Chapter 1

April 2018

"Hey, can I put some of my stuff in your suitcase?" Rachel, my roommate for almost 6 months now bellowed from the upstairs bedroom.

I shook my head and laughed inwardly. I told her to start packing her stuff three days ago and now she's cramming to finish everything on the day we leave. Maybe I should say no. That would teach her not to shop so much, "Sure. Just put it where there's space left"

I can never say no to Rachel. She may be annoying sometimes but she's been a mom to me for the past 6 months. We never really knew each other before we came to Colorado. One day I was just walking home from the grocery store and she was asking me directions to the bus stop and the next thing you know, we're roommates.

Anyway, I guess you really don't know me too. Hi, my name is Annabeth, 22 years old, blonde hair, gray eyes. And I'm originally from San Francisco. One day I saw an ad for an internship posted in my university's bulletin and I thought "why the hell not" so here I am in Colorado.

You can say I'm your typical average girl down to my height and weight My life is also pretty uneventful. I'd rather stay at home than go party with my friends. Don't get me wrong, I get invited to a lot, I just don't want to go. I had a four day off once and I spent all of them in my room watching "The Amazing Race" and eating popcorn. Well, granted I was sick. Not fun.

I do have a boyfriend though, we've been together for four years and we have a pretty normal relationship. We've been living together before I left. We've been travelling a lot and we know each other pretty well. The only thing about us is that we don't really have concrete plans for our future. We don't look that far out. But, going with the flow is working out really great for us and so far, we're nailing this long distance relationship thing.

So anyway, that's the gist of me. 22 years old, living in Colorado but moving to Michigan, has a boyfriend and a roommate named Rachel. Pretty average. And I like it that way. But boy, if I only knew by then how I'm gonna be smacked right in the middle of a figurative tornado that's gonna uproot my boring life

"What time should I tell Jake to pick us up here tonight?" Rachel asked me.

"How about say eleven-ish?" I answered her over my plate of salt and vinegar chicken wings, which I'm going to miss so much by the way because they only sell it in the grocery store near us. Chicken wings and fried eggs are my two favorite food.

Anyway, Jake is this guy Rachel found to drive us at the airport that night. Our flight leaves at 4am. Me, Rachel, Leo and Inno are going to fly to Chicago for vacation before taking a bus to go to Mackinac, Michigan. Leo and Inno are these two Asian guys we befriended in Colorado who are also on their way to Michigan for the summer.

"You know I feel nervous about having to start over again" I told my roommate. "We're already settled here in Colorado. We know the people and the place. It's a bummer we have to leave."

"You had the guts to move from San Francisco. What difference does moving from Colorado to Michigan makes?" she mumbled.

"I know but I already moved from San Francisco and adjusted to life here. And now I have to adjust again to another life. I'm not regretting anything I'm just expressing my doubts. I have this nervous pit in my stomach I can't seem to explain."

"Just think of it this way, we get to meet new people and live in a new place. It's an adventure" she told me.

I agreed half-heartedly, not entirely sure. Deep inside me, I know moving to Michigan isn't gonna be easy like it was in Colorado.

"Have you told Jason about Leo and Inno?" Rachel asked. Jason is my boyfriend. He's not exactly the jealous type, he just asks a lot of questions and I hate questions. They exhaust me. I feel like I'm being investigated for something. And that's the reason I didn't entirely tell him about who we're going with. I didn't lie. He just didn't ask.

"He knows about Leo. He's not gonna ask about him much because he's gay. I haven't told him about Inno though" I answered.

"Why the hell not?" Rachel blurted "He has nothing to worry about Inno. He has a girlfriend"

"I know. But Inno is a last minute addition to our group and Mark isn't asking so I'm not telling. If he asks then I'm gonna tell him. I just don't want the questions. It's exhausting."

"I'm advising you now, tell him or it's going to be worse when he finds out" and that's the last thing she told me before she went upstairs.