From Me to Us

Chapter One

OLIVIA

Pure silence is all that fills the cab. Letting me take a moment to breathe and relax my muscles. Moving my stuff from one house to another is hard enough but having to move most of your belongings from your childhood home across the country to California is a challenge and a cause for my damn near heart attack. Dramatic. I know.

I've just gotten into a cab from the airport, headed toward the one place I've been waiting to go to for a long time now. North Ryde University is the college I've had my heart set on since I was a kid thanks to my mother. I always dreamt of going here but I never in a million years thought that I'd be good enough to get in.

From the very moment I got that acceptance letter, I've been packing like crazy. My poor Dad has been on the receiving end of my moods and has had to put up with my crazy, incessant need to have everything perfectly packed to bring here. If anyone deserves father of the year award, it's Andrew Clarke.

The cab ride is awfully quiet but I enjoy the sweet aroma of sheer silence. I look to my father sitting next to me, his head is laid back with his eyes closed. Telling me he is just as tired. The last few years haven't been easy on him. His hair is greying faster than usual and his eye have numerous wrinkles I haven't noticed before.

I don't want to say anything because he hates it when I worry but I can't help it.

"Are you okay, Dad? This all wasn't too much for you, right?" I whispered not wanting to startle him.

He peaks an eye open to look at me and gives me a faint smile. "No, sweetie. I'm fine, stop your worrying for once and be excited for NRU," he laughs a little and before I can say anything he continues. "You're in college now. All you need to worry about are assignments and parties. These are supposed to be the best years of your life even with all the stress of college. Relax and have fun." He reaches his hand over and grasps my own, giving it a little kiss.

"Yeah you're right, Dad." I sigh and close my eyes for a few minutes until the voice of the cab driver announces our arrival.

We pull down a long road leading up to the college buildings. There is a lot of people here. So many, who I assume are freshman, piling out of cars and dragging their bags up to random dormitory buildings.

My excitement gets too much for me and I jump out of the car when it's barely even stopped. Dad comes to my side and we take in the aura of the greenery and big architectural buildings in front of us. This university is huge and old. I read online that it holds thousands of students and is big on international transfers throughout the year. This place is going to get so crowded when classes start.

"Home sweet home, honey." My Dad's voice breaks me from my gawking session. I look up at the building and the trees again because it feels unreal. It's beautiful. Everything about it. I can't take my eyes off of it. I've only ever seen it in pictures they sent me when I got accepted. The photos don't do the College any justice. I can see the integrity of the aged infrastructure, the old windows and the big, framing doorway leading into the building. Students of all walks of life milling around with their bags saying goodbye to their families. Smiles and loud laughter and birds chirping is all I can hear. The sun beams down on me and the sky is a pure blue. The perfect day.

Dad and I grab some of my stuff from the cab. Some students that are in unflattering yellow shirts that have "NRU" scrawled across it, help us and explained that they would have my stuff dropped off at my dorm for us.

The butterflies start to appear in the pit of my stomach as I take my first steps into the hall. I start to get anxious, but I take deep breaths to control it and not let my dad see my mini panic attack. I manage to get it under control before anyone notices. I hate change. I always have and always will. It brings me distress and this experience for me is just down right nerve racking.