Falling Away With You

Chapter One

Noelle Iverleigh's P.O.V.

Just sleep on it.

My mom had given me a hug while I was packing and told me to go to bed. I tried, but I ended up a crying mess remembering what James had done to me. We’d been together since I first moved here sophomore year of high school. We were supposed to start going to university together in just a matter of weeks.

Then I found out he cheated on me. How? A drunken facebook photo uploaded by none other than him to my wall of him with an exotic-looking girl on his lap. When I called him out on it he didn’t even bother denying it or starting the whole “it’s not what you think” speech.

James was the only thing tying me to this wretched city aside from my mom. I had lived in Santa Cruz, California a majority of my life but sophomore year of high school, my dad who worked for Google, was moved to the Los Angeles base.

Needless to say I missed my home, my real home, very much. Now that James and I were done there was no reason not to go back. So I declined my scholarship to UCLA and called up the University of San Francisco and accepted theirs. Growing up in Santa Cruz, it had always been my dream and my best friends dream to move to San Francisco for University.

Piper was already there. Her grandmother had died a few months ago, just before she graduated high school. She left Piper her shop in Haight  Ashbury, as well as the 5 separate suites above it.

Piper grew up closer to Shasta California, which was farther North. However we had met at summer camp in the fourth grade and were best friends ever since. Although we haven’t seen each other since the tenth grade, we were still close. I couldn’t wait to see her.

I tried to take my suitcase down the stairs of our house as quietly as I could, not wanting to wake my mom. I couldn’t keep from hitting the wheels on the very last step. I paused and waited to hear either my moms or my dog start barking. Thankfully they stayed peaceful in the other room.

I left my suitcase outside, and came back in with a leash. I managed to get my baby border collie, Brahms, without disturbing my moms Yorkie's.

Because he was still so small, I had to put him in a cage in the front seat of my restored classic Mercedes convertible. My grandpa and dad worked on it as a project together since I was a baby and gave it to me when I turned seventeen and had my licence.

I would have liked to properly say goodbye to my mom, who was asleep upstairs, and my dad who was in New York for a conference. Instead, I pulled out of the driveway and went off as the sun began to rise.

I didn’t get to San Francisco until 3 in the afternoon, considering I had a few gas stops to fill up my tank, get snacks, and to get Brahms some water and treats.

I sat in the car, pulled up to Pipers botanics and Wicca store, with Brahms cuddling in my lap. I dialed her number and got nothing but the voice mail. I finally gave up and was about to pull out and drive to find a motel to stay out when I recognized Piper’s screaming. I turned my head and held onto Brahms just as Piper appeared into view, dragging a bag of trash behind her. She then looked at me with wide eyes, and I cracked a smile, unlocking the door and putting Brahms in my seat when I got out.

“Holy shit, what are you doing here?” She asked me after giving me a huge hug.

“Well, I tried calling you.” I teased.

“I misplaced it. Now answer my question.”

“Long story short, I ditched UCLA and I’ll be starting at USF with you.” I started laughing as she did her little happy dance.