Too Much

6 hours later and the plane began to touch down in Baltimore, my new life. Not going to lie I personally was scared shitless. Yes I may appear outgoing, confident and outspoken but that’s only when I’m around Allie and right now, she isn’t here.

I missed her already…I couldn’t understand why she didn’t answer her phone, it was odd for her…She always answers her phone. When I left the sliding doors of the airport, America was a lot different to England; the building were bigger, the traffic was faster and the whole place was scarier.

Dad unlocked the company car that was supplied for us, a perk of taking the promotion he said. I climbed into the back of the Black range rover before Mum pulled out a map studying how to navigate the busy roads to our new house.

About half an hour later and a quick stop of at a store nearby, we had reached our new home. The white washed walls, pristinely shining and the wooden porch surrounding it made this all seem more real to me. I had been wishing it was all a dream, a bad one; but standing outside it dawned on me.

Noticing there wasn’t another car present, I sighed in relief as I established the other family hadn’t arrived yet. Mum handed over the school supplies to me that we had collected from the store, before unloading all the boxes from the removal van which had shown up, into the house.

Hesitantly I made my way to the wooden porch and into the house, the walls bare and covered with unfilled picture frames. It seemed foreign to me, it didn’t truly feel homely to me, but then again I doubted it ever would.

Not wishing to discover more about the downstairs, I swiftly made my way upstairs and took the liberty at establishing which room would be mine.

“That one honey”

Dad interrupted, somehow reading my thoughts as he pointed to the door in front of me. Him and mum were unpacking their boxes in their master room, my boxes were conveniently placed outside the door.

Picking most of my boxes up, I forced my elbow against the door handle, as the door swung open revealing an open windowed room, followed by bare walls and little furniture only a wardrobe and two double beds, yes two did you forget that I had to share.

Pushing my blackberry out of my pocket, I frowned slightly as my blank screen showed no sign of contact off Allie. Chucking the phone down onto one of the double beds, preferably that one would be mine if the new roommate didn’t fight me over it.

After a while mum and dad entered into my room, checking out the surrounding décor.

“Honey we’re going to pop down to the store and stock up on some groceries, I guess we better get some stuff for your room…or do you want to wait until…”

“I’ll wait until she get’s here”

I cut in, meeting my parent gaze before turning my back to big skylight in the roof and big open windows that encouraged the natural light from outside to shine through. My parents sighed heavily, I know I wasn’t making it easy on them…but they did spring this on me.

“Just give it to her Sue”

My dad demanded a hint of desperation evident as he spoke in a hushed tone. Turning around to show I had heard them. My mother then brought a perfectly wrapped present out from behind her back, it was wrapped in black wrapping paper with an orange bow, orange being my favourite colour.

“What is it?”

I questioned, truly bewildered at the sudden gesture and suspicious of my parents intentions. They looked at one another then back to me, smiles widened on both of their faces.

“Well we know it’s been hard for you…leaving Allie and sharing a room with someone new. So as this house is paid for by the company I had a little money spare left over to for us to get you that”

My dad explained as coolly as possible before he nodded his head over to the present now placed in my hands. Without asking anymore questions, I delicately ripped the paper, saving the bow to stick on a collage later on; looking down after removing the paper, my mouth hung wide as a brand new canon DSLR was held firmly in my hands.

“We thought you could do with a much needed upgrade from your old one and we know how you were always complaining your old one wasn’t that good for all the concerts you go to. It will better for your photography now”

Mum beamed in a way that would of looked sickly sweet, but I was so elated and happy I took no notice. Placing it down on my bed, I ran into my mother’s arms thanking her over and over, before I made my way over to my father his body tensing in a surprised manner but his bulky, muscular exterior soon softened.

“You’re welcome, now we must be off”

Dad kissed my forehead softly, making my side fringe mess slightly, annoyed and paranoid I quickly worked my fingers through my bangs and settled them back in their rightful place. Hearing the door slam downstairs and the black range rover back out of the drive and down the road, I was suddenly aware, aware of the silence.

Shifting through the cardboard boxes, I picked apart my clothes trying to decide what I would wear for the first day of my new school…Baltimore High. I was going to be a freak; I could just see it coming. All my clothes were different; I wore dark eye make-up and liked being different to others.

Somehow however I could see being different at Baltimore High was going to be difficult, I wasn’t going to fit in with the preppy cheerleaders or science scholars. And doubted that there were few if any people who were going to be similar to me…I was definitely going to be branded a “freak”.

Snapping from my thoughts I heard the front door slam again, except this time I doubted it was my parents, switching the lights off I slouched down onto my bed and hoped this was all a bad dream. I wanted to be back in England with my best friend.

Echoing from the hallway downstairs I heard her, my new roommate speak but it was kind of muffled and I couldn’t place the accent.

“Mum…Dad will you please remove this god damn blindfold!”

She shouted as I laughed a little under my breath, she was obviously just as excited to be here as I was. Next I heard the girl ask her father where her room was, before I heard him reply the directions to where I was sitting right now.

Heat flushed into my cheeks, my palms sweating profusely and my heart beating 100-mph. The girls footsteps echoing up the stairs as it got louder, beginning to close the distance between me and her meeting.

I heard the footsteps hush to a silence, as the door handle slowly swept downwards, the white wooden door swinging open. I could only make out her silhouette at the moment as the lights were off and the hallway light only dimly identified her.

Then it was the moment of truth as I noticed her nimble fingers move slowly and cautiously over to the light switch and my heart began to rapidly decrease with anxiety. The bedroom light returned on once again and before she could notice my presence, I took my gaze off of my nervous hands and looked up to see her…

“ALLIE!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs, my heart nearly escaping out of my skin as I saw my best friend jump out of her skin also looking confused, scared and elated all at once.

“NO FUCKING WAY!”

She screamed as she registered her emotions and ran over jumping on me, knocking us both to the ground.

“Allie what is going……MADDIE!”

Allie’s mum, Katy, stood in our doorway her face beaming with surprise and happiness.

“You’re our new house mates, no wonder Mark couldn’t get a word out of the company...they knew all along. Where is Sue dear, I can’t wait until she see’s us”

Katy widened her grin, clapping her hands like an over-excited child. I laughed at her reaction along with Allie, who now helped me up off the floor.

“They’ve just gone to the store…get supplies. They should be back…”

I began to explain as Katy listened intently, abruptly I was interrupted by the familiar voice.

“Maddie we’re ba…..KATY!”

My mother’s voice dominated the whole house, as she too spotted her best friend and her family standing in the hallway upstairs.

After half an hour of discussing decorating, mum was going to help Katy seeing as she was the expert in the field. My mum worked as an event’s manager, perfect really seeing as my dad was a bouncer. That’s how the met.

Allie’s dad was a bouncer too, the reason we both found ourselves in this surreal situation in the first place. A big company had opened in Baltimore which needed bouncers to secure the area and business part time; the business was quiet wealthy which is why the house and company cars were included. But when they weren’t working at the business, our dad’s would be working the local pubs and clubs instead.

“Right we have to discuss the kitchen I have great ideas already”

My mother continued, handing me a bag full of paints in every colour. Even though I clearly mentioned not to buy paint until my roommate, Allie had arrived. They left the entrance of our doorframe, as our father’s left to go down to sort their shifts and days out for work.

“Let’s get decorating roommate”

Allie winked playfully, that same excitement in my features duplicated in hers. Grabbing some brushes and paint pots were got decorating OUR new room. I couldn’t image how she took this whole situation; she was surprised for starters…she hates surprises. It screwed up her uncertainty and ruined her knowing that I was leaving her.

But now we’re together again, I have the puzzle piece that was missing back in my life, which made school on Monday seem that more bearable now. I wasn’t going to be a freak alone; I had my best friend with me. I was Maddie again.