Hey, y'all! Here is the first chapter of my first non-fanfiction story! I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as you enjoyed reading my fan fictions. I'm just trying out something new -- doesn't mean I'm gonna stop writing fan fictions. I just wanna broaden my horizon, so to speak.
Make sure to leave a comment and vote! Lemme hear your thoughts on this!
GIF on top of our main character, Harper Sinclair, who is played by the stunning Zendaya.
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Chapter 1
HARPER
"Make sure to keep our streak on SnapChat alive, okay? If it dies, I'll come to Miami and beat your ass."
I couldn't help but laugh at Naomi's words, not doubting her for a second as she pulled me into a tight hug. Wrapping my own arms around her, I squeezed my eyes shut as I hugged my roommate, feeling a wave of sadness rush through me. We pulled away moments later, and I could tell her bright green eyes were struggling to hold in tears, but if I knew Naomi—which I do—I know she won't shed them until after I'm gone. She was always someone who came off as being tough.
"I promise I won't lose our streak," I laughed, my eyes flickering over her shoulder to catch sight of my older brother leaning against the doorway of my dorm room, patiently waiting. Looking back at Naomi, my roommate for my first two years of college, I smiled again. "I'll text you, okay? Have a great summer, Nay."
Naomi grinned, "You too, Harp."
With one last hug, I slipped my arms through the straps of my backpack that held my laptop and some other things and walked out the room with my brother at my side. Glancing around as we walked, I watched as other students grabbed carrier bins to load all of their belongings in with the help of their parents, ready to clear out their dorms and head home for the summer. It was hectic and busy, which also forced my brother, Jordan, and I to take the stairs from the sixth floor to go downstairs, since the elevators were too busy.
As we walked through the building and finally out the door to step out on to the sunny campus grounds, I waved and called goodbye to several people I saw, taking the sunglasses that rested atop my head and wearing them to shield my eyes against the harsh Florida sun. As Jordan and I neared where he had parked his car full of my things, he let out a whistle. "I can't believe my baby sis is already halfway done with college," he grinned, a smile that I've seen charm many girls, "what's it like being a junior in college?"
"Amazing," I responded blandly, rolling my eyes as I opened the passenger door of the navy blue Sudan. "I can't wait to start junior year when I just got done with my second year!"
Jordan rolled his bright blue eyes that he had unfairly inherited from our mother. I was insanely jealous of his eyes—while he had those, myself and our sister Layla were stuck with brown eyes. Still pretty, but not as much, in my opinion. "Dial down the sarcasm," he stated as he started up the engine, "We're gonna be in the car for about five hours—tone it down."
Grinning to myself, I buckled in my seatbelt and leaned back in the comfortable seat, gazing out the window as my brother drove through the University of Florida campus, watching as all the other students moved out their belongings to head home as well. A serene smile took place upon my lips as the cool air from the car's air conditioner blew on my face, feeling as if a burden was being lifted off my shoulders as I realized I was finally on summer vacation. No more classes, pressing essays, and doing all nighters hopped up on coffee for three and a half months.
As Jordan drove on to the highway, he began questioning me on what I did for the past few months in school, while I interrogated him on my nearly one year old nephew, Jayden. Although I loved feeling free by living on campus, I still missed my family every now and then, and being five hours away from them restricted my opportunities to see them. Not that I could complain anymore—the next three months of summer vacation were going to be full of family fun and, knowing the Sinclair's, drama.
The next five hours flew by in a flurry—it helped that Jordan and I never once ceased conversation and only stopped on the road once to get some McDonalds for lunch. By the time we had pulled into the paved driveway of our house, it was nearing three-thirty in the afternoon. Jordan parked the car at the very front of the driveway by the garage—which only housed Mom and Dad's cars—and I stepped out into the Miami air for the first time since I was home from break a few months prior.
Hands on my hips, I gazed up at the house from behind my sunglasses, trying to look into the windows for any signs of life from within. It was a relatively big house; white in color with navy blue roof shingles and windows of several sizes all around. The brown front door was two steps up, bordered by two pillars on either side that supported the balcony that covered the entryway. A house modest in size, truthfully, for someone as big as my dad, who was a big-shot cardiothoracic surgeon.
"Are ya just gonna stand there or are ya gonna help me with your shit?" Jordan called, and I glanced back to see he had already popped open the trunk to reveal all of my stuff from my dorm piled in.
Rolling my eyes, I set my sunglasses on top of my curly haired head, backpack once again hanging from my shoulders as I took hold of one of the crates that held my desk lamp and some other supplies. Walking towards the front door, I set the crate down before pressing the doorbell, hearing the faint chime ring throughout the house before moments later, the door swung open to reveal my older sister, Layla, with a wide grin on her face.
"You're back!" she cheered enthusiastically, pulling me in for a hug, which I returned despite almost tripping over the crate I had set on the ground. "I missed you so much, Harps!"
"I missed you, too," I laughed once we pulled away, bending down to pick up the crate once more. Then I ticked my head over to where Jordan was by the car and added, "Now go help unload everything."
Layla merely rolled her dark eyes before walking around me to help out, and I smiled to myself as I entered the house. The dark hardwood floors were just as shiny as always as I stepped into the main entry hall, going further down to go up the stairs to the second floor where my room was located. I was unsure if anyone else was in the house, but I needed to set down my stuff in my room and help out with the rest before I ran into anyone else.
Walking down the upstairs hall, I fondly smiled at the several pictures that were hung up in the hallway; all of me and my siblings with our parents and other family members, until I entered my bedroom. It was the same as I had left, thankfully, with my full sized bed on the other end with a bedside table on one side and a mini bookshelf on the other. It was carpeted a dark pink, with dusty pink walls to match. It wasn't my favorite color, but it complemented the room nicely.
Setting the crate down by the bed, I shrugged off my backpack and put that on the mattress as my eyes roamed around the room, making sure everything was in place. My dresser was mostly bare, seeing as I had brought every single makeup product I owned with me to school, as was my art desk since all of my supplies were brought with me as well. My walls were littered with my sketches and paintings I had created over the years, all taped up as if it was my own personal gallery.
Satisfied with how everything looked, I turned to go back downstairs to help, but not before pulling apart the curtains on the two windows in my room, letting some sunlight in before leaving the room. I passed by both Jordan and Layla, who were each carrying some of my things and complaining about how much stuff I had, which I promptly ignored as I ran back outside to get some more stuff.
As I rolled in my carry-on into the house, I got stopped by the sound of a familiar voice. "I see my youngest is back and didn't even care to give me a hug, huh?"
I let go of my bag, looking over my shoulder to catch sight of my dad walking into the main hall through the living room, a knowing grin on his face as I walked over to him. "I was gonna find you, I swear," I informed, giving him a hug which he happily returned, "Hi, Dad."
"Hi, goose," he returned with the nickname he had penned for me long ago, pulling away as he grinned. "How did school go?"
My grin turned into a smug smirk. "Pretty sure I got on the Dean's List. Again."
A proud grin settled on his face, revealing pearly white teeth that were a pleasantly stark contrast to his dark skin. "That's my girl," he declared, patting my cheek just as another person came up next to him.
My smile turned the slightest bit strained as I greeted, "Hi, Mom."
My mother's smile seemed just as strained as she pulled me in for a hug, and I wished more than anything it wasn't as awkward as I knew it felt or looked. Not that Dad ever commented about it. "It's good to have you back," she said, clearing her throat as we released each other. She glanced at my father before looking at me once more. "Are you hungry?"
I shook my head. "No, Jordan and I had lunch on the way," I informed her, before reaching for the handle of my carry-on again. "I should get back to unloading everything before Jordan bites my head off."
Dad nodded, smiling softly. "Alright; when you're done, come to the living room, okay? Wanna hear all about how your finals went and what new alcoholic drink you've tried."
I blew a raspberry, waving him off with my free hand as I walked towards the staircase, suitcase dragging along beside me as Mom wrinkled her nose distastefully at my father. "What? Me, drinking? Underage and illegally? I would never!" I foolishly denied, knowing full well I can't lie about this one. Dad knows all about me and my habit of drinking when the occasion calls for it. As long as I'm responsible, he doesn't have a problem with it. He's cool that way.
My old man rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he turned to walk away. Mom had already walked off. "Stop being a smartass and get back to work."
I sniggered, saluting his back. "Aye, aye, Captain."
*****
"I'm so excited to just relax and not worry about anything," my best friend, Lennox, announced with a blissful sigh as she laid on my bed, arms and legs spread out as she stared up at the ceiling. She, too, had just finished school but she went to University of Miami, so she was able to stay at home instead of living in a dorm like myself. Safe to say, I missed seeing her around every day. It's what happens when you've been best friends since you were five years old. "School literally sucked the life out of my soul."
I snorted from where I sat by my desk, putting down my pencil and shutting my sketch book, where I had been lazily doing some sketches of nothing in particular. Turning, I sat sideways in my chair and rested my right elbow on the back of the chair, quirking a brow at my friend. "I thought you were having the time of your life with that journalism internship you did?" I pointed out, remembering how she had gotten to go to several different news stations and watch all the behind the scenes action of a job she really wanted to snag in the future.
"I did," Lennox assured, sitting up to look at me as she rested her hands in her lap and crossed her legs. "But having to write an essay practically every day really put a damper on my mood."
I snorted, shaking my head as I ran my fingers through my hair that was a mixture of curly and wavy. Then, remembering the conversation I had with my father yesterday, I said to Lennox, "So I found out where my family's going on vacation this year."
An excited gleam lit up in Lennox's light brown eyes, bouncing slightly atop the mattress as she asked, "Ooh, where?"
"New York," I told her, feeling like a bit of a brat for not being too excited for the destination. It was a great place, which I could say since I've been there before, but it would be crawling with tourists during the summer. It was bound to be more hectic than it already was. "We leave in a week, so you better start packing for the next three months."
Lennox, unlike me, grinned in excitement. My family had been going to different places for summer vacation every year, and Lennox started coming with us when we were fifteen. The people on vacation were always my siblings, parents, my dad's brother and his family. Sometimes my grandparents joined as well, but I wasn't sure if they were joining this year. Either way, I know it'll be an eventful summer.
Just last summer, Jordan and his wife, Maya, had announced that they were expecting a baby, so the vacation had been spent in good spirits at the news of my parents' first grandchild and my first niece or nephew. The summer before that we had celebrated my grandmother's success and beating breast cancer. I could only hope this vacation something even bigger and better happened—although nothing can really beat the news of me becoming an aunt or my grandmother being a true warrior.
But one could always hope, right?