Chapter 6
Church had been…interesting. I was introduced to just about every member there, very few being under the age of thirty. I couldn’t help but think that everyone was judging me as I sat there, but they all seemed friendly enough.
I collapsed on the porch swing when my grandparents dropped me off before heading into town and squeezed my eyes shut. I wasn’t used to getting up that early and had caught myself falling asleep on more than one occasion. I really needed to rest up for tomorrow since it would be moving day, and I would be meeting my two roommates that I knew absolutely nothing about. Fun times.
“Della?” A deep voice called out forcing me to open my eyes, and I sat up straight when I saw who was standing in front of me.
He, of course, had changed over the years, but those brown eyes still twinkled with amusement and I would recognize them anywhere. His nose still remained crooked, which I knew for a fact was that way because a certain girl had punched him square in the nose for insulting her frilly pink dress.
He had grown over the years and was now most certainly even taller than me. He was lean and fit but not too muscular that he looked like a body builder, and I noticed the cords in his arms when he reached one hand up to rub at the stubble on his head as I stared at him, just glimpsing a flash of a tattoo on his forearm. His sandy brown hair that used to grow wild was now closely shaved and looked even lighter than I remembered against his deep brown tan.
The smirk that crossed his lips brought back memories of all of the adventures he used to drag me on over the years, no matter how unwilling I was.
Nash Griffin.
One of the truly real best friends I have ever had.
“Well, are you just going to stare all day, or are you going to give me a hug?” I jumped up, tearing my eyes away from this grown up Nash that I wasn’t used to, and he wrapped his arms around me, lifting my feet off the porch. I buried my nose in the crook of his neck, breathing in the soapy smell that was one of the most comforting things about Nash and now was mixed with spicy cologne.
He finally set me back down on my feet, pushing back a strand of my hair and grabbing on to one of my hands to drag me back onto the porch swing. “Are you going to say anything? Shouldn’t I be the one surprised that you are here? You figured you would see me, right?”
I cleared my throat, turning sideways to look at him. “Sorry, of course I figured I would see you. I guess I just didn’t really have time to think about it since coming here was sort of a surprise for me too. It’s good to see you, Nash. I’ve missed you.”
He squeezed my hand lightly before pushing off the porch and swinging us as high as possible. The simplest things were all about the thrill for Nash ever since I had known him. “I’ve missed you too, Della,” he replied quietly. “And I’m glad you’re back. How long are you visiting for?”
“Actually, I’m back for awhile. I start at UNC next week, and I’m moving into the dorms tomorrow.”
“Really?” His brows shot up, and he gave me a wide smile. “That’s awesome, Della. I guess we’ll finally be able to catch up after all of these years. I can’t wait to hang out.” We both turned when we heard the crunching of gravel, and Nash quickly let go of my hand when a black car pulled into his driveway.
“We’ll have to catch up later though. Let me know if you need any help moving in tomorrow.” He skipped the steps, hopping straight off the porch and gave me a wave while jogging backwards. “Glad you’re back, Della.”
“Me too,” I shouted after him. I watched as he ran back over to his house and yanked on the driver’s door that had just pulled in.
A girl with stick straight black hair and dark mocha skin stepped out, instantly throwing her arms around Nash’s neck and planting a kiss on his lips. For some reason, a shot of jealousy ran through me that I had never felt before. I had no idea why.
Nash and I had only ever been friends. We had been too young before to really ever have any romantic feelings. I just didn’t see him that way. I finally tore my eyes away once they disappeared into the house. I was glad Nash didn’t seem upset with me that I hadn’t kept in contact over the years.
When I had moved to Connecticut, my life had basically been turned upside down, and I tried to just focus on putting it together as much as I could. I had missed Nash though, and I was glad that he seemed like he wanted to pick up our friendship right where we left off.
*********
I smoothed down the white tunic I had chosen over a pair of black leggings along with wedge booties as I stood in front of the room I had been assigned for the next year. For some reason, my hands were sweaty, and I felt slightly shaky. I had no idea why I was so nervous, I had no problem meeting new people before, and I wasn’t about to let this get to me. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, scanning my surroundings that looked to be covered with boxes and strewn contents.
I dropped my handbag on the floor, looking at the dorm. Basically, the whole thing could be seen from the front door. A small kitchenette was tucked into one corner and opened up into a small living room. Three doors were open, which I assumed were the bedrooms and a sliding glass door led out to a small patio. All in all, it wasn’t as horrible as I thought. I guess upperclassmen had the better pick when it came to dorm rooms.
“Hey,” I heard yelled from one of the bedrooms. “Callie, if that’s you, you better get your ass in here and get your shit out of my room. I’m not letting you take over my closet again this year.” I wasn’t sure how to reply, so I stuck my head into the room, my eyes landing on a girl with auburn hair, creamy white skin, and an array of freckles.
Her green eyes widened when she saw me and she covered her mouth. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” She jumped to her feet, walking over piles of clothing that basically covered every inch of carpeting. “I’m not normally that big of a bitch. You must be, Adelaide, the new roomy. Welcome, sorry it’s such a mess, but you’re probably going to have to get used to it with Callie around. I really have no idea why I agreed to live with her again. I’m Zoey by the way.”
“Oh, please. You know you love me.” I spun around and came face to face with a perky looking girl who had curly chin length blonde hair and was dressed head to toe in pink. And when I said head to toe, I really meant head to toe. Even her hair had streaks of pink running through it.
“Hi! You’re obviously Adelaide, I’d recognize you anywhere. I loved you on Unrehearsed; now those other two that you hung out with, not so much. I was so surprised to see you listed as our new roommate. I figured you were off at college with Madison and Marley.”
“Surprised is putting it mildly,” Zoey piped in blandly. “More like bouncing off the walls with glee, I’m surprised she hasn’t asked you for your autograph yet.”
“Well, it’s not like I’m a celebrity or anything, and the show’s been over for two years, so not too many people recognize me anymore, but thanks. You can call me Della by the way.”
“All right, Della. Let me show you your room, you’re just going to love it. It’s a little small but we can make it work.” Callie looped her arm through mine and Zoey gave me a thumbs up like she was wishing me luck. I had a feeling I was going to need it.
“Here it is,” she said with a flourish of her hand, showing off the bland walls and the full-size bed that was shoved into the corner. I saw a small bathroom and a closet that was most definitely not a walk- in, but I guess it would do. “Don’t worry, I can totally help with decorating, it’s sort of my thing. Do you have a lot of stuff to move in?”
“Not too much. My grandparents were trying to find a parking spot so I should probably run down and help out with my stuff.”
“Sounds awesome, just yell if you need anything. I just have a few more things to unpack and then I’ll be all set. We can show you around campus tomorrow if you want. We’re going to have so much fun together. And don’t worry about being the third wheel with us. Zoey and I have been roommates for the past two years, but I’m sure we’ll all be best friends in no time.”
She let out a little squeal as I opened the door, and I couldn’t help but smile at her excitement, especially with the rush of relief at getting two roommates that seemed to actually be really nice girls. If only my luck at a fresh new start could continue, I think I could shove the past behind me right where it belonged.