Peacefully Insane

Chapter 1

The drive to my new school was long and depressing, I was all alone in my piece of shit cavalier with all i had, which wasn't anything but clothes and a few pieces of jewelry i deemed fit to accompany me through life. Lana Del Rey was the only voice that made a sound. My mother decided it wouldn't be necessary to help me drive or unpack or do anything that involves being with me any longer than absolutely needed.  My only friend was going to a different college on the other side of the country.

So here I was all alone driving to a new college all alone, accompanied only by my thoughts. I was almost there and my heart was beating fast as I thought about everything. What if my roommate hates me? What if i'm not smart enough? i sighed and pulled into the parking lot. i took a breath as i pulled out a box of my stuff and walked down the dorm hallway. Young adults were scattered around taking boxes into their rooms and unpacking and drinking alcohol. 

When i got to my room i took a quick breath and opened the door. My roommate was already there and had claimed the left side of the room, judging by all the pictures hung on the wall. They were mainly of nature and people, and they were mainly black and white, they were definitely art. My roommate herself was a thin yet curvy girl with ombre  dreadlocks. She wore black leggings and a blue sweatshirt, when she noticed i was standing there she turned around and smiled. Her teeth were perfect and white and her eyes were a grey color that i will never be able to explain.

"I'm Rowan." she said holding up a peace sign. 

"I'm Erin." I say trying to give my best smile.

She closes the door and sits on her full size bed, and pulls out a colorful box. She opens it and then quickly shuts it before i can look and see what its contents are.

"You smoke?" She asks casually.

"I have a few times." I answer honestly.

She smiles and nods while opening her box to reveal a pipe and the most marijuana I've ever seen. 

"Lets get baked." she says deviously.  

Ten minutes into college and i'm already smoking pot. I sit on the end of her bed and kick my box to the side. she loads a bowl and hands it to me. After about 30 minutes or so Rowan and i are super hungry and have become best friends.

"Lets go find something to eat, man." She says getting up and retrieving her keys.

"I'm down." I smile.

Rowans van was straight off of tumblr. it was a light purple that wasn't quite lavender and had paintings of the moon and the stars and the sun and piece signs and mushrooms, and there was a plastic peace necklace hanging from the rear view mirror. the seats were all tie dye and the inside smelled like incense.

"This is awesome." I tell Rowan.

"Thank you." she smiles like a proud parent, "This is Jeff."

Rowan turns the key and Jeff roars to life. She hands me her phone and I go through her music to find that we have similar taste. I put on Led Zeppelin and Rowan nods.

"Good choice, man." she says as we begin to drive. "Where do you wanna eat?"

Rowan and I decide to eat at a fast food restaurant,we go in because Rowan doesn't like to eat in Jeff unless necessary. It smells of grease and salt, but its somehow completely appetizing. We take our place in line behind a little girl and her mom. 

"Everything looks so good." I say rubbing my bloodshot eyes and squinting at the menu.

Rowan starts laughing "True."

I turn around to look at her and lock eyes with a boy with shaggy obsidian hair. He flashes me a smile and says "Hey."

I run a hand through my hair as natural as possible, which causes Rowan to laugh even more. 

"Hi." I force out.

"I'm Danny." he says offering me his hand. 

"Erin." I say shaking his outstretched hand, "and this is Rowan." 

"Let me guess," he smiles "college girls."

"Indeed." says Rowan. 

"Great come to this party tonight." he says handing me a piece of paper. "There's the address, Party starts at 8." 

He winks and walks away. I turn to Rowan and start squealing, as soon as I am sure he has exited the building. 

"He was hot." She says.

"I know!"  

After Rowan and I devour our food we both discovered we have nothing to wear to the party that the cute boy invited us to which could contain other cute boys, so we go shopping. We go to the mall and into a vintage style store, Rowan sees a teal dress across the store and practically teleports to it. I don't see anything i am interested in, in the front of the store so i move further along to the back where i spot the perfect dress.

The dress is black with lace sleeves, it has lace over the waist exposing skin, and its tight until just below my waist where in flows down to mid thigh, perfect. I try it on and am amazed by how beautifully curvy it makes my thin body appear. Rowans' dress is teal with a heart shaped neckline and is tight all the way to her upper thigh, its a little short but she pulls it off.

We buy the dresses and go back to the dorms to get ready. Lucky for us our room has a bathroom, and i take a shower first. When the water hits me I just stand there and let it hit me for a while, letting my body become accustomed to the feeling of the water beating down on my skin. I complete my regular shower routine and dry myself off with a towel Rowan let me borrow.

I comb out my long blonde hair and look in the mirror at my nose piercing, a black hoop that i fought my mom over many times. I wrap my hair in a smaller towel and walk out into the room, Rowan goes into the bathroom to take her shower and i move to my unopened box of beauty supplies. i pull out my curling iron and makeup and towel dry my hair.

 I sit on the floor in front of a mirror and do my makeup, and by the time i finish Rowan is done showering and my hair is dry. I take my curling iron into the bathroom and curl my hair into ringlets around my shoulders, then i put on the spectacular dress, and black heels and i am ready. the only problem is, I have crippling social anxiety.