I had just settled into my new home. I couldn't believe that I was leaving everything I knew to start a new life with a woman I didn't necessarily agree with. My mother.

My mom and dad divorced when I nine years old and she quickly left with her new boyfriend. She said "parenting just wasn't for her right now", so she picked up her belongings and left for New York. I had no choice but to stay with my father. Over the years our relationship grew, and he became a very important man in my life. My mother and I kept in touch, she would send cards on my birthdays, and call on the holidays, but I haven't seen her since she left. I lived in California, Santa Barbra to be exact, and it wasn't exactly next door to New York.

About a year ago, my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I knew that the time we had left was both short and precious, so I made everyday count. About a month ago, he fell victim to his disease, and passed away. I didn't know how I was going to go on; he had been everything I knew. When my mother found out, she immediately held out a hand, and offered up a place to stay. Seeing as I had no other relatives around, I decided that it was probably best. I dropped out of my current college, and had my credits transferred to the community college fifteen minutes from my mother's house. I packed up everything I knew and flew out to New York.

When my mother picked me up from the airport, it was an interesting meeting, for lack of a better term. "Oh I didn't recognize you!" and "you're so grown up, where did the time go?" blah blah blah. I was nineteen years old. It had been ten years since I had seen here.

And now here I was, in my new room, in a strange city, and I knew not one person. College should be interesting.

"Winnie!" my mother gently knocked on my door.

"Yeah?"

She poked her head in the door, "Mind if I come in?"

"Nope." I spoke monotone. I gestured for her to come in and take a seat on my bed. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be in the presence of a woman who suddenly wanted to be part of my life again.

"Look honey. I know this last month has been very difficult on you. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, and so is Blake."

"Thanks…mom." I said slowly. It felt weird calling her that. She wasn't a mother, so she didn't exactly deserve the title.

"Michael…I mean your father, he was a very special man. I know things didn't exactly work out between us, but that was all my fault. And I truly-"

"Stop, I don't want to hear it."

"But Winnie."

"No Lynn. I don't want to hear it."

"Lynn? I am your mother. All I am trying to do is help."

"This is what you try to help me with? What about all the papers I had to write for school? All the tests I had to study for? How about when I was in the hospital with mono? When my first boyfriend and I broke up? You were never there for me! Not once! You never came to see any of my shows or games, nothing. I don't wanna hear some bull shit story about why you left me. You left me! You may have given birth to me, but you are no mother!"

She just looked at me as if I slapped her in the face.

"I understand your frustration-"

"Frustration? You think I'm frustrated?"

"Well…yes."

"My father just died. You know…the man who raised me, who stayed with me when I was sick. Who settled my nerves the first day of high school. Who was there for my graduation. The man who dropped me off for my first day at college. I left everything I knew behind. Everything! And for what? To come into a house I don't know. To stay with a woman I haven't seen since I was nine? If that's what you call frustrated…than yes. I'm frustrated."

"Please Winnie. I just want to try and help. I know I messed up."

"Ha!"

"Will you just listen to me? I know I messed up. I am not proud of the choice I made. But you need to realize I had a lot of problems going on. I had to figure out myself, and raise myself before I could raise a child. I didn't know what I was doing. I know I wasn't there for you back then, but I want to be there for you now. Will you just give me the chance?"

I didn't know what to say. I was so angry and confused. I wanted to make amends with my mom, really I did. I just didn't know how. I didn't want to let her off easy, but I didn't want to keep fighting. It felt like a no win situation. I inhaled deeply trying to calm myself before speaking.

"Look…mom. You have ten years to make up for. Ten years of life. I'm not saying I forgive you just yet, but I am willing to try and form some semblance of a relationship."

"That's all I ask for."

I exhaled, not realizing I had been holding my breath. This was going to be difficult. I laid down on my bed thoroughly spent. My mom ran her hand through my hair.

"I just can't believe how much you look like me when I was your age."

I turned my gaze to look at her.

"I had long wavy brown hair and big brown eyes just like you. You look just like me kid. Face it."

A small smile played at my lips.

"I'm gonna let you rest. Dinner should be ready in an hour."

"Okay." I turned on my side facing the window looking out into the busy streets.

"Winnie?"

"Hmm." I didn't turn over.

"I love you." My mom said before gently shutting my door.

X

Dinner was sufficiently awkward. The conversation was short and silence filled the air. The tension in the room was high.

"So, are you excited for school tomorrow?" Troy, my "step-father" asked.

"It's school. Would you be excited?"

"Well, I mean you're starting off at a new place, make new friends."

"It's college. It's a place where I go to learn and study, so I can get a degree and a job. Not socialize."

"Oh come on now Winnie. You need to make friends."

"I have friends."

"Friends here I mean."

"Lynn…I mean mom. Look. I just. I don't know. It's gonna be a hellish day tomorrow. Let me just focus on one thing at a time please."

"Okay." And that was that. Conversation was over. I quickly finished up my spaghetti and excused myself from the table. I stopped in the kitchen to place my dishes in the sink, and went up to my room. I needed to be alone, away from my mother.

I decided to take get ready for bed. If tomorrow was going to be as exhausting as I thought than I needed as much rest as possible.

I walked into my private bathroom, thank God, and turned on the shower. I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the welcoming steam. I was instantly relaxed, and my stress of today melted. Once I was finished I turned off the faucet, and wrapped a towel around me. I walked back into my room to my closet, which had all of my belongings stored away. I decided on a dark pair of skinny jeans, a white short sleeve shirt, and aqua sandals would do just fine. It was simple, just like me. I placed my clothes on my vanity chair, and quickly changed into my pajamas. I was tired and I needed sleep.

I crawled into my awaiting sheets and drifted, thinking about today and how tomorrow would be.

X

I awoke the next day at nine a.m. Classes didn't start until 10:45, so this gave me plenty of time to get ready. I sat down at my vanity, and looked at myself in the mirror. I felt like I should look different, I felt like I had aged, with everything I had been through. But I still looked the same. Bright brown eyes, and a wavy mess of hair. I knew I shouldn't have slept with wet hair.

I played around with my hair until it lay just right. I put a headband in, to keep my bangs out of my face. My hair fell down to my mid-back, in long wavy beach curls, as the girl back in Cali liked to call them. I applied eyeliner and mascara to my eyes before standing to get dressed. After I was done, I grabbed my black shoulder bag off my desk.

"Phone, keys, pen, notebook, and schedule." I spoke as I rummaged through my bag. I looked in the mirror. This was it. A new day at a new school. Great.

I walked down stairs, my mother and Troy sitting at the table reading the newspaper and eating breakfast.

"Won't you have something before you go?"

"I'm fine, I'm gonna be late anyways."

"Oh honey come on now. Its 10:15, you'll be fine."

"Fine." I sat down and grabbed a banana from the bowl in the middle of the table. I peeled it open and took a bite. It somewhat calmed my nerves.

"Excited?"

"Sure mom." I said unenthusiastically.

"Oh sure you are. The classes will be exciting…what's your major again?"

"Undecided."

"Oh well honey I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Oh yeah."

"Well I bet there are so many good looking guys on campus. Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No mom."

"Well are you…a…ya know?"

"I gotta go." I stood quickly before walking out of the dining room.

"Enjoy your first day!" my mother shouted to me. I ignored it, and stormed out of the house. Jeez did my mother have no sense privacy? I walked around the block to the starbucks. I needed coffee.

X

I walked onto campus looking around. It was huge for a community college. I walked around, everyone was talking and laughing. I felt so out of place. I was in the middle of Manhattan with the elite. I was of no such thing. I grew up in Santa Barbra, where everyone was of the same social class. Here…not so much. I was looking up and down, from my schedule to the buildings. CM Building, that's what I needed to find.

I finally found the building and after circling it three times I found my classroom. History 112: 1900s. Fantastic. I sucked at history. I walked into the class and only a few people were seated. It was a big classroom, it must of seated at least 100 people. I walked down to the front where the professor was writing something on the board.

"Um excuse me Professor.-"

"Andrews." He turned to smile at me. He looked somewhat familiar but I couldn't place him. He had kind brown eyes, and dark brown hair, but the sides were graying a bit.

"You must be Miss. Winifred Port." He looked down at his roster than back up to me.

"Yes. But please call me Winnie. The only time I'm ever called Winifred is if I'm in trouble."

"Alright." He stifled a chuckle. "Winnie it is then. Well today we are just reviewing for a test on Wednesday, but don't worry about it. I understand you came here under certain circumstances." I looked down. Suddenly there was loud laughter coming from the back of the room.

"Harry you are such a dumbass!"

"I'm a dumbass? Look at you Charlie! How old are you and you're still in community college!"

"I am not that-"

"Gentlemen please!"

"Mr. Andrews! Glad to see you're back! We missed ya man."

"Well I'm glad to be back." He smiled a genuine looking smile.

"We still got that test on Wednesday?"

"Yes Harold."

"Shit."

The two boys took a seat right in front and continued their talking. Mr. Andrews turned back to face me.

"I do apologize for the interruption."

"No problem." I smiled at him.

"As I was saying just please sit back and relax. Just get a feel for what is expected of you in this class." He reached in his bag and pulled out some papers. "Here is the course description, and also here is the assignment sheet. It gives you a list of all the assignments that need to be handed in, and the date they are due."

"Thank you."

"You're going to need a text book, notebook, and pen, and you need to bring that with you to every class."

"Easy enough"

"Any ques-"

"Andrews!"

"Could I be any more popular?" he whispered to me laughing. He held up one finger to me indicating for me to hold on.

"Mr. Moore!"

The guy that called out Mr. Andrews name walked down to where he and I were standing and embraced him in a hug.

"I've missed ya Andrews."

"Yes well, I missed you too." He patted him on the back.

"Oh Winnie, this is Jamie Moore."

"Hi." I shook his outstretched hand. "Winnie Port."

"Jamie is one of my hardest working students-"

"Suck up!"

"Yo Charlie, maybe if you tried sucking up, you would be outta here by now."

"Yo Jamie, maybe if you unlatched yourself from Andrews' ass you would spend more time with us."

"Ignore them. The three of them just like to rattle each other. It's the weirdest friendship I've ever seen."

"Seems like it."

"Well we can finish this conversation after class. Please, take a seat anywhere you like." He gestured his arm out to the spacious room.

I took a seat towards the front away from the three boys who were still arguing.

Mr. Andrews started up the lecture and the three of them finally fell silent. I would write down some notes, but I mostly just doodled in my notebook. He was reviewing the Mona Lisa being stolen. I looked to my left to see Jamie looking at me. I gave him a small smile and quickly buried my face in my notebook.

"That's all for today class. Make sure you study for the test on Wednesday. If you have any questions please email me."

The class got up and packed away their belongings.

"Miss. Port." He motioned me over with a smile. I stuffed my notebook in my bag and walked up to the front to his desk.

"Yo Jamie you coming?" I could hear someone shout to him.

"I'll catch up with you later man." I suddenly felt a presence behind me.

"Yes Mr. Moore. What can I do for you?" Mr. Andrews asked Jamie.

"No please. Finish up."

"Well Miss. Port. Here is my contact information, and if you have any questions please email me. Just follow the assignment list, and you should be good."

"Thank you Mr. Andrews."

"Not a problem my dear." He turned his head towards Jamie. "Yes Mr. Moore?"

"I'm not here for you Andrews."

"Well I'm flattered."

"You'll always be my number one."

"And you'll always be my number two." They joked to each other.

"See ya Wednesday."

"See ya Winnie. Try to enjoy your classes."

"I'll try."

"I turned to walk out of the classroom."

"Hey wait up."

I turned to see Jamie running towards me.

"Yes?"

"What time's your next class?"

"Umm…" I looked down to my schedule in hand. "1:20"

"You got plenty of time."He said taking a quick glance at his watch. "Do you wanna go get some coffee or something?"

"Uh. Sure?"

I was somewhat confused. What did this guy want from me? I looked up at him; he was considerably taller than me. He had brown eyes that were as kind and Mr. Andrews. He had brown hair as well. He was very good looking. There was something familiar about his as well, but again, I just couldn't place where I would know him from. I had never been to New York before yesterday.

I walked through the doorway, and out into the hallway. I slipped on a piece of paper, and almost landed on the ground. Instead my bag wad the only thing to fall spilling its contents everywhere.

"I'm such a klutz" I spoke mostly to myself.

Jamie bent down to help me pick up my mess. Our hands gently touched one another and I felt a shock. He quickly pulled back his hand and looked at me. I looked up at him. An image flashed in my mind. It was of water. Weird.

We walked off, Jamie walking a little ahead, leading me to the center of campus. I looked at his back and the way he moved. So graceful, yet he had purpose in his step. I didn't know who this Jamie character was, or what we wanted with me. But his familiar looks and kind eyes made me intrigued to get to know him better.