Chapter 1
As I stood there, in the middle of New York Times Square, I didn't know what was in wait for me. I didn't know how lucky I was.
…
It was September 4th and I had just arrived at JFK airport a couple of hours ago. Today was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. And I couldn't wait. The whole thing was both scary and exciting at the same time. I had just finished high school at home in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before I would continue school and start university I thought it would be nice to take a gap year. It was pretty common at home: people would work or do charity in second world countries. I wanted to be a writer or maybe a journalist? I wasn't sure. What I knew was that you couldn't be a great writer if you didn't have any experience to draw inspiration from. My life hadn't been exciting at home. At all. I had never had a boyfriend, this was really embarrassing, but I hadn't even kissed a guy. I was eighteen soon nineteen years old and what made it more embarrassing was that it wasn't even out of choice. I wasn't religious or saving myself for the one and only, I had just plain simply never had the opportunity. It wasn't because I was really ugly or unlikeable, but I was an introvert and frankly quite shy. But I was trying to change that. That was one of the reasons why I now stood here, in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world, completely alone.
Today was a cold day. I could tell it had rained before I arrived, but now it was just freezing and the sky was completely grey. I wore a stylish orange jacket, which matched my brown hair and felt like I fitted in in the New York scene. With me I had my black suitcase, ready to check in at my hotel. As soon as I found it that was. It was my intention to get an apartment, I had to be here for a year for fuck's sake, but my decision to move here had been rather quick and erupt. And how does an 18-year-old get the money to have an apartment in NYC you may ask? She surely must have rich parents to pay for her. Well yes. I didn't grow up rich, but last year my dad sold his IT-company for a great sum of money to no other than fucking Google. It had come out of nothing and now we were millionaires. It was really unexpected and weird and this trip was also a way for me to escape the madness. You won't believe in how many was your life change, because of stuff like that. Especially your friends or people who now want to be your friends. Well this was my escape, and it was on fucking time.
My hotel should be rather close to New York Times Square, that's why I told the cap to stop here. I wanted to see what it looked like and I couldn't wait. Surely it would be easy to find the hotel from here, right? No, I was so wrong. Finding directing has always been my weakness. Like I'm so bad. That's why it wasn't so much of a surprise when I ended up somewhere completely different from where my hotel was. I tried to go back, but that didn't help at all. I was lost and my phone had run out of battery. I wanted to cry, but I didn't. I just had to ask someone for direction. I looked around me, but everyone passing seemed in such a hurry it felt impossible to stop them. The street I was one was narrow and not that populated. It was all apartments so I couldn't even go to a store and ask for direction. I felt so lost and defeated standing in the middle of the street with my new jacket and suitcase. Suddenly I didn't feel like belonging anymore. When I thought it couldn't get any worse, the rain broke out again. I honestly didn't know what to do when a kind voice spoke behind me: "Hey, do you need help?". I shockingly turned to the side and saw a guy stand in front of me. First I didn't recognize him, but then it came to me. It was Cole Sprouse. I was sure, but it felt so strange that I doubted myself. "Yes please" I swallowed. Then smiled, "Can you tell me where The Hiltion Hotel is?". I felt so stupid, asking Cole Sprouse the actor of The Suite Life taking place in the "Tipton Hotel", where the Hilton Hotel was, felt like a joke. He laughed. Maybe he thought I was joking too. But my desperate expression probably gave me away. "Sure I can" he then said. His hair was clinging wet to his face from the rain and framed his pretty features perfectly. I felt like I was going to melt even though I was freezing. He began walking and signaled me to follow. I did.