The Past Is Never Where You Think You Left It

Chapter 1

“YES B*TCH! WE’RE OUTTA HERE!” Amanda screamed in my ear, as Tangie kept an iron-clad grin on my waist. They were both in the horrible dark green graduation gowns we were forced to wear.

“BYEEEE-BYEEEEEEEE GOLDEN NUT!” I put in, as Tangie let go.

Guldenat University. I loved this place. I had been here for the past four years, and was now graduating as a qualified lawyer, with a minor in photography. I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since I was twelve, and now I’ve achieved that. I was so happy, I wanted to laugh, scream, shout and even cry a bit. I looked over at Tangie as her eyes glazed over. Amanda was hysterical with tears.

“Promise me we’ll stay in touch?” she said, as we walked away from the crazy ceremony and to where the parents were. Mine couldn’t make it, dad was still too sick, and mom didn’t think she could make it alone. Didn't want to, more like.

“Definitely,” I replied, putting my arm around her slender shoulders and giving her a squeeze. Amanda was definitely the prettiest girl I had ever known. She looked like those typical cheerleading-bitches, with her perfect honey blonde hair, clear golden-hazel eyes, long tan legs, and a slender figure. But she had a heart of gold, an adorable southern accent, and was just a teensy bit boy crazy. Plus, she was the awesome-est room mate ever, since she had the best fashion sense. She could get on your nerves sometimes, but that's okay.

“And me,” Tangie put in. She was Amanda’s cousin, and Amanda was mostly the reason we even knew each other. In the beginning she didn’t like me much, thinking I was too happy and care-free, and wouldn’t shut up. Which is true. Get me going, and there's no way to stop me. But by the second year, she gradually warmed upto me. Now we were the “best-est of friends”. She had chocolate brown hair, and gorgeous huge brown eyes with this perfect tan that never faded. Plus, she was like a genius. She also had a no-nonsense attitude, and was the most straight-up bitch around. She’d never been in a relationship, and didn’t want to be. She was so unique. I loved her, with all my heart.

“Nah, let’s just forget about you,” Amanda winked, dodging Tangie’s whack on the head.

“I’m gonna miss you guys!” I whined. And it was true, I would miss these freaks.

“We’re gonna miss you too!” they said, simultaneously, as Amanda’s mom came upto us, and hugged her. Her mom looked so much like her, just…older. Her parents had split up a while ago, and now she’d lost contact with her dad. Her mom was trying so hard to make up for it. She had come from her voluntary help at the Peace Corps in Fuji to be here.

"Kaylee, you have become so thin!” she gushed, hugging me. The last time we met was last summer, when I came to visit Amanda and her mom for a week or two.

“Look who’s talking, Ms. Byne!” I replied.

I could see Tangie’s smirk at Amanda’s mom’s back. “Kay’s become thin? I thought she was turning into a fatass.”

I stuck my tongue out at her, as Amanda’s mom hugged her as well.

“Come, come, let’s get food!” she said, herding us towards the refreshments.

“No no, thank you Mrs. Byne. I need to look for my parents. They really want to meet Kay, I’ve told them so much about her!” Tangie said, backing out and pulling me with her.

“Tangie!” a voice sang, and we turned to see Tangie’s huge family approaching. Her six younger siblings, – three girls, three boys – her mom, her dad, her aunt and her grandmother. I watched as Tangie's mother embraced her sister, and Amanda bent down to hug her cousins.

“C’mere,” someone whispered in my ear, pulling me away. I turned around and saw Joseph holding both my hands. He was my sort-of boyfriend.

“Congrats,” he whispered, putting my hand behind his neck, and then resting his arms on my waist, like we were the only people here. No parents or shouting kids. And somehow, they just disappeared. He rested his forehead against mine, and kissed the tip of my nose softly.