A Perfect Roundabout

The first week was always a bitch. Getting lost and walking around with a map on your hand is a pain in the ass, because I hate looking like I don’t know what I’m doing and I feel my best when I’m confident at what I do. Here I was, sitting alone on a bench, waiting for the counselor to finish with another student for me to reschedule a couple of my classes because they clash with one another. I can’t help but to think about what it would be like if Grace was still my best friend, back when we were in high school, talking about our plans of going here for university, the one thing that we made sure that we would do is stick together no matter what. If we were still friends, I probably wouldn’t be wandering around alone, forced to making new friends just so I don’t look like a complete loner.

“Chloe Parker” I snapped back from reality when I heard my name being called by a stubby and angry looking Hispanic lady with a moss green folder on her hand.

I stepped inside the counselor room and began working on rescheduling my classes. After about 10 excruciating minutes, I got my schedule and I was excused. I walked back to my dorm, wanting to just go back to sleep and maybe organize the stuff I needed for tomorrow’s first lecture, but leaning on my door was Katia, a girl who lives 3 doors down and had become a new close friend of mine.

“What do you want? I’m sleepy” I said, not bothering to say ‘hi’ as I opened the door to my room and threw myself onto the bed. Katia followed and closed the door behind her.

“I need stuff for my room, come with me to Wal-Mart”

“Hah, no thanks. I hate going to Wal-Mart” I turned my body so my back was facing Katia, hoping she will get the hint and get out my room. But it failed as soon as I felt her hand on my shoulder, flipping me over harshly.

“Fine, we’ll go to Target. They have cuter things there”

I groaned and rubbed my face in frustration.

“Please? It’s at this shopping center and they have Chipotle there, I know you like Chipotle”

I rolled my eyes at her and stood up. “Fine, let me change and I’ll meet you out”

She squealed and gave me a hug before sprinting out of my room. I opened my dresser and stood in front of it for a good minute, trying to decide on what to wear. I decided to keep the shirt that I was wearing but I changed my jeans into shorts since it was hot out and put on my black worn out chucks. I grabbed my purse and shoved everything I needed inside before going out and locking the door behind me.

We were taking a bus so we had to walk pass the student center and boy it was crowded as hell. Since orientation week is over and tomorrow is the first day classes were starting, everybody seemed to lose their cool and began to panic at literally everything. People would go to the counselor’s office 3 times just to recheck their schedule or they would go overboard in shopping for supplies because they were afraid it wasn’t enough.

Katia was one of those people, until I got annoyed by her constant nagging and snapped, telling her that she needs to stop being a baby. It was harsh, but I just can’t help that that’s just how I am, straightforward and not taking any BS.

“What do you need anyways? I thought you went shopping with your parents a few days ago?” I asked as we slid ourselves between students that were going to the opposite direction.

“I need a hanger and a bunch of stuff, I also need food and…”

I barely heard what Katia said after that because all I was focused on was the person walking towards both of us, with her head down to her phone and smiling. I felt my heartbeat fasten and my breathing increasing rapidly, hatred was fuming out of me and what I remembered next was my shoulder purposely bumping into hers, hard.

The crowd in the hallway dispersed as Grace fell onto the ground with a shriek, her phone flew a couple of feet in front of her and the inside of her purse came spewing out and scattered all over the floor.

“What the f–“ Her lips went into a thin line the moment she saw me, towering over her with both my hands on my hips. “Chloe” She said bitterly as she tried to stand up.

“Watch where you’re going Walker” I sneered at her, not feeling intimidated in the slightest.

“It’s not like you’ve never walked with your head down your phone, stop being such a fucking bitch” She spat back.

I stepped forward, closing the gap between the two of us and raise my finger to her face. “Don’t, talk like you know who I am. You don’t know me, and plus, who would be stupid enough to waste their time to text you? You’re not worth anybody’s time” I snickered and turned around, leaving both Grace and Katia standing there with their mouths open.

Once Katia caught up with me, we got on the bus and sat in silence. I could tell she was still shocked over what just happened and I’m not going to lie, I was a bit shocked myself. I didn’t think I would actually do that to Grace, but seeing her happy like that made something inside me snap.

I recognize that expression that Grace had on her face when she had her face down to her phone. She was texting a guy, no doubt. I guess I just got jealous and angry about the fact that it was easy for her to trust someone, especially someone of the opposite sex. After what happened to my family, I couldn’t even look at guys without thinking that they are just a bunch of dicks and liars.

“So, what the hell happened back there?” Katia snapped me back into reality. I honestly forgot that she was sitting next to me.

I shrugged. “I knew her, and I hate her”

“O…Okay, why do you hate her?”

“I just do” I looked out the window, avoiding eye contact.

“Well you must have a reason to hate someone?”

I turned to face her. “You know you ask a lot of question,” I said, trying to divert the subject.

She shrugged and started playing with her phone. Even though Katia and I were inseparable since day 1, we’re still at that awkward phase where we’re close but not that close so I’m not really comfortable telling her my life story, while she goes on about literally everything.

Once we got to Target, Katia grabbed the cart and began to push between the aisles. I followed her, not really bothering to pay attention to anything since I wasn’t the one doing the shopping.

“Can we go now?” After about 10-15 minutes, I began to start whining to Katia because it was getting boring and I hate doing stuff that has nothing to do with me in the first place.

“I’m not done yet, I still need to get food!”

“Ugh this is taking forever” I rolled my head in exaggeration.

“5 minutes, I promise” Katia said as she began to walk the aisles faster.

I huffed and continued walking behind her, trailing like a little kid going shopping with her mother. She was picking out chips when I saw a girl, she was about mine and Katia’s age, picking out food with her parents in the opposite aisle from where we were. I felt a familiar feeling in my chest, the same feeling when I saw Grace earlier, I was jealous of her. I was jealous of her having two parents that care about her enough to go food shopping with her before school starts.

I know it’s not my mom’s fault she couldn’t be here. The flight from New York to California is already expensive enough for one person, plus the fact that she’s working two jobs to pay for my tuition and to keep the house. I couldn’t make her go just because I was needy, being a single parent is hard enough, especially with my little brother who was only 8 years old.

I felt like I couldn’t stand being there anymore so I decided to just wait for her at downstairs. “I’m starving, I’m gonna wait for you downstairs okay, meet me at Chipotle” I left without actually hearing her reply.

I walked with my head down and my head buried in my music that I put on my iPod. Avenged Sevenfold’s Buried Alive was blaring through my earphones as I entered the ever crowded Chipotle. I tapped the back of my phone to the beat of the music as I waited in line, waiting for my turn to order. I decided to get the chicken and the steak burrito, so I can reheat it tomorrow. I was about to call Katia and tell her that I was done with my thing when I bumped into someone’s chest and stumble backwards. I would actually fall flat on my butt if it weren’t the tattooed hand that caught me by my waist.

It wasn’t until a few seconds after I gathered myself together that I realized, the guy who saved me was the same guy who took my luggage back at the airport. I tried so hard but I just couldn’t remember his name.

“Chloe Parker” He said, grinning from ear to ear.

I smiled, trying to cover the fact that I was freaking out because I don’t know what to call him.

“It’s Austin. It’s okay, I’m used to being forgotten by a pretty girl” He grinned even wider and started to shift his weight between his legs.

“Right, Austin. Well, thank you for saving me from a total embarrassment” I smiled sincerely.

“It’s my pleasure. I didn’t think we’d actually see each other again, Chloe Parker” Said Austin with that stupid smile still plastered on his face.

“Stop saying my name like that, it’s weird” I chuckled.

“Why is it weird? I like your name”

“Because it is! It’s weird that you know my last name when I can’t even remember your name” I laughed and Austin soon followed.

“Well, how can I forget a pretty girl such as yourself?”

I rolled my eyes

I chuckled. “Right, well thank you again and it was nice seeing you, but I gotta go” I pointed to the door over my shoulder, and I saw Katia walking in with bags.

“Wait, can I at least get your number?” He said with a hopeful look.

I bit the inside of my cheek and smiled. “I don’t think so, I’ll see you around Austin” I said and turned around towards Katia who was looking at me questioningly.

“Let’s go,” I said to Katia and walking out of Chipotle. I walked for a couple of steps before Katia joined me by my side.

“Who was that?” Katia asked a little out of breath for catching up with me.

“Just a guy I met at the airport, he stole my luggage” I shrugged as if it was nothing important. Which is true.

“He’s gorgeous, I mean look at all that tattoo” She turned her head back to where Chipotle was, “and that smile! Ah, did you see that smile?”

I smiled and looked down to my feet. “Yeah, it was one killer smile”