A/N I realise this is super short, but it serves as a sort of introductory chapter, so please bear with me and let me know what you think of this so far and I do hope you will continue reading!
7 hours, 43 minutes and 14 seconds. That's how long she had been on her own now. And that was also how long the doubts had been nagging at the back of her mind now. Just a week ago, everything had seemed so downright simple. Moving out in order to attend culinary school had been Monica's dream since she was a little girl. She had always wondered what it would be like to finally live on her own, not having to worry whether every little move she made was met with criticism from Judy. But now she just felt insecure and lonely. It was another week until classes would start, but she figured she would move out rather earlier than later to get better acquainted and such. She took another breath as she finished unpacking the last box of her stuff, neatly folding the boxes and putting them in the corner behind her wardrobe. So this was it, her new life.
Another hour had passed and Monica was now sitting on her bed, flipping through multiple TV channels, stopping when some cooking show appeared on screen. She put the remote down, but the TV did not really catch her attention. She heard laughter in the hallway and for a millisecond she thought about opening the door so she could introduce herself, but she pushed the thought away as quickly as it had entered her mind in the first place. Monica was not one to easily make new friends, she knew that she had some neuroses and was not as easygoing as her college fellows. After all, she could not imagine playing a game without paying attention to its rules - rules just help to control the fun!
She shook her head at her internal thoughts and looked back at the screen, watching the chef as he chopped some onions with astonishing speed. She wondered if she could afford to dream of such a career. Maybe her mother was right after all; she didn't even have a boyfriend! Oh, don't open that door, she bit her lip hard as she choked down tears. No, she would not live in a world where her mother was right! Grabbing the remote control, she quickly switched off the TV and got her keys and jacket, heading for the door. She will find friends. And she will find a boyfriend. And she will study as hard as she possibly can so she can get her dream job. From now on, everything will be different. As the door clicked shut behind her, she knew that the world was her oyster. But little did she know that all she had ever wanted was waiting for her right around the corner.