Distractions- Herophine Story [ON HOLD]

chapter one

Ellie: 

Today is finally the day. My new life starts today and I could not be happier about it. Addilyn, my best friend, and I are in my room packing my last minute things. I am beyond sad that Addy won't be joining me in my move to London, but I am also so excited for her. She will be moving to the states to attend Harvard University. It's going to be hard moving to a new city with no friends or family. It's not like I ever had much of a family or a friend group, but I made do. My mom and Addy have always been there for me. I was never good at making friends in primary school, I probably wouldn't have even become friends with Addy if she hadn't sat down beside me during my lonely lunch when I was 10. After the incident in junior year, I tried my best not to talk to anyone besides them if I didn't have to, especially a boy. After that dreadful night, I have a terrible fear of boys. I definitely do not mind looking from afar, but I am far too scared to talk to one.  

"I'm going to take this last box to the car. Come down when you get done." Addy says breaking me of my intrusive thoughts. I take one last look at my room. The thing I will definitely miss most is my piano. I will never forget the day I got it. I was 12 years old and it was Christmas morning. Just like any other kid, I woke up at the crack of dawn to see what "Santa" had brought me. I never asked for much because it was hard enough on my mother being a single parent raising a growing girl. I had always wanted a piano but never asked her because I knew she would feel bad she couldn't afford it. I was more than happy with the hour lessons I had every week with Mrs. Jamison from down the street. But to my complete and utter shock, a white wooden piano was sat beside the tree with a big red bow on top. I spent the entire day playing it until my mum made me stop because she couldn't get to sleep with the noise.  

I look around making sure I am not missing anything. When I decide I am ready, I grab the small backpack I use as a purse off of my bed and head downstairs. My mother and Addy are sat at the kitchen counter eating breakfast and drinking coffee.

"Here honey" My mom says as she hands me a plate with eggs, sausage, and a piece of toast. I am so nervous and I don't think  my stomach will hold anything, but it would be terribly rude if I didn't accept the meal she made for me so I grab the plate and sit beside Addy while she scrolls through her phone. I do have a few social media accounts, but I never use them and I'm pretty sure Addy is my one and only follower. Once I created the account and saw what it was about, I didn't even bother setting it up with a profile picture or anything so it would be kind of hard for anyone to find my account or follow me.

I take a few bites of my breakfast, but end up throwing it away when my mom excuses herself for the restroom. When we are all cleaned up we pile into my mum's car and start our journey to London.

The drive from Liverpool to London is not very far so it will be easy for me to ride the train back home. I sit in the front with my mother while Addy sits in the back. I talk to them for a bit but feel a little tired since I was restless last night so I plug in my headphones and go to my Spotify account. I go to one of my favorite playlists and hit shuffle.

Before I know it, sleep overcame me and we are pulling into the complex of the apartment I will be buying. I opted for an apartment instead of a dorm for many reasons. One being I do not like to be around people I am not extremely close with so it would be a bit over wheeling sharing a small living space with a complete stranger. Also, I plan to stay here during the summer break. Maybe after a while, I can find a way to move my piano here. Luckily Imperial has a small music room open for students to use. The only thing in there is a piano and a few chairs, and if I remember correctly, when I took a tour of the campus my senior year they said that it is never used by anyone so hopefully I will be alone.

After my mum finished speaking to the building manager and I filled out some last-minute paperwork I was finally granted the keys. My mother and I kept a bank account with all of my college savings for most of my life, and since I got a full scholarship the money was able to purchase the unit I wanted and I will be able to stay here for however long I want. We make our way up to the fourth floor where my apartment is located. Thankfully my apartment is 4-E meaning it is on the closer side of the hallway and we won't have to carry the boxes far. When I open the door, my eyes light up. It's even nicer than I remember. My mother, Addy, and I came apartment hunting a few months ago and that's when I settled on this unit. I walk into the small living room and admire it. The apartment includes two bedrooms, one bathroom, a small kitchen, a small living room, and even a balcony. There was another apartment I also liked, but it was in a bad place in town and that was automatically a no for me. This complex is located in a less advanced, cheaper neighborhood, but the crime rate is low. We lug all the boxes into my apartment and begin to unpack.