Moving away to a different country was the last thing I wanted to do. My life was going great here with all my friends and school. I loved my friends here. I had been in the same school from grade one. I was not the talkative kind and really enjoyed listening to other people's stories. I guess I was lucky to find the perfect friends to be with.
"I am so happy for you!" Aishwarya my best friend had excitedly shouted over the phone when I told her, I was moving away but I could sense her sadness. She was clearly unhappy about my departure. I wanted to desperately tell her that I won't be staying for long or that I would be back very soon. It seemed wrong to say those things somehow. It was not true and both of us knew it.
"Sneha, you have to tell me all about your adventures there, okay?" Aishwarya was very exited like she always is. Her enthusiasm made me smile, but made me realize I'll miss her even more for that, "I would be sulking at home most probably and crying."
"You will love it. Anyhow, I am always here to talk if you need me," she said in a comforting voice. Aishwarya was the best and I was going to lose her eventually. It was a sad realization, one that I was not ready to acknowledge, not yet.
"I know, whom else if not you."
I was sure that I would have started crying my heart out if I continued that conversation any longer. So, I had told her I had some work to do and hung up.
Coming back to the present, my room here in Michigan was large and it had so many things in it, yet nothing that belonged to me. My mom had gone to great lengths to make me feel welcomed. She had brought a lot many things from back home, but everything felt different somehow. As if the things were just there because I needed them, not because I wanted them.
"Sneha!"
It was dad calling me downstairs, most probably for dinner. I was still not used to this change in dinner timings. In India we would have dinner around nine or nine-thirty, having it now at seven was not only early but strange. Moving to America was seriously a cultural shock. The houses were so different, so was the food. My mom had been working here for the past seventeen years and it was only three months ago that the government had approved our documents. My initial reaction on my fathers declaration was immense joy, I was jumping around like a kid. It was getting a bit boring with just him and me at home in India. Having mom around also meant that I could finally get to catch up with her and know her better, she had been gone for seventeen years. It dawned on me much later that we had to move here permanently and that meant leaving my school and friends. I was having all kinds of mixed feelings. I was happy and sad at the same time..
That said, Michigan was not such a bad place to begin with. I was relieved to see all the greenery and the trees that surrounded our place. It reminded me of home. The houses around our block were all neatly placed. Ma had been giving me all these little details about the house that we were going to stay in on our drive back home from the airport. I was so surprised at all the new things that I saw, I could not register half the things she said. It felt good in a way to be able to see so much that was new and familiar at the same time. Our house was quite large compared to the one in India. Ma had already brought everything that was required for me in my room. It felt great to be able to have so much. I felt a sense of freedom fill me and I loved it.
Snapping myself back to the present, I ran down the stairs to grab a seat after hearing my dad call for dinner. Ma had ordered Chinese. I was a failure with chopsticks and had to take the fork. The noodles tasted so different from the 'Two-Minute Maggie' noodles back home. 'Home', I realised, was the wrong word to use now, this was my home. It was going to stay that way.
Slurping my noodles, I decided I liked the taste of it. It was salty and sweet at the same time, a flavor that I couldn't place my finger on.
"Sneha?" my father called out.
"Sorry, I zoned out" I blurted with the noodles in my mouth. Ma laughed so hard at the sight that I got scared for a second.
"It's okay dear. We wanted to remind you that you have school tomorrow so don't stay up late, okay? I have to leave early for my morning shift. I'll prepare your breakfast and leave money for your lunch on the counter."
Mom was smiling. I loved how she said everything with a smile. It was beautiful because no matter how many times she smiled, it never looked fake, always so genuine.
"Yes, ma".
"I'll drop you off tomorrow. The school is not that far, you can walk on your way back, but only if you are familiar with the way. Call me otherwise" My father added. Pa was used to treating me like a child. I wanted to tell him that I won't be lost and that I won't need the help but I didn't. He cared too much and I was still his little girl. It never got to him that I was going to be seventeen in three weeks.
"Yes Pa, I will," I reassured him. Quickly finishing my dinner, I hurried back to my room.
It had been four days since I came here. Tomorrow was going to be the day that really mattered. I was what they call 'the high school student'. I just one more year remaining in school and that would be it. Closing the bathroom door behind me, I started brushing my teeth and took a shower after that. It's a habit that I found to be the most effective when it came to wanting a sound sleep in my case. I also laid out what I was going to wear tomorrow. The idea of not wearing a uniform was a very new concept for me. Uniforms meant that there was nothing much to be prepared for when it came to dressing up for school. It was always the same, going to a convent school meant that I was not allowed to dress up or wear anything fashionable. That seriously saved me a lot of time and anxiety. But for my first day of school tomorrow, I had nothing much to wear apart from the clothes from home. I rarely wore Western clothes, I preferred traditional Indian outfits. It helped me blend in, and me being of quiet nature made it impossible for pestering boys to keep a conversation going. It was a defense mechanism that had helped me over the years. I was the nerd that nobody really spoke to unless they needed help with homework and I liked it that way. Besides, traditional clothes, for some reason, seemed more colorful and fashionable to me.
I picked out a red full sleeved kurta (that is similar to a dress yet a little different) and white leggings to accompany them. I took out matching bangles that had a tint of glitter to them. Why not? After all the first day of school doesn't come a second time. As I got ready for bed, I prayed to God to make the coming day a happy and beautiful one. I closed my eyes, anxious about tomorrow. I waited for sleep to engulf my fears, and soon it did.
The next morning, the ringing sound of my alarm woke me up. It was an annoying tone that I had kept only because it was so annoying that I woke up every time it rang. It was six-thirty which meant I had ample time to get ready. I prayed, brushed, after the rest of my morning routine and change of clothes was done, I took out the smallest red bindi I could find to finish my look and checked my reflection in the mirror. I don't usually do this but then today was no ordinary day.
I took a second glance. My hair which was curly at the end and straight at the top lay playfully by my waist. It had a brownish tint to it which I had got from my mom. She was embarrassed of it and so had colored it black. I on the other hand enjoyed the curious glances that my friends gave me when they could not figure out whether it was Mehendi (Henna) or something else that made my hair the color it was. My bindi allowed my hazel brown eyes to pop. I applied minimal makeup and heaved a sigh of satisfaction and came downstairs. Dad was reading the morning newspaper, munching on cereal.
"Dad no reading while you eat." It came out so naturally from my mouth I had completely forgotten that we were not alone anymore.
"Yes, Mother" Dad kept the paper aside while giving me a sheepish smile. "Good Morning sweet. Your mother has already left for work. Have some cereal and I will drop you to school afterwards. Don't forget to take the money from the counter!"
The journey to school was uneventful with me just staring at the many kinds of buildings as we passed by. I spotted a cafeteria, a hospital and a small church on the way.
My school, I found to my pleasant surprise, was comfortable to be in. I seemed that there were not a lot of people around, even though it was Monday. The school was indeed close to our house as pa had said, and the ride had been short as well.
"See you in the evening beta(child)." Pa shouted at me as I got off the car. He never used to say this while dropping me off to school, back in India. I guess, I smiled to myself, things were going to be better now.
The school was massive. Students were all around me, laughing giggling and talking. I could feel my heart beat quicken. Strangers were eyeing me, I heard a group of guys giving out a slow whistle. I wasn't dressed the way others were and I guess that might be the reason for the stares. It felt odd though, I was not used to this attention and so I made a quick exit from the hallway and made my way to the school office. Luckily, I was able to spot the office right away, saving me the embarrassment of getting lost. At the office, I was greeted by the receptionist, a lady who seemed to be middle-aged. She had a lot of makeup on her and was wearing cat eye glasses. She looked sharp. She eyed me for a minute and then gave me the biggest smile I had seen since coming here.
"Hello, you must be Sneha. Did I get your name right?" she asked me as if she really cared.
"Yes, that is how it is pronounced" I gave her the best smile I could and took the schedule that she was handing over.
"Your first class starts in ten minutes!" she appeared to be saying everything In a sing-song manner. I found it oddly comforting. "Miss Meredith here will escort you to your class."
That's when I saw her; Meredith was beautiful with her blonde hair and high cheekbones. She had light blue eyes and could easily pass off as a model; she was quite tall and had the perfect figure to go by. She seemed to either not care or care too much about her appearance. She was wearing a plain white top and denim jeans. The black boots did seem out of place in the sunny weather but on her they looked perfect.
"Hi there, I am Meredith", she was excited and I could see it. She was trying to not sound like it, though, and was failing.
"Hello, I am Sneha" I replied, trying to not be too self-conscious. That is when the most unexpected happened. She gave me the tightest hug possible. Shocked and struggling to breathe, I wished that she would let go. She was very strong, that was for sure. I was counting- one more second and I was going to pull her away.
"I am so sorry, it's just that we don't get a lot of newcomers in Long Bridge, I am so glad you are here" She stated apologetically, loosening her grip. She was jumping a bit now. I really did not know how to react to that, that's when I realized that I never bothered to inquire the name of the school I was going to be a part of, I must seriously be lost. Metaphorically I suppose, if put that way.
"I know we are going to be best friends! I will introduce to my friends during lunch, okay?" She has to be the popular girl, I thought to myself. I never knew that Hollywood teen romances were accurate in stereotyping people into characters, Meredith seemed to fit the bill. I hoped she would not turn out to be the way popular girls do.
"We have calculus the first period, God, why?" Meredith exclaimed. She was clearly angry and frustrated. It is not that bad, I wanted to tell her but decided to stay put for now and observe. It is be the best thing to do, I decided.
"Come, we will sit together" She grabbed my hand and pulled me along, all the while leading the way. I wasn't sure why she was so excited, nothing seemed special here. Still, I prayed to God one last time. I was about to start my first day of school!
A/N: Hello you! Thank you so much for giving this story a chance. I am writing for the first time and as this is an episodic progression. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I would be updating on a weekly basis that is every Wednesday. Let me remind you. This story is not based on any person dead or alive and is a pure work of fiction. I need all your support. The person who provides me with the most exciting progression would be getting a shout out as well. Thank you, guys.please like, vote and share......please forgive me for the typos and errors. Feel free to write to me at my instagram handle: th3_silent_writer. for any complaint or for suggestions for the story. I would love that.
Special thanks to Prerna, who edited this chapter for me and made so much more beautiful. Thank you so much!