Unfamiliar Ceilings

“Why do you have to leave again?” Melanie, my annoyingly cute best friend, whined over the speaker phone as I packed everything I’d need for the following two months.

“Because. Mum wants to go on a holiday with the arsehole, otherwise known as Jerry,” I sighed, folding up my favourite pale blue Topshop vest. “And I’d eat my cat before I go with them.”

“You don’t have a cat, Lei,” Melanie muttered. “Didn’t you ask your mum if you could just stay here?”

I rolled my eyes at my shortened name. “Yeah, but she said she’d rather I stayed with Mark” – my dad – “and Stephanie.”

Melanie sighed in disappointment over the speaker. She valued our friendship a lot more than I did, to say the least. I’ve known her to be backstabbing and big-headed a lot of the time.

“Look, Mel, I’ve got to finish,” I said, walking over and picking up the phone receiver. “I’ll talk to you when I get to Mark’s.”

I heard her mumble a goodbye and I hung up. I felt a little more relieved as I finished packing the rest of my clothes into the large-ish suitcase, lying open on my double bed. The summer sun leaking through the window almost burned my naturally porcelain skin as I tried to zip up the case.

My name is Leila-Noelle Cole, I’m sixteen years old, and I’m packing my bags for the entire summer, which I’ll be spending with my dad. I’m average height and skinny, with long, loose ebony curls and naturally pale skin; mostly from my Grandmother, Noelle James.

My mother – Caroline James – is American, and my father – Marcus Cole – is English. They met while my mother was on a college trip in London, and she never went home. It was a holiday romance that lasted several years, something like nine years. Caroline left Mark when I was nine, taking me out of London – and out of his life – with her.

It wasn’t until I was thirteen I saw my dad again. He’d re-married, to a lovely yet rather eccentric woman named Stephanie, with platinum blonde hair, a figure to die for and style to boot. At first, I felt guilty for liking her since I much preferred her company to my own mother’s.

“Leila!” Jerry shouted from the bottom of the stairs, his rough, greasy voice carrying up to my open bedroom door. “You ready to go chick?”

I shuddered. “Yes. I’ll be down in a minute.”

I dragged the suitcase off of my bed and set it down on the dark, polished floor. I unplugged my iPod from the wall charger and collected my phone from the dresser, shoving both of those into the pocket of my jeans. I picked up the purple velvet box, containing all of my memories, keepsakes and photographs, and tucked it under my arm. I then grabbed my shoulder bag from the bed and tugged my case to the door. I paused at the threshold and took one last look around my old bedroom.

Like you were never here...

I turned and started walking down the stairs, my suitcase making loud thumps when it fell off one step onto another. Caroline was waiting by the door, tapping her toe impatiently. She had her pale pink, strapless sundress on, the one I remembered her wearing to the beach, years and years ago. Her short brown hair was pinned to the back of her head and her DKNY sunglasses were perched on her pointed nose. Jerry took my suitcase off of me and pulled it to the boot of his Alfa Romeo. I would not miss that car.

Caroline followed him, settling herself in the passenger’s seat and leaning back. I took a last look at the house I’d known for the past seven years before I clambered into the back of the car.

* * * * *

My earphone was tugged sharply out of my ear, causing me to squeak in surprise.

“We’re here,” Caroline said in her faded accent, moving away from the open car door to let me out. I stood, taking my velvet box and my bag with me, realising that “here” was the coach terminal, where I’d catch one to London.

I shielded my eyes from the sun above and walked into the shady terminal. Mum and Jerry were standing across the room, near a pair of sliding doors with a National Express coach waiting on the other side. My suitcase was being loaded onto the coach as I hugged Caroline goodbye and said my farewells to Jerry. She didn’t look too upset to see me leave her, but I knew her. She didn’t display her emotions on her face.

“See you, kiddo,” Jerry said, reaching out to ruffle my hair. I ducked out of the way and smiled feebly, almost losing my grip on my carry-on items. I gave a slight wave to their retreating backs and then turned to climb on the coach.

“Leila!” I heard my name called from somewhere behind me. I swivelled around and saw a figure running in my direction.

Ryan.

My mouth stretched to a smile as he got closer to me. I started to ask what he was doing here, but he beat me to the punch.

“Mel said you were leaving?” he asked, looking confused and a little hurt.

I rolled my eyes. “Only for the summer, Ryan.”

“But wh-“

I held up my hand to stop him speaking. “I’m going to my dad’s for two months. I’ll call when I get there, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, his expression relaxing a little more. He held his arms open for a hug and I put my box on the ground to give him what he wanted. We hugged until the coach driver tapped my shoulder and told me the coach was ready to leave. I whispered a goodbye to Ryan and took a last breath of his scent. He watched the coach leave.

I turned my face from my nostalgia.