eastborne Avenue , Saturn St. , it was furnished (luckily since shopping wasn't my favorite hobby) had 2 rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen with a fridge and a microwave, has all what we needed in a kitchen since Allie and I weren't the best at cooking. A microwave and some pasta is all we can cook even if our life depended on it.

Plus, we found a job at a pub not far away from our place called O'Briens Irish Pub, it smelled ...nice, not a feature you'd find in a good old pub.
The manager, Kale, was a fresh graduate, fully tatooed, 30 year old guy with no wife, no girlfriend, no kids, hence no stressed employer with 'i got problems in life' face, an extra to an employee.

Everything was irie (as our Jamaicans would say it).
We were enrolled in our dream Uni, UC, University of California.
I was studying psychology and Allie was studying music, we were living the life of any college student in LA, working, studying, going to concerts, and all what we had planned in high school was finally here.
But it wasn't all happy and unicorns pooping rainbows.

By the end of the day, we were two girls living in an apartment, working at the same place, going to the same uni, we saw each other more than humanly possible, we had fights the whole time about silly stuff, for instance why the washer is jammed because she forgot to remove the keys from her pants, or how we are out of toilet paper, or why a lost t-shirt is found in the other's closet.

clearly we needed to get some other friends, it started getting a bit lonely with us two only, and honestly we are out of topics to talk about. It would be refreshing to meet new people and hear some new stories, obviously no one can replace Allie, but i need change from time to time.
And no better place than the bonfire the uni is having this weekend!
The weather is amazing, clouds set waiting for us to enjoy the shadows, the sky is clear, arid, no humidity, and best of all the chill sun shining high.

Everything ready, just needs the right person to enjoy it. *shoulder shrug*
Allie and I were hesitant at first, not your socially active people, but we had to get out of this comfort bubble we made and enjoy some new experience, besides what damage would it make huh?

Apparently alot of damage......

*Allie in the above picture*