I slid tank tops and dresses onto empty hangers in the small closet that was in the connected bathroom. There was only room for about half of my stuff, so I had no clue what I was going to do about that dilemma. I was sure the dorms would be even worse. I texted my mom before I headed down stairs, figuring she would at least want to know I got here safely.
“Hey Grams, what can I do to help?” I entered the kitchen, inhaling deeply the scents wafting through the air. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a home cooked meal, my mom certainly never stepped one of her stiletto heels into the kitchen.
Grams wiped her flour covered hands on her apron that was cinched at the waist and handed me an armful of vegetables. “You can chop these all up. I’m making chicken and dumplings for supper. I know that used to be your favorite. And I even have a rhubarb pie for dessert,” she added with a wink before going back to work on the dumpling dough.
“That sounds fabulous. I’ll have to watch what I eat though, or I’ll be gaining ten pounds in the week that I’m here.”
“Oh honey, no need to worry about that. As long as you stay active, you can keep it all off and enjoy some home cooking. It would do you some good to have some meat on those bones anyway.” Oh Grams if you only knew.
We worked together like we had never been apart. I had always loved helping Grams in the kitchen, it was her domain, and I liked to think it had rubbed off on me a bit. After setting the table, the three of us sat down together, and I savored every last bite. Grandpa was silent the whole time until his pie was completely cleared off his plate.
“Now Adelaide,” he said, clearing his throat and swiping at his mouth with a napkin. “We need to set some ground rules around here. I know you are an adult now, but you need to prove to us that you can act like one.” I groaned internally but kept a smile on my face. I knew this would be coming, and I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for it.
I just had to keep reminding myself that this would only be for a couple of months and then eventually I would be able to prove myself. I was hell-bent on getting my credit cards and car back. I wasn’t quite sure how I would live without them.
“You’re going to need to earn our trust first of all. The things your father has told us, well, are simply unacceptable. Grandma all ready has all of the information for your enrollment. Apparently, that stepfather of yours was able to pull some strings and get you in at the last minute. You just need to go to the registration office on Monday. We expect you to check in every day to let us know how your classes are going and so we can make sure that you are keeping up with your studies. I picked up a bus schedule for you while I was in town, so that should be helpful.”
Whoa, hold up. The bus? That word alone made me break out in hives. I was seriously going to have to ride on a bus? Didn’t they know how germ-infested those things were? The look of horror that passed over my face must not have fazed Grandpa because he continued on.
“You will also help your grandmother around the house with chores on the weekends in between studying. Now, I understand you’re still young and you’re going to want to do things with friends, that’s understandable, but we need to know what you’re doing and who you’re doing them with at all times.”
Yeah, right. I figured I could behave myself for the most part, but there was no way in hell my grandparents would be knowing my whereabouts every single minute of the day. I let out a deep breath. “Okay, I don’t think I’ll have any problems following those rules.” Hopefully. Sometimes I just needed an escape, but I’m sure if I explained that to Grandpa, he wouldn’t find my explanation acceptable.
“And one last thing,” he added, wagging a finger at me. “You will be attending church with us every Sunday.”
“Wh-at?” I stammered out. “I can’t do that.” I couldn’t remember the last time I had been to church and I was pretty sure if I stepped into one, I would probably catch on fire.
“Adelaide, God is very forgiving. Now is the time that you need to be looking for guidance and the church is one of the best places for that. It is not up for discussion, so be ready at nine o’clock sharp.” He pushed in his chair and stood with his plate in his hand before heading to the kitchen. Grams gave me a small, reassuring smile before doing the same, leaving me at the table alone.
Today had been exhausting to say the least, and I had so much to look forward to tomorrow. Maybe thinking I would get a fresh start here was completely wrong. It seemed like my past would always catch up with me.
Chapter 6
Church had been…interesting. I was introduced to just about every member there, very few being under the age of thirty. I couldn’t help but think that everyone was judging me as I sat there, but they all seemed friendly enough.
I collapsed on the porch swing when my grandparents dropped me off before heading into town and squeezed my eyes shut. I wasn’t used to getting up that early and had caught myself falling asleep on more than one occasion. I really needed to rest up for tomorrow since it would be moving day, and I would be meeting my two roommates that I knew absolutely nothing about. Fun times.
“Della?” A deep voice called out forcing me to open my eyes, and I sat up straight when I saw who was standing in front of me.
He, of course, had changed over the years, but those brown eyes still twinkled with amusement and I would recognize them anywhere. His nose still remained crooked, which I knew for a fact was that way because a certain girl had punched him square in the nose for insulting her frilly pink dress.
He had grown over the years and was now most certainly even taller than me. He was lean and fit but not too muscular that he looked like a body builder, and I noticed the cords in his arms when he reached one hand up to rub at the stubble on his head as I stared at him, just glimpsing a flash of a tattoo on his forearm. His sandy brown hair that used to grow wild was now closely shaved and looked even lighter than I remembered against his deep brown tan.
The smirk that crossed his lips brought back memories of all of the adventures he used to drag me on over the years, no matter how unwilling I was.
Nash Griffin.
One of the truly real best friends I have ever had.
“Well, are you just going to stare all day, or are you going to give me a hug?” I jumped up, tearing my eyes away from this grown up Nash that I wasn’t used to, and he wrapped his arms around me, lifting my feet off the porch. I buried my nose in the crook of his neck, breathing in the soapy smell that was one of the most comforting things about Nash and now was mixed with spicy cologne.
He finally set me back down on my feet, pushing back a strand of my hair and grabbing on to one of my hands to drag me back onto the porch swing. “Are you going to say anything? Shouldn’t I be the one surprised that you are here? You figured you would see me, right?”
I cleared my throat, turning sideways to look at him. “Sorry, of course I figured I would see you. I guess I just didn’t really have time to think about it since coming here was sort of a surprise for me too. It’s good to see you, Nash. I’ve missed you.”
He squeezed my hand lightly before pushing off the porch and swinging us as high as possible. The simplest things were all about the thrill for Nash ever since I had known him. “I’ve missed you too, Della,” he replied quietly. “And I’m glad you’re back. How long are you visiting for?”
“Actually, I’m back for awhile. I start at UNC next week, and I’m moving into the dorms tomorrow.”
“Really?” His brows shot up, and he gave me a wide smile. “That’s awesome, Della. I guess we’ll finally be able to catch up after all of these years. I can’t wait to hang out.” We both turned when we heard the crunching of gravel, and Nash quickly let go of my hand when a black car pulled into his driveway.
“We’ll have to catch up later though. Let me know if you need any help moving in tomorrow.” He skipped the steps, hopping straight off the porch and gave me a wave while jogging backwards. “Glad you’re back, Della.”
“Me t
oo,” I shouted after him. I watched as he ran back over to his house and yanked on the driver’s door that had just pulled in.
A girl with stick straight black hair and dark mocha skin stepped out, instantly throwing her arms around Nash’s neck and planting a kiss on his lips. For some reason, a shot of jealousy ran through me that I had never felt before. I had no idea why.
Nash and I had only ever been friends. We had been too young before to really ever have any romantic feelings. I just didn’t see him that way. I finally tore my eyes away once they disappeared into the house. I was glad Nash didn’t seem upset with me that I hadn’t kept in contact over the years.
When I had moved to Connecticut, my life had basically been turned upside down, and I tried to just focus on putting it together as much as I could. I had missed Nash though, and I was glad that he seemed like he wanted to pick up our friendship right where we left off.
*********
I smoothed down the white tunic I had chosen over a pair of black leggings along with wedge booties as I stood in front of the room I had been assigned for the next year. For some reason, my hands were sweaty, and I felt slightly shaky. I had no idea why I was so nervous, I had no problem meeting new people before, and I wasn’t about to let this get to me. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, scanning my surroundings that looked to be covered with boxes and strewn contents.
I dropped my handbag on the floor, looking at the dorm. Basically, the whole thing could be seen from the front door. A small kitchenette was tucked into one corner and opened up into a small living room. Three doors were open, which I assumed were the bedrooms and a sliding glass door led out to a small patio. All in all, it wasn’t as horrible as I thought. I guess upperclassmen had the better pick when it came to dorm rooms.
“Hey,” I heard yelled from one of the bedrooms. “Callie, if that’s you, you better get your ass in here and get your shit out of my room. I’m not letting you take over my closet again this year.” I wasn’t sure how to reply, so I stuck my head into the room, my eyes landing on a girl with auburn hair, creamy white skin, and an array of freckles.
Her green eyes widened when she saw me and she covered her mouth. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” She jumped to her feet, walking over piles of clothing that basically covered every inch of carpeting. “I’m not normally that big of a bitch. You must be, Adelaide, the new roomy. Welcome, sorry it’s such a mess, but you’re probably going to have to get used to it with Callie around. I really have no idea why I agreed to live with her again. I’m Zoey by the way.”
“Oh, please. You know you love me.” I spun around and came face to face with a perky looking girl who had curly chin length blonde hair and was dressed head to toe in pink. And when I said head to toe, I really meant head to toe. Even her hair had streaks of pink running through it.
“Hi! You’re obviously Adelaide, I’d recognize you anywhere. I loved you on Unrehearsed; now those other two that you hung out with, not so much. I was so surprised to see you listed as our new roommate. I figured you were off at college with Madison and Marley.”
“Surprised is putting it mildly,” Zoey piped in blandly. “More like bouncing off the walls with glee, I’m surprised she hasn’t asked you for your autograph yet.”
“Well, it’s not like I’m a celebrity or anything, and the show’s been over for two years, so not too many people recognize me anymore, but thanks. You can call me Della by the way.”
“All right, Della. Let me show you your room, you’re just going to love it. It’s a little small but we can make it work.” Callie looped her arm through mine and Zoey gave me a thumbs up like she was wishing me luck. I had a feeling I was going to need it.
“Here it is,” she said with a flourish of her hand, showing off the bland walls and the full-size bed that was shoved into the corner. I saw a small bathroom and a closet that was most definitely not a walk- in, but I guess it would do. “Don’t worry, I can totally help with decorating, it’s sort of my thing. Do you have a lot of stuff to move in?”
“Not too much. My grandparents were trying to find a parking spot so I should probably run down and help out with my stuff.”
“Sounds awesome, just yell if you need anything. I just have a few more things to unpack and then I’ll be all set. We can show you around campus tomorrow if you want. We’re going to have so much fun together. And don’t worry about being the third wheel with us. Zoey and I have been roommates for the past two years, but I’m sure we’ll all be best friends in no time.”
She let out a little squeal as I opened the door, and I couldn’t help but smile at her excitement, especially with the rush of relief at getting two roommates that seemed to actually be really nice girls. If only my luck at a fresh new start could continue, I think I could shove the past behind me right where it belonged.
Chapter 7
“So, Della. How has your first day on campus been? A little overwhelming?” Callie drummed her bubblegum-pink nails on the table as we sat in one of the many cafeterias that they had on campus. The three of us had compared schedules and found three days that we could meet up for lunch. It was relieving to have two instant friends.
“Yeah, a little bit. It’s definitely not what I’m used to, but you guys helped out a ton with showing me around the other day. I think I should pretty well know my way around by the end of the week without getting too lost.”
“That’s good,” Zoey replied. “You think you want to go out with us tonight? Callie met some guy who wants to meet up at the Campus Pub, and she thinks I always need to tag along to be her wing woman or something.” She rolled her green eyes, and Callie nudged her with her elbow.
“Oh, please Zee. You know you love being my wing woman, and we always have fun. Don’t be such a Debbie Downer. You have to come Della, there are always hot guys there.”
“I don’t know, I should probably be studying or something so I can keep up with my grades. My grandparents are being a little strict, to say the least, about them being above average.”
“C’mon, Della. Everyone knows the first week of school is a blow off week. All we’re getting are syllabuses and boring speeches. You’re old enough to make your own decisions, just as long as you keep your grades up, your grandparents don’t need to know what you are doing every minute of the day. Besides, everyone deserves to have a little fun. Please?” Callie pouted her pink lips at me, lacing her fingers together dramatically like she was sending a prayer that I would agree to go.
“Fine, I’ll go, but I’m not staying out too late. I don’t want to miss class tomorrow.” Callie broke out into a wide smile, doing a fist pump in the air.
“Calm down, Callie. We don’t want to -” Zoey stopped midsentence, stiffening slightly.
“What’s the matter, Zoey?” I turned around to see what she was staring at with an icy glare and came face to face with Nash who had an amused smile on his face.
“Hey, Della. I finally found you, mind if I sit?” I nodded my head slightly, even though I could tell Zoey was uncomfortable by him being there for some reason. Callie gave me a big wink, wiggling her eyebrows, which I assumed meant she would be grilling me for details later on why and how I knew Nash.
“Sorry, I wasn’t around yesterday. I had some errands to run for my mom before I moved back to campus. Did you get everything moved in all right?”
“Yeah, I really didn’t have a ton of stuff, so my grandparents helped me with most of it. Where are you living at?” I was hoping he wasn’t going to say with that girl I had seen him with.
“I live over at one of the houses right off campus with a few guys. You should stop by sometime to check it out, but let me warn you, the place is never clean. Did you still want to get together to hang out?”
Before I could respond, Callie piped in, slightly nudging me out of the way. “Actually, the three of us are going out tonight if you wanted to join us. We’re going over to the pub around nine.”
“That sounds awesome,” h
e replied with a bright smile before tapping me on the nose. “Hopefully, we can catch up some more then. I bet I can still beat your ass at pool.”
“Oh, please,” I snorted. “I used to let you win so you wouldn’t run off pouting to your mom like a little baby because a girl beat you.”
“Right,” he dragged out before standing and looping his arms through his backpack. “We’ll see about that. I’ll see you ladies tonight.”
Zoey and Callie stared at me in wonder and didn’t start grilling me until he was out of ear shot. “What.The.Hell?” Zoey crossed her arms tightly over her chest, raising one brow at me. “What?” I asked in confusion.
“Please explain how exactly you know Nash Griffin. You seemed a little too chummy for just meeting today and he made plans with you. Nash doesn’t talk to any girl besides that bitch of a girlfriend of his, Mariah. So spill it.”
“Nash and I grew up together during the summers,” I explained. “We lost touch when I moved to Connecticut, but we saw each other a few days ago when I got back into town. He’s basically the best friend I’ve ever had.”
“Uh-oh, looks like Mariah finally has some competition then,” Callie commented. “He couldn’t keep his eyes off of you the whole time, and he seemed pretty damn excited to meet up with you tonight. I wonder if he’ll tell her where he’s going tonight,” she added in a sing song voice.
“Oh, no. Trust me, I’m not looking at getting in between their relationship. Nash and I are strictly friends. What’s the problem with Mariah? Nash was always such a nice guy, I can’t imagine him being with some ice queen like you seem to be implying.”
“Well, I just don’t like her because Zoey doesn’t. You know friends need to stick together and all that shit. Zoey here can explain exactly why Mariah is her arch nemesis,” Callie let out a little giggle but was cut short when Zoey gave her an evil glare.
Chaotic (Imperfect Perfection) Page 4
