Chapter 2
Vanessa
Saturday
Britta poked her head around the corner and knocked on the open door, waiting to be let inside. “How’s it going?” she asked conversationally.
I sighed, folding up the last of my shirts and putting them in a suitcase. “Slowly,” I informed her honestly. “I don’t know how I’m going to fit all of this in one bag. It’s like my wardrobe has magically doubled.”
My oversized blue suitcase was bursting at the zippers trying to keep it all inside.
It was bittersweet to be moving away from Tampa. It had been my home for the last four years as I finished my degree in photography. The city and culture were a lot different from where I had grown up in Ohio. We didn’t have hot summer days to spend at the beach, and the citrus fruit that grew here was unlike anything up north. I’d miss a lot of things about living in the South, but it was time to move on now that I had graduated.
My roommate of two years laughed, coming to sit down next to me on the mattress. She had curly brown hair and a golden tan that most women would have killed for—one of the perks of having grown up here in Florida.
“I’m going to miss you,” Britta muttered sadly. “Who am I going to gossip with over midnight snacks once you’re gone?”
I stifled a laugh at her mention of our weekly ritual of getting drunk and eating macaroni and cheese while complaining about our classes. It’s the little things that count. Britta still had another year left, and then student teaching after that. Realizing that made me all the more grateful I was done.
I sighed, stopping only to give her a one-armed hug and said, “I’m going to miss you, too.
“What do you think it’s going to be like going back to Akron?”
I shrugged, while folding up a few more pairs of jeans and shoved them into my suitcase. “I dunno. Same old, same old, I suppose. I still don’t have a job yet, so I’ll be living with my parents.”
“That sucks,” she agreed with resignation. “But a lot of kids move home these days, at least for a while. Besides, I thought you said they were cool.”
“They are,” I insisted defensibly, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. I really meant it; my parents and I had a better relationship than most, and I tried to call home every weekend. “But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t want my own place. In fact, I’m fairly certain the reason we get along now is because I no longer have to sneak around behind their back and justify my life decisions. At least I’ll have Max to keep me company.”
Britta smiled and wagged eye eyebrow suggestively. “Who is Max?” she purred.
I grinned, looking up at her through my canopy of long blonde hair while I stuffed my last few remaining toiletries into the zippered compartment on the side. “Don’t get your hopes up—he’s my brother.”
She stuck her tongue out at me and smiled. “Oh, well, never mind.”
“Actually, we used to be really close back when we were kids, but he went to school up in Bowling Green, so we barely see each other.”
“That’s rough,” she commiserated with me briefly. “Are you excited to see him now?”
“You know what? I really am. I think it’s gonna be great. I’ll start applying to jobs when I get there, and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
“What about the photography studio? Isn’t that what you always wanted to do?”
I sighed, thinking about the idea I’d once confided in her months ago. Ever since I got into photography, it had been my secret love and obsession. Opening up my own studio would be a dream come true, but I had no idea how to turn those dreams into reality.
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t even know where to start. I’m not that business savvy.”
She smiled, putting her arm around my shoulder. “Well, I believe in you. You’ve always landed on your feet.”
I smiled nervously and rested my head against her shoulder. “Thanks.”
“And if your brother is single, you should totally hook me up.”
I bit back my smile that was forming and patted her on the shoulder before responding, “Okay, but I should probably apologize ahead of time. He’s kind of an asshole.”
She nodded, taking the assessment completely in stride. “Sounds like just my type.”
I laughed, shoving her playfully with one of the pillows and insisted, “I really need to finish packing, or I’m going to miss my flight.”
She stood up and headed toward the door saying, “Okay, just give me a call when you’re ready to go. We can use the Sun Pass on my car to avoid the tolls.”
I nodded in agreement and gave her a quick thumbs-up without looking up from my bag. “Good thinking. We’re going to need it on the way to Orlando. Just give me about an hour.”
The room was completely bare, with all my bedding, clothes, and important belongings pretty much packed away.
It didn’t take me long to finish collecting all my things, especially considering the only piece of luggage I really cared about was traveling in my carry-on: my camera. It had taken months of saving up spare change and picking up extra shifts before I was able to afford it. It was my most prized possession.
As I was putting it away, my phone rang on the nightstand, and I went to answer it. “Hello?” I greeted slowly, balancing the device between my shoulder and my ear.
“Hey, sweetie! It’s me,” Mom’s voice rang out on the line. “Are you already at the airport?”
My loving, hair-brained mother was always checking up on me; it was in her nature to worry. I chuckled while making sure that I had my ID handy and returned it to my wallet. “Hey, Mom. No, I’m not there yet. I’ve still got some last minute packing to do. Britta and I were going to head out really soon, though.”
“Oh, excellent! Well, I won’t keep you,” she added quickly. “Drive safe and call us when you get there.”
I could almost feel the waves of her enthusiasm radiate through the phone and couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, it’s going to be great,” I told her happily, hoping my voice sounded convincing.
“Okay, hon. We’ll see you soon! Oh, I almost forgot to mention, your father and I decided to have a Christmas party on Sunday. Max is bringing a couple of his friends from school.”
I froze at the mention of a party, knowing full well that all our friends and family would be there and I’d be expected to make a showing.
“A party?” I repeated nervously. “Are you sure that’s the best idea?”
“Oh, don’t be silly! Everyone is dying to see you. After all, it isn’t just the holidays we’re celebrating—it’s about you graduating college!”
“Sounds great,” I told her with a sigh as I buried my face into my hands.
“We can talk about that later,” she assured me with a rush. “Travel safe, and I guess we’ll be seeing you soon.”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Bye!”
I slipped the phone back into my pocket, returning my attention to the task at hand. Mom’s Christmas parties were absolutely phenomenal, usually the highlight of my year. She really knew how to pull everything together and show everyone a good time. This year, however, I felt too anxious for that to be any kind of consolation.
Great, I thought to myself dismally. Another opportunity to tell people that I’ve still got no idea what I’m going to do. Because that’s exactly what I need.