Lexilicious: okay so the chapters won't be very long. if i'd do that it would take much longer for each update because I'm still in school and writing on another story. This one just needed to be written because it keeps playing around in my head you know? Hope you like!
'What? You think that you'll get rid of me that easily? did no one tell you we're in the same school?' she sneered from behind me. I froze. This wasn't happening.
'Tanya, stop it, now.' I heard the masculine voice of her boyfriend. It sounded dark, dangerous and it send shivers down my spine – from fear and anticipation. Tanya huffed, starting to argue against him, giving me space to leave.
If this was going to get any worse, I was going to hide myself beneath a rock in some far away wilderness.
My Grandma and I drove back home to get packed for our two week trip to Italy. We'd visit the big cities – Milan, Rome and Venetia. My parents had always been fascinated with the pasta-eating country and the culture. Since the accident, I committed myself to it, to keep that tiny piece of them alive.
'Bumblebee, I'm going to get packed. You too?' my Gran asked, making me nod and heading upstairs to my room. Tugging my suitcase from beneath the closet, I started to throw in all kinds of clothes and bikinis, while my mind drifted back to two years ago. It was scary that I remembered everything so vividly.
I was fourteen at the time and it was close to my birthday. My parents had been in a meeting for their work in some chic restaurant in the centre of the city. I stayed home with my grandma while I studied for a very hard math test. My mom had promised me, that she'd go to Italy with me if I passed for the test – the ultimate reason I worked so tough on it. When it was past ten at night, and they still had not arrived home, I asked my Gran about it, but she reassured me it could've been anticipated a bit. But somehow I felt nauseas about it, not right. When the clock hit eleven, as I laid in bed, I suddenly had this major panic attack. I remembered getting out of my bed and running downstairs for my Grandma, when the doorbell rang. I sighed in relief and watched as my grandma opened. I'd followed her and was surprised not to see my parents, but two cops. They wore sad expressions and their brows were creased in frustration as they held a black Guess watch and a silver bracelet with twinkling chains. They asked us if those items were familiar to us and I nodded as tears threatened to spill. 'I'm sorry ma'am but we're not able to soothe this situation – I'm afraid Mr. and Mrs. Blacklace had an accident. This is the only thing that was left intact.' One of the officers said. I was completely in shock, frozen in place and waiting for realization to sink in. It sounded so surreal, so like it was one of those books that always had a nasty side in it. My Grandmother had her hand over her mouth as she listened to the officers, explaining what happened and where. I didn't want to hear it, I didn't want to hear them say those words.
'Bumblebee?' my grandma's voice shook with grief as she addressed me by the nickname. I came up to her, my face pale white. The officers expressions changed into one of true pity. It must be awful to tell people news like that.
'Are you Milany Blacklace?" the tallest one had asked. I'd nodded unconsciously feeling my grandmother's presence behind me along with the soft sobs coming from her throat.
'I'm sorry, darling, but I'm afraid that…' his voice faltered and I felt a bile of anger rise. 'say it. JUST FUCKING SAY IT!' I yelled, hysterical and out of my mind. The younger officer sighed, looking at his colleague.
'Your parents have passed away, Milany, they didn't survive.'
And from that moment, my world was shattered into pieces. Pieces that would never get wholly again. Pieces that got lost, just like those from a shattered mirror.
I zipped the suitcase close at the side, sighing deeply. After a few weeks the police told us they weren't able to find anything what could have caused their death. Their bodies were this burned and ruined, that there was no real funeral – only a solemnity to say goodbye. At least that's what I think happened. I had blocked every single memory that could hurt me in any way.
I'd been depressive since then and refused to talk for weeks until I realized that my life could be over as fast as theirs was. I started to care again.
Carrying my bags downstairs I saw my Grandmother waiting for me. We wanted to leave immediately after my graduation, to say goodbye to high school and close the chapter. Gran smiled and indicated with her head that we should go to catch our plane.
Many hours later, we were in Italy. I loved the heat, blistering sun and the blue sky. Rome was a beautiful city, even as Milan and Venetia were. We had a great time in the country where pasta and lasagna were born, spending a week in each city. Everything was fine, until in Venetia, a day before we headed back home, a strange man called me by my name. he actually asked if Milany Blacklace was my name. it was so strange, that I didn't answer avoided his gaze and went back to my Gran who was waiting for the ice cream I was buying at that moment. When I'd looked back over my shoulder, two people had joined him as they looked after me as I left. They seemed so very suspicious, with their dark eyes narrowed and their sickly grins. It was a good thing, that Grandma and I were leaving that night.
It was late at night when we sat in the car back home. We were close to our living area, making me feel relaxed and safe again. it would take very long before I had to leave the safe place. I was very excited to start my new life in Seattle and start with my education, but I had to leave Grandma behind. I feared I might feel lonely, or get bullied on just like in high school, but Gran told me that if I was good at my discipline, I'd get through all that.
At home, we unpacked our vacation stuff and I started packing all anew. In two weeks I'd already leave, and packing boxes needed to be send in beforehand.
The last weeks, my Gran and I had a great time together, enjoying the last bit of summer sun in Chicago, going out to restaurants for dinner and relaxing at a pool during the best days.
And then, as if the summer had flown by in the chapters of a short book, it was time to leave. I was worrying constantly, if my Grandma would get by on her own. She was a young grandma, only sixty and she was physically all right, but still.
'Mila, I'll be fine! The only thing that might go wrong is that I'd miss you too much that I'm calling all day,' she assured me, her brown hair shaking with her soundless laughter, 'It's time for my little bumblebee to become a butterfly!'
I chuckled, 'Grandma, bumblebees can't change into butterflies.' I grabbed my handbag with the most important thing and slung it over my arm. The rest was already sent to my new room in Seattle. 'Ah well, in your case, it's possible.'
She went with me until she couldn't go further through customs and we said goodbye. I hugged her tightly, promising she could call whenever she wanted and she told me to do the same. I was going to miss her dearly and did my very best not to cry. She might think I didn't want to go. I kissed her on the cheeks and turned around, 'I love you Grandma Marie.'
She smiled, her eyes somewhat watery, 'As I love you Mila.'
I waved at her for one last time, feeling the salty tears prick in my eyes as I went through the gates. It was now really time, but at the last moments I wondered –
Should I change my life, or miss my flight?
An hour or two later, after a rather comfortable flight, we touched down in Seattle, Washington. I texted Grandma Marie as soon as I could use my phone again and went outside for a taxi. When I got lucky when one stopped, I got in, 'To Washington University please,' I ordered and off I was. I looked out of the windows, watching to which places I could go when I was off from school. I saw lovely bistro's , dress shops, small supermarkets and restaurants.
Arriving at the university, I paid the taxi driver and followed the signs to the administrations. Weird feelings bubbled under my skin from excitement en nervousness – I'd dreamed about this for such a long time, and now I was finally here to make it come true. Whirling around and seeing all those students, new ones and quite a lot of seniors, I suddenly noticed the blue with white board, indicating I needed to head left.
I followed the path, blushing when someone would look at me and went through the doors, entering the building. It wasn't busy, which made me glad I didn't have to wait too long. There were sitting three women at different desks, doing their work and keeping the administrations how they had to be. When one of them looked up and acknowledged me, she smiled and beckoned me forward. I walked up to the desk where she sat and waited for the middle aged, blond woman to speak.
'Hello, can I help you with something?' her friendly voice asked as she looked at me expectantly. I nodded as a small smile curved my lips, 'Yes, I'm new and have no idea where I need to go or what I should do,' I explained warily. The woman, whose nametag read Mrs. Grace, chuckled.
'Ah, I see. Let me look in the registers to find your campus and room,' she explained, rolling away with her chair to a metal closet with all kinds and sizes of folders in it. she started searching through them, settling her thin glasses on her nose, 'What's your name, dear?'
I leaned from one leg to another in a nervous way, 'It's Mila Blacklace.'
Mrs. Grace hummed and started searching in another folder. When she seemed to have found it, she picked out a paper, 'Here! Miss M.E. Blacklace from Chicago. You're going to study Crime Justice, is that correct?'
I nodded, maybe to enthusiastically then I intended for her to see, and she motioned with her hand again, for me to come closer. She laid out a map of the school, grabbed a red marker en started to explain where I needed to go and the shortest manner to get there.
'….third building on the left. There you go in and you search for Alice Cullen. She'll help you further.'
Lexilicious: okay so again - no idea how that works in America so I hope you don't shoot me if i'm wrong...:$ in the next chapter Mila will meet Alice! ^^
