Happy New Year! Hopes 2017 treated you all well and that you all create a new year of amazing memories in 2018!
Thank you to all of you that reviewed on the last chapter and I hope you guys like chapter 13! Happy reading!
ERIN
"I'm really going to miss this," Anna says with a sigh, wrapping a piece of my hair around a curling iron while I apply eye shadow in the mirror. This entire morning has been full of nostalgia and it's been bittersweet, we're all more than excited to move on to the chapters of our lives, but it's the last of everything. It's not like we'll never see each other again, we will. But it won't be the same.
"No one's allowed to cry," Gabby insists. "At least until the ceremony is done,"
"I don't know if I'll be able to adhere to your rules." Stella says with a laugh, her Chicago accent thick. "I'm really going to miss you guys,"
"We will always just be a phone call away," Sylvie says with a smile. "Besides, a lot of us are going back to Chicago,"
"Yeah who is again?" Stella asks, Hailey, Anna, Gabby, and my hands flying into the air. "Five out of eight pretty good guys,"
"And I'm staying here," Kim says with a smile, "A great excuse for all of you to make the trek back to sunny Southern California,"
"Sounds like a plan," I say with a laugh. I've loved the last two years of living in this house with all of these girls, forming a sisterhood on our own rules. Growing up, I always wanted the crazy loud family, the one that I never had. The Voights gave that to me, and all my roommates definitely made sure that I didn't lose that. I don't know how I'm going to adjust to living alone again, but not going to lie, the privacy won't suck.
This morning we all loaded up our cars, laughing between the tears as we packed up the last two years of our lives here. Kim dropped off a bunch of stuff at her sister's place in LA and my parents have lovingly offered to drive the 300 back to Chicago, with Hailey's parents choosing to have her's moved back, allowed us to hop on a plane tonight without a care in the world. That's what I'm excited for, Greece. Two weeks of my two best friends, living it up before real life starts and we have to face the world as grown ups.
"I don't know about you ladies," Shay replies, "I love you people tremendously, but I am so excited to never take an exam or write thesis every again."
"True that," Hailey says with a laugh.
"I have three months and then I'm back to school," Gabby says with a groan. "Four more years,"
"But then you'll be Dr. Gabriela Dawson," Sylvie says with a smile, "Saving lives and taking names,"
"I've got a lot of work between me and that white coat," She says with a sigh.
"But it'll all be worth it," Shay assures her. "And I can call you instead of WebMD." She says with a laugh.
"What time do we have to be there again?" Anna asks, applying one final spritz of hairspray attop my curls.
"1 PM," Kim responds absentmindedly, continuing to apply her simple makeup.
"We should haul ass then," She exclaims, "It's almost 12:25 now and we have to leave in about 20 minutes,"
"Oh shit she's right," I say, jumping up from my spot on the tile floor, thanking my lucky stars that all of us are almost ready. The girls rush to finish up their looks as I run back to mine and Kim's shared bedroom, grabbing the only thing left hanging in the closet, a light blue number that I'd snagged on sale with Camille last summer, pairing it with a pair of nude wedges, careful to avoid a stiletto-grass scenario.
"Zip me up?" I ask, running back into the bathroom, dress unzipped and heels in hand.
"Hot damn girl," Gabby says with a smirk as she gets up to pull the zipper, "You look good,"
"Thanks,"I say with a chuckle, the satisfying sound of the zipper pulling up behind me. "You're not so bad yourself," I tell her with a laugh, looking at the red dress that I'm positive she didn't just pull out of the back of the closet.
The next twenty minutes are a flurry of hair touch ups and the reapplication of lipstick, turning around and pulling up hair to zip up the backs of dresses before tossing on the gowns and finalizing the designs on our caps. It almost feels like prom night my senior year. I didn't even want to go, but Camille insisted, assuring me that I would regret it if I didn't. I got ready with a bunch of girls at the my friend Marie's house. I didn't really like any of the girls, but I liked her. I went, had an okay time and came home, completed convinced that she was wrong. But I am glad that I went, through today has been a lot more than that day could have ever been.
We carpooled over to The Green on campus, overlooking the ocean with hundreds of white chairs set up before us. Everyone sat down somewhere random as they explained the procedure to us for the upteenth time. They then ushered us into one of the main halls, ordering us by last name as my heart continued to beat faster and faster as my dreams become closer, my phone lighting up with a few texts from Jay in the process.
"What does your cap say anyway?" Hailey asks as she stands next to me, our names not yet being called. "I don't think I've seen yours yet,"
"Oh here," I say, handing it over to her with a smile on my face.
"It's beautiful," She tells me with a grin. I put a lot of time and effort into it, more than I'd like to admit, painstakingly writing out the words "Someday is today." in a loopy cursive with a white chalkboard pen, decorating the border with drawn red roses and green leaves, the words "Thanks Mom + Dad." etched on the side. "Have you ever called them that?" She asks. "I thought you'd always referred to them as Hank and Camille,"
"I have," I say, holding back tears and easily breaking Gabby's rule. "But they're been my parents since the day he brought me home, they deserve the titles,"
"They're going to love it," She says, pulling me in for a tight hug.
"I hope so," I answer her, "I got really lucky with them,"
"They got lucky with you too," She tells me gently, "You are incredible Erin and I am so proud of how far you've come,"
"Thank you Hails," I say with a weepy smile.
"I love you E," She says, pulling me in for another hug.
"I love you too," She responds. "Hey, hey no crying. I did a really good job on your eyeliner,"
"Okay," I say with a laugh as I choke back the tears.
"Now pull yourself together," She says sternly.
"Yes ma'am," I say with a smile.
"Lindsay, Erin," I hear over the noise.
"That's me,"
"Go get 'em girl," She tells me. I respond with a simple smile before taking my place in the line now snaking around the hall, waiting patiently for the ceremony to start and sadly realizes that I don't really have any of my friends around me, the closest being Stella around ten people down, though she does give me quite an enthusiastic thumbs up.
"Alright people, we're moving!" A very blonde and thin administrator yells from the front of the room. I take a deep breath and I pull my cap down over my curls and walk out those doors to the rest of my life.
I can't help but smile as I catch Camille, Hank, and Justin in the crowd, Camille waving at me like a maniac, her ashy blonde curls framing her face. Hank's hand are politely clapping in front of him, though his face is full of pride. And Justin. Well he's Justin.
I sit there, the breeze flying through the green as speaker after speaker takes the stage, continuing the previous speech of this is the start of the rest of your lives and all that crap. I believe them and I know it is, but I don't need fifteen people to say it to me fifteen different ways.
But before I know it, after I've seen Sylvie, Kim, Anna, Gabby, and Stella all walk across that stage and claim their diplomas, each with a smile wider than the Pacific spread across their faces. We've all worked so hard to get here, and it's even more special that we get to do it together. And now it's my turn.
I bite my lip as they call Jane Langley and Theodore Landon then Olivia Linden before finally, I hear my name. I feel the pride swell in my chest. I have worked everyday for the past six and half years to get here. And I made it.
"Erin Lindsay," Dean Newburg says, handing me my diploma, that same smile on that I saw on all of their faces on mine. I hear Kim screaming and clapping and I don't hear it, but I do see Camille and Hank with beaming smiles, snapping pictures at my every step. But through all of it, one voice rings through the bustle.
"That's her," She says with a gasp. I look down, I know the face, but I have no idea what her name is.
"Who?" I hear from the girl next to her.
"Her," She says, pulling out a camera phone, "That's Jay Halstead's girlfriend," I feel my stomach drop to my toes and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped beating for a second, but I keep the smile. I don't want to let her ruin this. But she's getting pretty damn close.
As I walk off the stage and the high wears off, I have to try to keep the tears at bay. I know that I told Jay that I was okay with this, but now it's real. He could really find me.
My name is out there, she has a picture, a good picture of my face. Who knows what she could do with that. I shakily return to my seat, quickly pulling my emotional shield from back in the day right back out and putting on a happy face, cheering as loud as ever as Hailey and Leslie walk across the stage.
I keep the shield up as I take pictures with my friends and family, embracing all my friends after the ceremony, keeping the tears back as Camille pulls me into her arms and tells me she loves me, Hank telling me that he's proud of me. I keep the waterworks at bay as I call them Mom and Dad for the first time. Through all of it, I stay strong, though my anxiety rises as the minutes tick by, waiting for that girl, whatever her name is to post the picture or send it to People Magazine or the New York Times.
I sit through dinner, cheersing with my parents, Justin salty that Camille wouldn't allow him to drink champagne. For a minute, I forget and I revel in the moment with my family. For a second, I'm just the average 22 year old college grad with the world at my fingertips, but then I remember, that in an instant with one tap of a screen or a click of a mouse, it could all come crashing down.
"Dad can I talk to you?" I ask him, all of gathered in the empty kitchen of the house I've lived in for the past two years, all of us packing up the last of our things into our cars and loading all of our suitcases into Kim's.
"Yeah sure kid, what's up?" He asks, putting down the beer in his hand, glancing over at me with those dark eyes.
"It's not a big deal, I just need you for a second," I say, leading him onto the back patio.
"Alright," He says, following me out. "What's up?"
"I think I'm going to be outed soon," I say nervously, the tears beginning to fall from my eyes.
"What do you mean?" He asks, becoming more concerned with every word.
"Someone got a photo of me today as I was walking, it's clear as day and they have my name and I'm nearly positive that she's either going to post it online or sell it to the press,"
"And you're worried about Charlie," He fills in.
"Yeah," I say. "I'm scared,"
"You knew that this could happen," He tells me.
"I know that, I thought I was okay with it, but it's real now and I am scared. He did terrible things to me Dad, I can't go through that again,"
"You won't," He assures me curtly.
"You can't be sure of that," I say desperately.
"Yes I can," He says sternly. "Here's what you are going to do, go to the airport, talk to Hailey and Kim if you need to, call Jay while you're waiting for the flight and then forget about it and have an amazing time in Greece,"
"What?"
"Don't worry about it," He says. "You will be halfway around the world, he can't find you there,"
"What about when I get back?'
"Well worry about it then," He assures me a comforting hand on my shoulder, "You have earned this trip Erin, I do not want you to spend the next two works worrying, can you do that for me?"
"I can try," I say. I know that I'm not telling the truth. It's not like I don't trust him, I trust him more than probably anyone in the world, but that's just how much Charlie scares me.
"Good," He tells me. "Now go out there, give your mother a kiss, hug your brother and go on your adventure,"
"Okay," I say as he pulls me in for a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "I am so proud of you Erin,"
"Dad don't make me cry," I say with a choked up laugh.
"I never thought that the broken little girl I pulled off the street that day would turn into the young woman before me today,"
"Dad," I say, my eyes teary.
"I love you." He says.
"I love you too," I say, pulling him in tight for a hug and wondering what in the world I would have done without him.
I said the teary goodbyes to my mom and my brother, before Hailey, Kim, and I piled into her little hatchback headed for the airport. We made it there in record time, pulling into the circle of towers of light two hours before our 10:45 flight time. After a quick panic of Hailey not being able to find her passport, we flew through security and were at the gate before we could blink. That's when I finally had time to breathe and dial the number I had come to know by heart.
"Congrats graduate," He says on the other end, his voice heavy with sleep as I pace nervously through the empty airport terminal, the blue dress and heels long packed away and clad in a pair of cropped leggings and a hoodie, almost identical to the outfit I wore to fly out to see him a few weeks ago and perfect for the next twenty four hours of nonstop travel, my hair pulled into a tight plait.
"Oh God, did I wake you?" I say, cursing myself. Of course I woke him up, it's nearly 11 here which means it's like 2 o'clock in the morning in DC.
"Don't worry about it," He says, his voice quickly gaining it's normal tone as I hear his lamp click in the background. "What's up?"
"The media is going to have my name tomorrow morning," I tell him reluctantly.
"What?" He asks, his tone quickening. "What happened?"
"A girl snapped a picture of me as I was walking at commencement today. They were announcement my name and I heard her say your name, she knows exactly who I am,"
"Okay," He says, "We knew that this could happen,"
"I know," I say softly.
"Are you rethinking this?' He asks.
"No, no God no," I say quickly. "This did not make me question the relationship at all,"
"Charlie," He says, filling in the blanks. "That's what's wrong,"
"Yeah," I say softly.
"Has he contacted you?"
"No," I say, "As far as I know, the leak hasn't happened yet,"
"What do you want to do?" He asks. "It's your call Erin,"
"Nothing," I say. "I don't want to do anything until we have something to worry about. I just wanted to let you know, make sure we're ready," I tell him.
"Okay," He says. "What do you want to say to the press?"
"No comment, I don't want to confirm or deny," I tell him.
"Alright," He says. "I just want to say I'm sorry for all this, I can't help feeling like it's my fault,"
"Stop it," I instruct him, "It was a joint decision, we made it together. Do not blame yourself,"
"Erin,"
"Stop," I say again. "We're good, we are all good."
"Okay," He responds.
"And," I say nervously, "uh I love you,"
"I love you too,"
"Welcome to Greece ladies," Hailey says with a grin as we stand at the bow. After a very long flight, an even longer layover in New York and a final flight that trumped it all, we're here. Well were on a ferry, a five hour ferry to Hailey's family's resort on Santorini. But it is beautiful, blue seas as far as the eye can see, only interrupted every so often by a picturesque island just asking to be put on Instagram. But even better than all that, it's a million miles away from every single one of my problems. I'm sure that this pictures have gone up by now and the entire country knows my name, but my phone is off and I plan on enjoying the next two weeks as much as I possibly can.
"How have we waited this long to follow you here," Kim says wistfully, staring off into the distance, our hair blowing behind us.
"Hey don't blame me," She says with a laugh, all of us fully rested from a very badly timed but great night of sleep on the flight from Philly to Athens as well as the first four hours of the ferry ride. "I've been trying to bring you guys back here for years,"
"Well we're here now," I say with a smile, "And there's no one I'd rather be with,"
"Aw we love you too E," Hailey says, pulling me into a hug as the horn sounds, "but we really should go gather up the rest of our stuff, because we're about to dock."
We quickly follow her instructions before departing off the boat and hailing a cab in the busy streets of Athinios and cramming into the tiny backseat for the half hour drive to Oia, with Kim and I being able to do nothing else but just oogle at the blue dome churches and white buildings that Hailey's been showing us for years. It looks like something out of a painting and I still can't believe that I'm here.
"We're here guys," Hailey says as we pull up to a gorgeous hotel, built into the side of the cliff. Hailey thanks the driver in Greek and hands him some cash, before the three of us retrieve our bags from the backseat and make our way down a set of winding stairs to the main lobby.
"This is beautiful," Kim says as the two of us take in the sights.
"Yeah I love it here," Hailey says with a smile. "But brace yourselves, my grandparents can be a little much,"
"I'm sure they'll be fine," I respond, brushing it off.
"Whatever you say E," She says with a laugh. We follow her into the white dome, a cute little stray kitten at our heels.
"Hailey!" I hear as soon as we walk through the door, the word full of a thick Greek accent as a curvy woman with thick dark hair comes barreling towards us.
"Nona!" Hailey exclaims as the woman who I'm going to assume is Hailey's grandmother takes her in her arms. The two begin conversing quickly in Greek as she smiles over her granddaughter, her energy warm and homey.
"Nona, these are my friends Erin and Kim," She tells us.
"Nice to meet you," She says, her accent thick. I expected her to give us a handshake, maybe a hug but she doesn't screw around with that. Nope it's a kiss on the cheek. I think the look of shock on my face is enough to say I didn't expect it as Hailey stifles a laugh.
"Where's Papa?" Hailey asks after the unexpected exchange.
"Meeting," She says simply. "Let me take you to your room," Hailey continues to talk to her in Greek, Kim and I quickly following, though unsure what to do as we walk through the outdoor paths of the resort, leading to a beautiful suite at the edge of the cliff.
"Oh Nona, you didn't have to do this," Hailey insists as Kim and I try to keep our jaws off the floor at the magnificent suite.
"Only the best for my girl," She insists, pressing another kiss to the side of her head. "Get settled, come meet me and your Papa for dinner tonight in the main house,"
"Okay," She says, "Thank you," She exclaims something in Greek before leaving us to explore the two bedrooms, bathroom, and balcony of the suite, all soaked in Greek culture, Hailey explaining many of the paintings hanging on the wall. After looking through every nook and cranny of the place and unpacking just a little bit, Kim has a brilliant idea.
"Beach?"
"This is exactly what I needed," I say, stretching out on a beach chair in a bright blue bikini, a pair of aviators resting over my eyes, the bright sun warming my stomach as I try to follow Hank's request, don't worry.
"It's been a long year," Kim agrees next to me, the hustle and bustle of the beach around us as the blue waves crash onto the white sand beaches. "But this is the perfect ending,"
"Hey E," Hailey says, lowering the glasses on her nose as she peers across the beach, "Who's that?" I squint as I see a man in a tank top and swim trunks, pointing a huge camera right in my direction as the bulb goes off again and again.
"Oh you have got to be freaking kidding me,"
Hope you guys enjoyed!
Please review!
Xoxo,
Addie
