12/26/14: May

Madamelolcatz is online

Hey guys, Madamelolcatz here! I hope you are all having a great Christmas and Christmas break, because I sure am! Sorry for my inactivity lately, I have been very busy with school and other things. Well, I am finally back on Reddit after a long hiatus. Right now, I'm anticipating the arrival of my friend for her to spend Christmas with me. (You may have heard of AnnieChiri check her out!) Yeah, she'll be over for a week here in the U.S., and it's been great. I'll keep you guys posted, and Annie will keep updating on her page as well. Until next time,

MLC. (^-ω-^)

Madamelolcatz logged off.

12/27/14: Annie

AnnieChiri is online

Well hello everyone. I'm AnnieChiri, and welcome to another update from yours truly. Christmas break is upon me, and as I'm writing, this campus is completely empty. I'm currently waiting for the shuttle to pick me up and bring me to the airport. What's going on? I'm going to visit my friend May, or Madamelolcatz in America! I know, right? I'm so flipping excited! I have never been out of the country before, so this is really exciting for me. Top secret: I'm bringing her Christmas presents with me, which are a surprise game that I bought at a tag sale the other day that looks really fun, (she's a video game geek) and a handmade ugly Christmas sweater. (Don't tell her!) Well, the shuttle will be here any minute, so I have to go. I'll keep you guys updated, and be on the lookout for posts on May's blog as well~

Kisses,

Annie

AnnieChiri logged off.

12/28/14

May's POV

I was so excited to see my friend Annie, that it seemed like the time that I had to head to the terminal to pick her up was inching by. I checked the clock. "2:15," I murmured to myself. "That leaves me plenty of time to get there and wait." Before I had to go, I had to tidy a bit more. I paced up and down in my apartment, looking for something else to fix. My gaze fell upon the sitting room and right away I started to notice flaws. I walked over and started to straighten the sofa cushions for the hundredth time. Moving over to the coffee table I adjusted coasters and magazines. Turning around, I reached for the broom and dustpan in the corner and swept the same spots in the kitchen over and over again. Everything had to be just right for when she got here. I wanted her first time in America to be perfect. With one last sweeping look over my handiwork, I decided that everything was just the way it should be. Finally checking to see if I turned off the oven, I grabbed my keys, jacket and shoes, and closed the door behind me. I hope that she likes it here, I said to myself as I descended the staircase that led down to the lobby. I pulled my overcoat and scarf on as I gazed outside. It had begun to snow, and it already began to cover the slushy parking lot in a thin layer of white powder. What happens if something were to go wrong? I asked myself, trudging out to the car. I swung into the drivers seat and started up the car. Fiddling with the GPS in the console, I plugged in the address. Stop it, May. I thought, as the automated voice directed me to drive east. Everything is going to be just fine. I pulled out of the small parking lot and obediently directed my car east towards the airport.

I had been waiting for a while in the terminal, nervously playing with my scarf as I waited for my friend. I really hope that her flight would land soon. After a while I sunk into a kind of stupor from boredom. This was probably going to take a while. With a sigh, I picked up my phone and started a game of Flappy bird. I started to get really into it, and I was so close to beating my high score! Only two more pipes to go, just two more… "May?" I heard a familiar voice call my name from across the terminal. I looked up from my phone, and I heard the all-too-familiar death sound coming from my phone. Shoot. Part of me was really upset that I lost, but that soon cleared away when saw my friend standing there, her blue suitcase in hand.

"Annie!" I cried, pocketing my phone and jumping up from the bench. I ran over to her, and gave her a giant hug, sending her suitcase awry. "I'm so glad to see you!" I said, excitedly.

"I'm so happy to finally see you in person!" she said, with a weary smile on her face. "But I am REALLY jetlagged right now." She yawned, putting her suitcase down on the floor and rubbing her eyes vigorously. I led her over to the bench where I was sitting. She sat down and took off her heavy jacket to reveal a green sweater with a tree and snowflakes on it. She then bent over and unzipped her suitcase, rummaging around in it, apparently looking for something.

"Whoa!" I said, eyeing the sweater. (I love sweaters, if you haven't noticed.) "Another one of your creations?" She sat back up, holding two parcels wrapped in green and red tissue paper. (Presents? Shoot! I completely forgot to get her something!)
"Merry Christmas, May!" She said, handing the packages to me. I stared at her for a minute, before I took the larger of the packages that was wrapped in red tissue paper and tore it open. Inside the package was a knit blue sweater that was very similar to hers. I turned it over and on the front was a green present embroidered into the sweater. Around the present were silver snowflakes hand sewn in silver thread. Annie was an avid sewer and I couldn't believe I got a sweater from her! I was ecstatic.
"Thank you so much, Annie!" I said. I slipped on the sweater over my t-shirt. "Now we match!" I said, laughing. She quietly laughed along as she got up from the bench.

"I'll give you the other present when we get back," she said, putting the other package into the suitcase. I wonder what it was, if she wanted to wait until later for me to open it. I guess I'll have to find out when we get back. I nodded in confirmation and gestured towards the terminal doors.

Later…

Annie's POV:

It took about 30 minutes to drive from the airport to May's apartment. The whole time, she was blasting the car stereo and singing along to Christmas songs on the radio. It was kind of annoying, but I was used to it because she constantly liked to blast music during our many Skype conversations. It felt so surreal actually spending time with someone you previously could only see in a computer screen. Deep in thought, I looked out the passenger seat window observing the cars speeding by, skidding a little in the snow. "I still can't believe you Americans drive on the right side of the road, " I said. "It's kind of strange thinking that incoming cars won't smash into us." May laughed, and somehow managed to yell over the loud radio.

"I still don't know why you guys drive on the other side of the road," she cried. "I don't think I would make it out of your country alive!" I giggled, recalling the horrible traffic that surrounded my dorm building. Sirens going by and the constant honking of car horns were always obnoxious when I was trying to study. However, I missed the general chaos already. I tuned out that thought that lurked in the back of my mind, as I turned back to the window and stared at the now heavier snow that started to fall. I must've dozed off, because I woke up to May repeatedly saying my name.

"Hey, Annie. Annie?" I opened my eyes. "Are you ok?" She asked, a concerned look on her face. I sat up and looked at her. She appeared fuzzy around the edges. I shook my head lightly and she came into focus.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said. "Just tired. Are we here?" May nodded, unlocked the driver's side door, and got out right as a huge gust of wind whipped through the cabin chilling me to the bone. Quickly, I pulled my coat over my shoulders and wrapped my checked scarf around my neck. I opened the passenger door and got out, heading for the trunk to get my suitcase. I reached in and struggled a bit to pull out my suitcase. Placing it on the ground, I reached back and closed the trunk with a thump. I spotted and followed May's retreating form into the very snowy distance. Picking up my suitcase I ran to catch up with her and we came upon what looked like a series of three story apartment complexes. She took a turn and headed for the nearest complex to the far left. We arrived at the front stoop of the building and quickly stood under the wood overhang. Free from the snow flurries, she shook the snow off of her and used a worn key to unlock the front wooden door.

"After you," she said. I walked into a small lobby that was mercifully warm, with a Christmas tree still set up inside. To my left was a large metal mailbox with the numbers of the flats on it. To my right was a staircase covered in green carpet that climbed up to the next level and disappeared around a bend. "I live in apartment 2B," she said, pointing up through the ceiling. She took one end of my suitcase, and started to climb up the stairs. I nodded in thanks and took the other end of my suitcase and started to climb the stairs as well. Two flights of stairs later, we arrived at a heavy wooden door labeled 2B in bronze letters. An evergreen wreath hung on the door, and I smiled. Looks like she hasn't taken down her decorations yet, I thought. She took another smaller key from her pocket and unlocked the door with a loud click. I followed her through the door and found myself in the front entryway of the flat. May took off her jacket, hung it on a coat hook next to the door, and took off her shoes, placing them on a mat. "Take off your jacket, stay awhile," She said. It was almost too perfect of an opportunity to tease her that I couldn't pass it up.

"Nope, heading back to England now," I said jokingly. "See you later!" I pretended to open the door to leave. Like always, May genuinely looked surprised which made me laugh harder. "Ok, ok, I'll stay." I said. I took off my jacket and hung it next to May's. "Where do I put my suitcase?" I asked.

"This way," She said, pointing down the hall. "I'll show you to the guest bedroom." I picked up my suitcase and followed her through a hallway separating her kitchen on the right and the living room on the left hand side, and stopped at the first door on the left. "This is my guest room." She said, opening the door and ushering me in. "It currently serves as an office, but I kept the bed in here if I did have guests." This was uncharacteristically wise of her, I thought. I walked into the room and sat my suitcase down on the bed. The room was small, but brightly lit. The light blue walls made the room seem to light up. A computer desk stood against the left wall, with a PC on it. A black swivel chair sat in front of the desk, and sitting on it was a creeper plush. A small bookshelf leaned against the far wall. Posters were tacked all over the place, and I noticed the Reddit poster that hung over the headboard. I sighed deeply. "I guess this'll have to do," I said with an air of mocking disappointment. I turned around and saw another shocked face that almost made me feel bad. I hugged May tightly. "Thanks so much for having me over." I said.