#3 Lost in You (fan fic - in progress)

Chapter One

I have no idea how I ended up here. At this horribly low point. Crying into the front of HIS shirt. Literally bawling my eyes out. My entire future slipping right through my fingers. The fear of an unknown tomorrow washing over me. Out of everyone who might have been here comforting me right now, he was definitely the very last person on the list.

Six months earlier...

I stood in an empty hallway staring at my new dorm room door. Someone had decorated it.

Likely our upperclassmen Lady Tiger teammates. My name, Janae, was spelled out in bright blue crisply cut out bubble letters above another name... Ashley. I guessed that was my new roommate.

The few other freshmen who had arrived for the summer session had gotten off of the elevator on different floors of the many storied dormitory building. Their faces brightly lit and their eyes full of hopeful promise as they wheeled in vibrant hard covered suitcases of all sizes. Every one was accompanied by a parent or two. I was the only one who came alone. Straight off the greyhound bus with two enormous faded olive green duffle bags in tow.  I felt like a gray rain cloud had literally been following me around all day. Drizzling all over my now tangled fro. But that was my life. I guess I should be use to it by now.

I was all alone in a sea of worried parents. Who knew where my ever elusive father was? Or even who he was? And I left before my mom returned home from whatever cheating husband she was currently tailing to make ends meet.  She had
called three times already. I finally sent her a text to let her know I was ok.  I had purchased a greyhound bus ticket to Baton Rouge and arrived to school right on time for orientation. She sent back a long reply about how I was the child and she was the parent and she had planned to drive me here, herself. Yada yada. I sent back a placating 'yes ma'am' and an apology, though we both knew her clunker wasn't making that trip from Atlanta to Louisiana nor was she giving up her mark to make sure I got here on time.  Besides if she wanted to be the parent, she should have started acting like one a long time ago.

Sighing, I opened the dorm room door and peered around at the neatly set up right side, which I supposed was owned by my roommate. I knew nothing about her, other than she was a freshman and also on the soccer team like me. And now I knew that her name was Ashley.

Ashley's stuff looked new and expensive as I set up my own worn out shit next to it. My mom and I had managed to finagle a comforter that wasn't too worn, a few bed linens, a pillow, some towels and wash cloths, and a few more pairs of clothes that appeared up to par from thrift stores. I confiscated my moms old cellphone and her friend sold us a laptop for the cheap. My mom was barely keeping us afloat with her PI work right now. She was never good with finances so I was use to being broke.  And the only thing I knew about my father was that he had money.  And he left behind just enough to pay for art classes, soccer clubs, and the private school I graduated from just a few weeks before.

After I finally finished putting together my half of the room, I lay on my bed and closed my eyes. I meant to just rest for a moment before heading out to explore the campus but I fell straight to sleep.  I was exhausted. I had been up for most of the night. It wasn't a good idea to sleep on the bus, you might wake up with a bag missing.

About an hour later, I woke up to the door closing. A tall gracefully thin brunette entered and sat down on the bed opposite me. She wasn't who I expected to show up and looked more like a runway model than a soccer player. "Hey. Sorry to wake you."

I sat up rubbed my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair which had now molded itself to the side I slept on. "Yea sure. That's ok. I'm Janae Patterson."

"Ashley Weight." She held her hand out to me eagerly. I took it and shook. "We're on the team together? I'm a forward... you?"

"Midfielder," I stated, glad we at least wouldn't be competing for the same position. She nodded and smiled, seemingly relieved as well. "I got here yesterday. Where are you from?"