New Beginnings

First Day Falling

Content warning: parts may be triggering .

I am so ready for this. It's been forever since we started out on the three hour trip to Toronto. I breathe deeply in the passenger's seat of my Mom's Toyota, glancing back at all the stuff that's cramped info the backseat and trunk. Two things are absolutely essential to always have on me. My student ID, and my makeup bag.  I tense up nervously as I feel the strip of black plastic that hangs around my neck, and exhale gratefully when I realize my ID hangs from it in a protective case. I glance over my shoulder to find my makeup bag sitting on top of my heavily packed suitcase . I can rest easier now.
I lean back, closing my eyes, as the sun streams in from my open car window.
"Are you excited Graci?" Mom asks, pulling me back to reality.
"Mom, it's just Grace now, remember?"
"Oh right, right! You know me," she says. "Old habits die hard."
"Not all of them," I smile. The summer had been hard. My whole life I had been almost identical  to my mother. We both have curly auburn hair and blue, deep-set eyes, but I mean it's more than that. I've just naturally inherited  most of her same interests. You know, we're both shopaholics, both love to get our fair share of mani-pedi's and then some. Also, with Dad out of the picture since I was two years old  and both sets of grandparents gone, it's mostly been my mom and I against the world.

And then this past summer, my mother decided to leaf through my diary, and found out that I'm gay, and had a major crush on the girl down the lane from us. She was so mad, she ripped the pages out and threw them in the recycling before I even had a chance to say a word. I remember how terrified I was that night—- just over a month and a half ago,——- I bolted down the street faster than I ever have. I ended up staying with the girl I was crushing on at the time, the only "out" kid at my high school, Winter Hill. I stayed with her for a few days, after my mother had practically disowned me.  A lot of crazy shit went down durning those few days, and long story short,  because of my own clumsiness, I got injured pretty badly. Winter tells me my mother has shown up at the hospital that night, and was the most distraught and fearful that anyone on our lane has ever seen her; When I regained consciousness later that night, Mom said she loved me and would try her very best to be accepting of me. And, I've really got to hand it to her, in such a short period of time, she's come a long way and continues to grow in perspective almost  every day. 
Mom smiles back at me. "I love you, kid."

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Once we get there, volunteers swarm us and magically all my belongings are waiting  for me outside of my single- person dorm room, I take the key I was given at sign in, and slowly open the door, admiring all in sight. Mom trails behind, carrying an arm full of stuff and I go out into the hall to collect the rest of it.
"Do you need help unpacking?" Mom offers. 
I glance at the digital clock I've just plugged in. It's already 5:30 and the first hall meeting starts at 6:00.
"No Mom," I say. "I've gotta go to the hall meeting in half an hour and I was hoping to get some food before hand. I hear there's a sushi place at the cafeteria across the street.
"Well, far be it for me to stand between you and your sushi," Mom laughs. "Hey, I was thinking of getting a hotel room tonight. Just in case you need me or,"
"Mom," I stop her. "I'll be fine. Promise."
Mom looks me up and down like she isn't convinced. "Well, okay. I love you baby girl," she says, kissing me on the forehead.
"I love you too, Mom."

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After an embarrassing amount of sushi, I start walking back to my residence, feeling gross and bloated. By the time I cross the street to my residence building, it's already  5:59. I wish I didn't sit inside to call Winter. I should have done so while walking, it would have saved me 15 minutes. Not that I regret calling her. She told me again how proud she was of me. Meanwhile, my life wouldn't be what it is right now, if it hadn't been for her.
I run to the back door of my  residence building , tripping over myself I'm an attempt to pry open the door. I stumble backward, expecting to fall on the waiting pavement, but an arm catches me.
"Going somewhere, Princess?" A raspy voice drawls behind me. I whirl around to see a girl around my age with  thick sandy blonde wavy  hair and milk chocolate eyes.
"Oh, wanna dance, do we?" she says, pulling me a bit closer.
"Huh?" I ask, before realizing that her arm  is still firmly wrapped around my waist.
"Oh, no, sorry, I'm a klutz," I blush, pulling away.
"I'm not complaining," she grins. "The name's Parker, Parker Little." She extends her hand and I shake it."Grace Ryan."
"So Graci girl, you a first year?" Parker asks. I open my mouth to correct her, I mean, I just got rid of that  stupid name, but I close it again. Something in the way she says it sounds exciting, fresh. A new beginning.
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Hope you enjoyed the first chapter!! What do y'all think of Parker? How do you feel about Grace narrating this one?
Peace and Love.
Flyingfree773