the ballad of amelia james

chapter 3

50 days. The news had come as a shock to Amelia. She stood in front of her boyfriend of 11 months nodding her head as he paced back and forth. This was so unlike him to just want to jump at the traveling opportunity that the university had offered to all seniors.If anyone in their group of friends were to jump up and take a trip randomly it would have been her. The almost two month trip would take the New York City residents all over the west coast. Amelia's mind was racing with thoughts of what she had done wrong to drive a guy all the way to another coast. She began shaking her head letting her messy golden brown hair fell all in her face as Trevor still paced in front of her shaking his head as well.

"Amelia. You're mad... I know it." Trevor ran his hands through his dusty blonde hair checking his watch directly after. She watched his jaw tense and relax as he tried not to burst out at the college senior who had chosen not to apply for the cross country trip.

Amelia had longed to go on the trip but the finances hadn't really worked out. She rose from her bed in the shared, tiny apartment that she shared with two other girls. Grabbing for Trevor's hand that fell slumped against his hunched over, stressed out body she tried her best to get him to look at her.

"Trevor. I'm not blaming you. You're going to have a great time. Sophia is going too so it isn't like you won't have someone to ride with." Amelia James, a writing major, at the The New School, a university based right in the heart of the West Village, took her boyfriend's hand merging her fingers in between his raising their conjoined hands to her lips.

Finally, he looked at her. Trevor wasn't necessarily the best boyfriend in Amelia's opinion, but he did seem to love her and respect her love for her own space. She had always been told how she was the most creative yet messiest of the 3 girls that shared the apartment. Taking this as a compliment, Amelia spread out her amateur art pieces around the apartment filling the walls with creations she had made in spare time.

"I have to go. I need to start packing. We leave Friday." He pulled away from Amelia quickly leaving her standing alone a little upset and angry. Trevor threw up a fast wave goodbye as he practically ran out the front door leaving her in a silent apartment. The click of the door echoed in the small living space reminding her to go lock the door. Thoughts ran through her head as Amelia released a loud sigh.

She kept replaying the fight, if you could even call it that, over and over in her head. Walking to the apartments small kitchen, she opened the cabinet underneath the counter to get some cereal.

"Dex..." Amelia lightly laughed picking up the fluffy ginger cat that the three roommates shared. The cat sprawled out in her arms as his orange hair began covering her white tshirt, but she didn't really mind. Dexter didn't originally belong to any of the girls but thanks to setting some tuna out on the fire escape after hearing him meow around midnight for those first few days the girls agreed that the cat was now theirs. They had all three tried finding the owner but it seemed as if Dexter was meant to be. The fluffy bundle of hair seemed pretty old, but he still got around quite quickly when he needed to.

Stroking his fur, Amelia began to hear the soft purr from Dexter that followed any kind of touch. "That's my boy." She raised Dex to her face closing her eyes as if he could hug and snuggle back. He did slide his head into her neck sending Amelia into a laughing spurt.

"Okay, I guess you can have a treat for being so sweet." She leaned down sliding her hand out from underneath the cat's warm,furry belly. Opening the bag of treats she immediately saw the shiny plastic bottom left empty of all treats. Amelia frowned at the bag squatting down to show her best cat friend.

"Nothing else to do." Amelia stood up her long legs quickly taking her to the key bowl as she grabbed her house key and a light jacket whisking out the door leaving Dexter behind playing with the empty plastic bag.

Locking apartment 4B behind her, Amelia walked to the building elevator reading the freshly printed sign "Out of Order." Slumping her slim shoulders, Amelia walked to the stairs beginning her four floor decent. "All this free time and just me for the next fifty days...The craft store is open today. Might as well." She thought smiling to herself, "Who needs a boy anyway." Making her way out onto the busy New York City sidewalk Amelia pulled up her jacket around her shoulders facing the crowd for what felt like the millionth time.

Amelia James was going to find adventure in this city she called home; she just didn't know it yet. Running out of cat treats would be the cause of it all but thanks to a lousy boyfriend's absence and a regularly empty apartment, Amelia would not be bored over the next fifty days. In fact these fifty days would be the most important ones she would go through in all of her twenties. She just didn't know it yet. She walked obliviously down the street heading for the pet shop just a few blocks down.