Worlds Apart

Chapter 9

WORLDS APART: Chapter 9

~ Sarah Evans ~

In comparison to the luxury homes I'd seen back home along the beach, wow! ...were these glam Hollywood homes out of this world. The houses before Sarah looked so much better in person than they did in magazines and on TV. They were beautifully stunning and breathtaking...but as Sarah sat their watching on, she wondered how one would ever need a house so extremely huge. Cleaning and maintaining these gigantic homes would be a task in itself and would defiantly cost a small fortune.

In a way it must be pretty awesome to have a gigantic house. A house so enormous and beautiful, it feels as if you're living like royalty in your own castle hideaway. Enough space to relax back and to run around like a person on a sugar high. And it'd be loads of fun when you were home alone. You could be a total goof, slide across all the tiled floors in your socks, sing at the top of your lungs like you lived out in the country, and you could dive onto all the beds in every room like you did when you were a kid. But then on the other hand if you lived alone in such a huge house, you probably would get lonely pretty quick and wounder if all of it really makes you happy.

All that thinking made me realise you didn't have to have everything in the world to be happy. Materialism wouldn't make me happy for the rest of my life. It was the experiences you had, and great people to share it and experience it with.

***

~ Joshua Garland ~

Sarah had been really quiet ever since we started driving past the first of the Celeb homes. I could tell she was absorbing what was before her in deep thought. We were seated near the front of the top deck, which was exposed so that we could enjoy the sun and fresh air. No one had spotted me yet, which was a good thing. I didn't really want to draw any attention, and it felt really good to have another day where I felt normal again.

Funny enough as it sounded. Since I was a teenager, I wanted to be rich and famous and have fans chasing me. But now that this was my reality, I didn't really realize how good it felt to feel normal like everybody else for a few days. No screaming fans, no paparazzi, no cameras...just that feeling of freedom and room to breath.

Everyone on the bus seemed to be having a ball. The cameras were out, but this time not aimed anywhere near me which was good for a change. I thought the trip would make Sarah really excited, but for some reason it was as if she had taken the back seat and watched on as everyone else was having all the fun. "Sarah, are you OK?"

Sarah: "Ah...yeah, I'm fine...I thought seeing these enormous houses would make me envious to have one. But for some reason I don't think I'll ever want to permanently live in one. Smaller homes can be as gorgeous and inviting as these homes....do they really need 10+ bedrooms and what...seven bathrooms. It does seem a bit absurd don't you think?"

Hah... that statement... well question couldn't stop the smirk across my face. To be honest, the house I'd just brought a year ago had nine bedrooms and six bathrooms...and I lived all by myself. How did that make me look?

***

~ Sarah Evans ~

I'd noticed Josh hadn't replied to what I'd just said, and then suddenly I felt like such an idiot for saying it. I wish I could've taken that back and stopped myself from speaking my opinion. I knew what I'd said had hit him a little and now he didn't know how to respond.

I turned and whispered towards Josh as to not grab anyone's attention. "Hay I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said that. I just realised what I'd said after it blurted out of my mouth. Don't take what I said to heart".

Josh: "Its fine...you want me to take your photo?"

Sarah: "Oh yeah that would be great...um, I've got a different camera today. It's a Polaroid, so yeah it develops straight away...here you go".

Josh: "Looks like we are coming to a stop to look at this house...ready?"

Sarah: "Oh sure!"

Josh: "...OK smile".

I didn't really notice before, but being this close to Josh made me realise how cute his dimples looked when he smiled. His smile was infectious and I couldn't help but smile and giggle. I thought I'd look like a goof in the photo, but it turned out pretty well so I was happy.

I couldn't have all the fun being snapped with a camera, so as Josh passed the camera back to me I leaned next to him and said 'smile' as I snapped a quick photo of the two of us. The camera started chugging out a print; I couldn't take it back now. As I looked down at the photo, a slight stunned look on Josh's face made me smile. It was if he was saying through his eyes, 'what are you doing taking my photo?'

I looked up at Josh, and he had that look on his face like 'what are you going to do with that'. "Here...you keep it. Its not fair if I only have a photo and you don't...so um here you go".

I leaned towards him and whispered, "Hay um, thanks for coming with me. I would've had so much fun without you". He smiled back, so at least I'd killed the tension that I could sense earlier when I'd taken the photo.

***

~ Joshua Garland ~

Secretly I was still keeping my guard up. I knew I couldn't just trust anyone I met these days. I'd learnt the hard way, I'd found that some people hid their own motives, disguised by acts of kind gestures to get something out of it for themselves. A glimpse of fame or association, and then they were out of the picture and I'd never hear from them again.

I'd almost thought Sarah might be one of those people, especially when she secretly surprised me taking a photo of the two of us. But as she passed me the photo to hang onto with a genuine explanation I knew she was an honest person...and if she wasn't I'd soon find out.

She turned and looked right at me with an expression that she didn't know whether to smile or not, "Josh, you are OK aren't you?"

Josh: "Yeah, I'm fine...you just had me thinking a bit then".

Sarah: "Well I hope they were nice thoughts...I'm a nice person you know!" she said with a small smirk.

Josh: "I think I actually believe you!".

With that Sarah's bubbly self returned and she was back to her ecstatic self. In ore, taking half selfies of her pointing at the celebrity homes as we passed by. I hadn't felt so relaxed and free to breath for literally the past few years. It made me think of my parents and close friends from high school and how I hadn't made the effort to go and visit them back home in San Francisco. Just to go home and hang out like a normal family once in awhile. I realised how much I missed my Mom's cooking and to just sit back and watch a game with my Dad on the telly.

Why did I just realize this after a few days hanging out with someone...well normal, and not like some people I'd been hanging with lately. Maybe it was because she made me see the world through new eyes. This feeling felt good; being around her must've cleared my mindset. I realised what the important things in life were. My career yes...but also the family I had who were there for me and I guess a few of my friends I could count on.

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