chapter 1
Being part of the military has been in our family for the past 3 generations. My grandfather served for 13 years but unfortunately, I never met him. My father wanted to continue his father's legacy and joined once he was 18. He wanted me to join the military half of the family, so I did. My mother wasn't too happy with him, but I explained to her I would use this opportunity to receive a scholarship to university. She changed her mind then.
Over the course of my term, I've flown jets so being in the air was a second nature to me. As for being on this passenger plane, I'm uneasy. I have no control over it, so much for my training for remaining calm.
Well at least I packed some pills to help me sleep through the remainder of the 4-hour flight. I dig through my bag for the medication I was prescribed for restlessness, which it is for no particular reason or anything. It wasn't more than ten minutes till I start to feel it working. The sound of the engines slowly dissipates and I fall into a dreamless sleep.
/
Living in an apartment was never my ideal idea for my future. I wanted to have a house, with a family, a wife, a kid or two. Yet here I am, in a three-bedroom apartment just barely, I literally mean barely outside of a hustling busy city. Traditional, movie style night life. Vendors on every corner selling a variety of foods, stores that tourist wait in line for, etc.
I will admit. It's not that bad, just like the vast number of places to roam, there are many coffee shops and mom and pop restaurants.
I like to consider everything could be worse. I could be living with a total stranger as my roommate. Luckily, my best friend and only friend is the sole living partner. She enjoys the thrill and loud city; Karina brings the best out of me. Not many people can break me out of my shell, with little to no effort she found a way to do just that. I love her for that.
Another benefit of living by the city is my career as journalist slash photographer. I can't imagine doing anything else. Since I was little, I enjoyed writing stories asking family questions to "interview" them and they're going on. Not many people can say they worked their dream job.
Yes, I know, it's a job that seems like a cliché place to be a journalist. But at the same I'm definitely an antisocial, want little to do with society but society is what intrigues me. Extroverted introvert.
Or is it introverted extrovert. Maybe I'm just awkward and don't know how to interact properly with others. Either way, I will always find a way to make something out of any situation. A skill I had to learn earlier than most.
Sitting in my chair by window thinking of nothing yet everything. Overthinking as usual. I turned to see that all my belongings were for the most part unpacked. I was up since six this morning feeling anxious for the days to come. Figuring I should be productive, I worked non-stop to organize my room. Now it's time for me to relax, make some tea-
"Roomie! Guess what!"
I literally jump in my seat after hearing Karina's shouting. I shake my head and chuckle, "Yes, um roomie."
"First off, I'm so excited this will be our first time sleeping in the same space. So, I'm excited to spend time with you tonight as a celebration. We can watch a movie, stay in with wine… or we can go- "
"I would prefer not to go out tonight or drink. Let's limit the wine and do movie night, maybe game night as well?" The excitement that she had just moments ago didn't go away, she seems to be even more so. "It's my first day working for Athena's Chorus and I wouldn't want to walk in with a hangover."
"Okay, are you ready for the second part?"
I laugh, "I don't think you'd give, me the option to object. Um are we getting a cat?"
"No, you silly goose. I figured that since we accidently got a three bedroom-" Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the lease wasn't clear, we got an extra room with it. Not for free, it added a couple hundred to our rent.
"- roommate."
"Huh?" I realized I didn't listen to anything she just said.
Karina pinches the bridge of her nose with a laugh, "I love you but you're spacing out is absurd. I was saying that we will have a new roommate to help with rent and bills."
My throat got dry and my jaw clenched. This was not part of my plans. Another person? A stranger at that I'm assuming. "O-okay, when will they be here?"
She explains to me all the details of the arrangement. She put a posting on Craig's list, I'm doing my best to ignore that, and I guess an ex-military chick took up her offer. She won't be here until the weekend, Karina said that she just finished her term in the air force and will be attending the university on scholarship. I'm glad she's not going to be a bum. Is that rude of me say?
/
"Good morning, Aren flyers. We will be arriving to Olympus early, approximately 12:17 PM. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing." The seat belt lights turn on with a ding, I loom down and see that I never unbuckled mine. I feel the plane lower down onto the runway the drop in my stomach is not wanted or appreciated.
I sense someone looking in my direction and I turn my head to see my flight neighbor.
"You don't like flying, huh?"
I smile a bit; I'd rather not tell her the reason I dislike being only a passenger. "Yeah, not really." The plane touched down and started to pull in to the dock. Thank goodness, I feel like I can breathe now.
"Well, you only go on a plane so many times in your life. Unless you do it for a living, for business trips or something." The girl doesn't even know the half of it, I guarantee I have been in the air more times than at least half of these passengers.
The exit door opens up and everyone started to gather their belongings. All wanting to leave as soon as possible. Maybe I wasn't the only one ready to get of this aircraft.
The conversational girl stands up and gets her carry-on, and cuts into the main isle. She turns back and gives me warm smile, "It was nice talking to you for the short while and I hope you enjoy the city."
"Thank you," I hope so too, I quietly mumble to myself as I walk down the long hallway following the signs to exit the airport.
I'm sure things will be fine. I'll finally be going to school to study biology, a science that has always been my favorite. In high school, I was able to study abroad to labs and some of the local colleges. Now here I am attending the best school for biology in the best university for biology.
When I left the stuffy lobby and inhaled the fresh air of my new home, even though there was the sounds of planes and honking cars, happiness took over. I was free from my previous job and I know my family would be proud of what I have achieved.
My phone chimes and I see that I only had ten percent left, I curse silently and quickly pay for an uber. I type in the address of the apartment I'll be living in. It is only a couple miles from the college, so it was a convenient place to reside.
I see my ride pull up, confirming the name of the driver and license plate, I step in. It'll be about a half hour ride, at least its mostly freeway. I check my phone again for the battery life and I got only five percent left. I doubt the charge will last to the apartment, I put it in my bag and look at the scenery out my window. Then a thought intrudes what was a peaceful mind set…
I'll be in an apartment. An apartment that was advertised on Craig's list of all places. An apartment with total strangers, damn. This was one of the most impulsive things I have done. How would I actually know that the apartment is rented by a female? What if I made the wrong decision? Could it actually be a trap to lure me in kidnap me? No, I wouldn't let that happen even if it was the case. I have trained in hand-to-hand combat. I don't think they would even have a chance.
Sooner than I thought the driver pulls in to a curb, we exchange thank you and you're welcomes. As I gather my bags from the hatch of the car and look up at the building, that matched the address I was given at the time of communicating with my new roommate.
It's nice actually, I thought it would be a dirty, old brick city complex. The building looked practically new, it even still had a leasing advertisement sign in the small grass area by the doors.
I breathe in. Remembering that there is a code to enter the building, I type it in and head towards the elevators to floor 4 and #414. I hope someone is inside, I don't have a key nor a phone to call Katrina? No, Karina.
Knock, knock. No response. I knock again a little louder. How long will I have to wait if no one is home? Well, I mean one more time won't hurt right?
I knock one time before, I hear a voice and the door opens somewhat aggressively. I feel my ear start to itch, the woman who opened the door is in a robe and had a towel wrapped around her head. I definitely blushed at the attire she has on. But what really irks me, is how she's looking at me. I oddly feel like, I had no right to be at the doorstep.
" Sorry, I think I have the wrong apartment. Um, have a good day," I say, this is just embarrassing. I'm pretty sure I got the right apartment number. I have great memory and I wouldn't mistake the address of what was supposed to be my new home.
Damn. My hope that I would be starting a new life and enjoying this adventure quickly vanishes. Things always happen this way, I get back on my feet only for things to go wrong. What am I doing wrong? I seem to only cause disasters.
"Who are you looking for?" she asks. More gentle but unsure.
"Katrina Grace."
She looks down, "Y-you have the right place. Come in."
I know its really not conventional in the writing style. Also using no names except for the original character. I will be working on the next few chapters over the next few days. I'm sure you guys can guess who is who. Or maybe not.