Grey Thorns

Chapter 1- Time

(I'm trying to add music while I go along with this story. Feel free to give any suggestions!....) {Everybody wants to rule the world- Lorde}

First day as an 18 year old college student.

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I hold my breath to the point I don't want to exhale. Amhurst, Massachusetts, located in the western side of Mass with a population of 34,874 and a total of 8 hours to to get here by car. I try to clear my mind of the thoughts about my new college life but the more I allowed myself to think, the more silent depression set in.

I keep my focus out the window. I've always been one for nature. It's kind of a stupid thought considering the fact it's raining steadily at the moment. First day of freshman year in college. Am I ready for it? The taxi pulls up to the side of the road and I grab my 3 bags, two on one shoulder and one on the other. The taxi driver is rewarded with a tip and I shut the trunk of the vehicle as I begin my walk on campus. Even though the grass was wet and spongy I tried to treasure it because this is my new world for the next 4 years. I tried to wonder where I would be in four years.

I find my dorm and walk in. My now room mate was already unpacking her things on one side of the room. I send her a polite smile and she greets me with a "hello"."What's your name?" I ask as I set my things on the empty bed. "Kacey Meno. And you are?" she asks.

"Maximus Wintres, but people call me Max." I say and she smiles and walks around her bed to shake my hand. The closer she got, I could see her facial features underneath her glasses. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail with a head band keeping her bangs from her face. She looked like maybe volley ball or cheerleader in a nerdy way. She's not ugly but she looks very laid back.

"Nice to meet you, Max! I guess we have no choice but to get along, right? I mean since we're room mates?" she says with a light laugh.

I politely laugh back as she turns around and continues organizing her things. "Guess so." I pull out a picture of my family from the bottom of one of my bags. I don't remember putting this in here but yet again, I packed ,literally, before I left for my flight, so I probably grabbed it without knowing.

I study the feature of us, my mother, Denise, my father, Lawrence, and my four siblings, the oldest being 8 at the time, Jessica, Star being 6, me being 4, and Monica, who was nearly 3 with a twin brother, Dylan. Only if we all knew what would happen a year down the road after this picture was taken.

Our expressions looked somewhat happy and somewhat pained. My mother's ringlet, blond hair was pulled back at the top and her head was turned slightly to face the camera showing the little muscle in her neck. My father was actually slightly smiling. He never really smiled often but he was then. His dark brown hair combed to the side in a sophisticated fashion as the twins, Monica and Dylan, were in both of his arms. Me and Star were standing in front of them. I was to her left in a horrid white flowery dress with my hair curled. Star slightly towered over me with her advantage of being 8 at the time, and then Jessica who was standing behind us in between mother and father. I glanced back and forth between my mother and father. My father looked more youthful than my mother, who, still young, looked more worn down then my father. They were both 34 but father looked notably younger than my mother. He had a strange elegance in the photo I never remembered him having.I take a last glimpse of the photo and open a drawer to toss it in so all my clothes could cover up the memory.

I take a seat as the bell rings. The professor wasn't in the classroom yet. I was hoping he wouldn't come until the dismissal bell rang. A preppy blond sat to my left talking to the girl in front of her, a blond haired boy sat in front of me and another boy who I didn't attempt to look at sat to my right. I only knew he was a boy from the smell of his cologne. I enjoyed the scent of him actually.

I nearly zone out and just stare at the white board as he only talked about himself and what we were learning this semester. I was lost in thoughts now, distracted from that picture I found in my bag. We were given a syllabus but I only made little effort to examine it.

We all rush out of class when the bell rings. Lunch wasn't all that wonderful either. I chose not to eat so I just sat by a tree and listened to music. Kari Jobe in particular. There was a soft breeze at the moment, the rain had stopped but the sky was still gray. The leaves were a faded green now turning orange. I guess my love for nature overtakes me sometimes out of habit. I guess I love the innocence and patience of the scenery. It never talked but it communicates in a way. I haven't figured out how to interpret the wind but the unknown language is there.

I nearly jump when I hear a twig crack close by. I look up to a slightly attractive face with blond hair spiked lazily to the side in an attractive way.

"Hey." he says with a smile.

"Um... hey." I say a little confused why this guy is randomly talking to me when he doesn't know who I am.

"First year?" he asks and I nod. He bends down to sit with his legs folded so I suspected hes not leaving anytime soon.

"You?" I ask. "Yeah... I'm Rick by the way." he says as if he forgot and just remembered. He looked like a party boy from the way he spoke. "I'm Max." I say with a polite smile and he smiles back.

"So what are you doing over here? There's a ton of people over there." he asks and I shrug. "I don't know any of them." I say.

"Well you know me. You wanna come with me?" he asks with an almost flirty smirk to his smile. At leased he is making an attempt to take interest in me.

"Um... thanks," I say and his smile turns hopeful and pleased until I continue. "But I think I can stay here." I say and he turns his head to look at something as he laughs under his breath.

"Then why not later?" he asks and I look at him. "Huh?" I ask and he looks back up at me. "Well we can go out for dinner or catch a movie or something." he offers and now I understood why hes talking to me.

"Oh um... I don't think I should. I'm not really that type." I admit awkwardly so I wouldn't be so harsh with him.

"Its just for fun. Don't you like having a fun time?" he asks and I sensed his definition of fun time was different from mine.

"Um... thanks for the offer but I don't think that's my type." I say politely and he nods. "Okay then. Well if you change your mind I'm somewhere around campus." he says in defeat and stands up. I watch him walk away. Watching him walk away reminded me of my horrid high school life. No one really took interest in me and I mainly stayed to myself. My friends would call me pretty and say they envied me but I always hated the person in the mirror staring back. There was nothing to envy. I'm too untouchable. No decent boys ever took interest in me. As a child I was always afraid of growing up alone and not having that one significant other. Now I just face the reality of it and know that I just need to keep my faith to survive.

I sigh when Rick is out of disappears out of my sight. I need to promise myself that I can't let anyone break me here. This is a new opportunity to reinvent myself. I glance up at the sky and exhale again, saying a prayer in my head. Lord, please don't let this be an experience like my depressing high school life...