‹ Prequel: This City Is as Cold as Your Heart
Chapped Lips and Cold Kisses
Airports and Arizona
ars.
Chapter 12
It was Wednesday morning and Essie was heading back to Finland, leaving Mela behind to start her dance career in New York. Mela didn’t want to let go of Essie when they hugged goodbye at the airport. She had no idea what life held for her beyond this point. Her best friend was the only thing she had in New York and now she was leaving. With tears in their eyes the best friends let go of each other as the last call for Helsinki was said over the intercom.
“Go get ‘em Tiger.” Essie said, slapping Mela playfully on the butt. “You’re representing Finland now.”
“No pressure though, right?” Mela asked, trying to hold back her tears.
“No pressure.” Essie hugged Mela one last time before giving her a peck on the lips then letting go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mela moved into her new apartment the next day. She thought about asking Essie to stay and help her move but she didn’t know if that would be considered rubbing it in her face. She hated that her friend was going home without her. Mela still wasn’t excited about the fact that she was now apart of the New York City ballet like she should be. She saw how broken up Essie was about not getting in, but her friend insisted she stay and dance for both of them. Now she was in some shitty apartment building with some moving guys bringing in the bed/couch she bought. It was a studio apartment, but it cost her a couple grand in rent. You could rent an apartment like this in the shittiest part of Finland for $300 a month. New York was no joke.
She stood in the hallway as she watched the movers placing the bed/couch in the small living room area. She noticed the apartment door to her left was cracked open and a pair of eyes were staring at her intensely. It freaked Mela out immensely so she decided to wave. Suddenly the door shut. Then she heard the chain being pulled out of the lock and the door opened, revealing a girl about Mela’s size and height with huge black-rimmed eyes.
“Hey,” the girl said, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.
“Hello,” Mela happily greeted back, “I’m Mela. I’m moving in next door. It’s nice to meet you.”
“What’s that accent?” The girl asked sharply, almost cutting her off.
“I’m from Finland,” Mela responded, “Helsinki to be exact.”
The girl came out of her apartment all the way, shutting the door behind her. “Sweet. Isn’t that like the suicide capital of the world?”
Mela chuckled, unsure of how that was sweet, but responded happily, “Yes, I believe it is.”
The girl came closer so she was standing right in front of Mela. “Are there like dead bodies everywhere in the streets and hanging from trees?”
Mela was officially creeped out. “No, not at all.”
The girl groaned, “Ugh that’s lame!” There was an awkward silence for a moment before the girl introduced herself, “I’m Arizona, but that name is stupid so you can call me Ari.”
“Okay, nice to meet you Ari.” Mela smiled at her.
“No, stop smiling. It’s freaking me out.” Ari whined.
“I’m sorry?” Mela said with a chuckle, trying her hardest to frown while doing so.
“Anyways, I’m 20 and I live in this apartment with my boyfriend. We’re like the only normal ones around here, well, except for you now. You’re too normal.”
Mela wasn’t sure if that was an insult or not so she just nodded.
Ari just kept talking, “You shouldn’t stand out in the hallway like this, there are a lot of drug dealers and murderers walking around. Don’t answer your door at night. Come over and hang out with us whenever. We have beer and stuff. My boyfriend is 22. He works at the Apple store. His name is Jason.”
The moving guys were getting ready to leave so Mela handed them a ten-dollar bill as a tip and then panicked a little because she didn’t know if that was too little of an amount. She hated America. Then she realized Ari was still standing there, her huge brown eyes glaring, like she was looking into Mela’s soul. Naturally, Mela invited her in.
“There’s nothing really in here, I was going to go to the store and pick up some groceries, would you like to come with?” Mela asked after Ari sat down awkwardly on her couch/bed.
“Sure, let’s go.”
Mela felt like she made her first friend in New York, a bit of a weird one, but friends are friends and she definitely needed some.
Chapter 12
It was Wednesday morning and Essie was heading back to Finland, leaving Mela behind to start her dance career in New York. Mela didn’t want to let go of Essie when they hugged goodbye at the airport. She had no idea what life held for her beyond this point. Her best friend was the only thing she had in New York and now she was leaving. With tears in their eyes the best friends let go of each other as the last call for Helsinki was said over the intercom.
“Go get ‘em Tiger.” Essie said, slapping Mela playfully on the butt. “You’re representing Finland now.”
“No pressure though, right?” Mela asked, trying to hold back her tears.
“No pressure.” Essie hugged Mela one last time before giving her a peck on the lips then letting go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mela moved into her new apartment the next day. She thought about asking Essie to stay and help her move but she didn’t know if that would be considered rubbing it in her face. She hated that her friend was going home without her. Mela still wasn’t excited about the fact that she was now apart of the New York City ballet like she should be. She saw how broken up Essie was about not getting in, but her friend insisted she stay and dance for both of them. Now she was in some shitty apartment building with some moving guys bringing in the bed/couch she bought. It was a studio apartment, but it cost her a couple grand in rent. You could rent an apartment like this in the shittiest part of Finland for $300 a month. New York was no joke.
She stood in the hallway as she watched the movers placing the bed/couch in the small living room area. She noticed the apartment door to her left was cracked open and a pair of eyes were staring at her intensely. It freaked Mela out immensely so she decided to wave. Suddenly the door shut. Then she heard the chain being pulled out of the lock and the door opened, revealing a girl about Mela’s size and height with huge black-rimmed eyes.
“Hey,” the girl said, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.
“Hello,” Mela happily greeted back, “I’m Mela. I’m moving in next door. It’s nice to meet you.”
“What’s that accent?” The girl asked sharply, almost cutting her off.
“I’m from Finland,” Mela responded, “Helsinki to be exact.”
The girl came out of her apartment all the way, shutting the door behind her. “Sweet. Isn’t that like the suicide capital of the world?”
Mela chuckled, unsure of how that was sweet, but responded happily, “Yes, I believe it is.”
The girl came closer so she was standing right in front of Mela. “Are there like dead bodies everywhere in the streets and hanging from trees?”
Mela was officially creeped out. “No, not at all.”
The girl groaned, “Ugh that’s lame!” There was an awkward silence for a moment before the girl introduced herself, “I’m Arizona, but that name is stupid so you can call me Ari.”
“Okay, nice to meet you Ari.” Mela smiled at her.
“No, stop smiling. It’s freaking me out.” Ari whined.
“I’m sorry?” Mela said with a chuckle, trying her hardest to frown while doing so.
“Anyways, I’m 20 and I live in this apartment with my boyfriend. We’re like the only normal ones around here, well, except for you now. You’re too normal.”
Mela wasn’t sure if that was an insult or not so she just nodded.
Ari just kept talking, “You shouldn’t stand out in the hallway like this, there are a lot of drug dealers and murderers walking around. Don’t answer your door at night. Come over and hang out with us whenever. We have beer and stuff. My boyfriend is 22. He works at the Apple store. His name is Jason.”
The moving guys were getting ready to leave so Mela handed them a ten-dollar bill as a tip and then panicked a little because she didn’t know if that was too little of an amount. She hated America. Then she realized Ari was still standing there, her huge brown eyes glaring, like she was looking into Mela’s soul. Naturally, Mela invited her in.
“There’s nothing really in here, I was going to go to the store and pick up some groceries, would you like to come with?” Mela asked after Ari sat down awkwardly on her couch/bed.
“Sure, let’s go.”
Mela felt like she made her first friend in New York, a bit of a weird one, but friends are friends and she definitely needed some.