New Starts

Chapter 1

The air was hot and sticky as I made my way through the almost deserted airport. My bright orange suitcase (don't judge me, me and this suitcase have been through a lot, it's not its fault it bright orange) dragged behind me as my tatty duffle bag hung limply over my shoulder.

My flight had landed one hour ago in Yampa Valley Regional, in the town of Hayden, Colorado. It had taken 6 hours on the plane to get me here from Manchester. In that time I had read all of Fangirl, read yhalf of Eleanor and Park (as you can see, I'm in a Rainbow Rowell mood) and watched the inter-flight movie - The Internship (Dylan O'brien is HOT!).

My family had seen me off back in Manchester. Well, nearly all of them, my sister is off travelling in some country or other. Even my brother came, which was a surprise, I mean, he doesn't even wake up until gone midday. He's 24 years old and has decided his life's ambition is to be a bum, and live at home until our parents kick him out. Such an inspiration...

Anyways, I left them behind with hugs and a few tears but I would Skype and email them soon, so all will be fine. I was going to America, to Penryn university! Penryn's a small, prestigious university in a town called Hayden. It is situated in the rolling hills of the countryside and houses a glistening lake and 7 acres of woodland.... I'm starting to sound like a brochure for a holiday in Wales. I googled the university before I left and memorised the description of it. Because I'm sad like that.

After stopping at a vending machine to buy some food, I walked out of the exit and located the taxi rank. There were two people there already so I joined behind them and opened my packet of crisps. The next thing I knew, there was a big black Labrador sitting at my feet. It was giving me the puppy dog eyes.

"Nope, you're not allowed to do that to me. You didn't buy these, I did." I told the dog, "You have to be a very very close friend to leech food off me and even then you'd have to catch me on an extremely good day." By now the other two people in the line were giving me funny looks and had edged a little bit away from me.

Suddenly, a shrill whistle sounded through the air. The dogs ears perked up and he turned his head in the direction the whistle had come from.

"Soren! Don't make me chase you, you little shit! Come back here now!" A deep, masculine voice shouted. I couldn't see the guy who had shouted but the dog - Soren - must have known where he was because the next moment he was running back from wherever he had come from.

I kept looking in the direction Soren had run in, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious guy who had called him. I know, a bit weird to look for the man who owned the black lab, but I was just being curious. Human nature and all that. And you never know, it could be one of those really cliche movies where the guy suddenly appears and is absolutely gorgeous and we catch each other's eyes and have a moment and fall in love and blah, blah, blah. Ha.

A honking sound made me snap my attention back towards the taxi rank, the other two people had disappeared - probably into their own taxis - and there was now a black car with Taxi printed along the side and on the bonnet. The driver had rolled down his window, "Do you want a taxi or not?" He growled. Great, I thought, I've pissed off the first person I've met already. "Yeah, sorry I'm coming now." The driver continued to grumble to himself whilst I put my bags in the boot. I caught a few words that sounded like stupid and limies. I have decided to call him Grumpy.

"Where do you wanna go?" Grumpy grumbled. Grumpy grumbled, get it?...

"Uh, Penryn Uni please." I replied. Grumpy glared at me in the rear view mirror, I just raised an eyebrow at him and he looked away. The car started and I stuck my headphones in and settled into my seat as we pulled away from the airport.