Setting the Stage

Chapter Four

Two weeks passed before I even knew it. And I was sliding into the back seat of a black car with tinted windows. I had figured my driver would be some rugged guy with sunglasses like from a James Bond movie or something, but instead, it was an older woman wearing plain old jeans and t-shirt. She put my one and only bag of clothes in the trunk, giving me an odd look.

“What?” I asked as my mom waited on the sidewalk, and I looked out the open door of the car I was now sitting in.

“Normally if there is a girl there are like twenty bags or something.” She let out a laugh and I smiled. “I’m Georgia by the way.” She said, as she moved towards the front of the car and got in.

“Bye mom, I’ll call you when I get there.” I said before shutting the door. My mom, who was a spitting image of me in an older version waved goodbye.

“You know what’s funny Ivalin?” Georgia said as she pulled away from the curb and headed down the street.

“What?” I asked, looking out the window.

“You seem nice.” She said, and I saw her eyes flash in the rearview mirror.

“Thanks…” I said, letting out a snort.

“Well I meant in general. The other girls Del is around are so rude. I shouldn’t complain, but you just seem different. You just aren’t like the other girls, well you are just as pretty as them, but you don’t seem superficial. I don’t mean to judge you right away.”

“It’s okay.” I said, smiling to myself. All that she was saying was a compliment for me, I didn’t really mind.

“You want to know something else that is funny?”

“What?”

“Del packs more bags than you.” I laughed at what she said, swallowing.

“So it should be a few hours until we get there.” She said and I nodded, pulling my loose slightly baggy purse into my arms and holding in into my lap. I was going to drive there myself, but when Devon called my mom about it, she decided this would be better. And Georgia seemed nice so I didn’t mind.

I leaned back into the comfortable leather seats and closed my eyes, letting out a breath. I was so nervous last night that I barely got any sleep, and as I was settling in it was hitting me now.

“Is it okay if I sleep?” I asked, keeping my eyes shut.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” I heard from Georgia.

I shifted, pulling on the seatbelt to get more comfortable. And before I knew, I had passed out.

I jolted up at a loud honking noise and let my eyes open. My mouth felt dry and wasn’t getting moist as I ran my tongue around it. I looked out the window and was in a crowded street. I groggily swiped my tired eyes as took in a breath.

“Look who is up. You’ve been out since we left.” I swallowed and my eyes moved to Georgia.

“Where are we?” I asked, my voice coarse.

“Hollywood. We’re heading out of the city though to a hotel so you aren’t in the city.”

“I slept the whole time?” I asked, surprised I slept the whole way.

“Yeah. We’re almost though. It’s only fifteen minutes away.” I looked at the window at all the buildings. They were all bigger than the ones in the city I lived in, and there was ten times the amount of traffic.

“Oh.” Was all I said.

“Look to the right, there’s the Hollywood sign.” I looked out, but had to look back, craning my neck to see. And there it was in the distance, the thick white letters that spelled out Hollywood.