So originally I was going to have her go to Cambridge, but it's a bit hard for me to do actual accurate research on that college so I created a fictional university which is so much easier actually. I know theres a Marin college, so it’s Marin UNIVERSITY. Also whats italicized is like a flashback or just a key part ok.
Oh and Camrenah (ot3)- I mean Aaliyah, Ariana, and Lena are on the side okkk.
Chapter 1
10 months ago
"Why can't we just say goodbye tomorrow? Like at the airport or something?"
"Tall, dark, mysterious..."
"Crazy for you."
"But beware..."
"Beware..."
"Oh my lord, Aaliyah Jane Hawthorne I swear if you don't wake up," a completely different voice intervened, creating a resonating ring in my ears as my strangely vivid dream faded away from my vision.
My fingers curled as I hummed from waking up. I knew then that it was my mom who had awoken me. I groaned and turned over, squinting my eyes against the harsh light.
I bit back swear words and said with my arm raised to conceal my eyes, "God, make the light go, please."
I could barely make out my mom putting her hands on her hips in exasperation. "You've got a big day today, honey, and don't act like you don't know it."
I just hadn't thought about it.
My head fell back and I moaned in misery as I did remember. "Oh, no."
"Oh, yes," she opposed.
I whined, rolling over so my face was in the pillow and she sighed.
"Liyah, stop being a baby and get in the shower. You have a flight in two hours. That gives you an hour to dress and you better have packed already."
I raised myself and said, "Or I could just take the year off instead."
Her look became almost sympathetic. "Honey, you chose to go to college and you chose for it to be in England." She began to move around my bed to the door. "Be ready soon."
I frowned and then went back to making displeased sounds into my pillow.
-
"I still can't believe you're going to England," Lena said with a shake of her head as we were wrapped in covers laying across from each other. Ariana of course was there too.
"Neither can I," I smiled. Ariana did too, biting on her thumb's nail.
"You're gonna make so many new friends." She smiled; and it was encouraging but also sad.
I frowned and said, "Come on guys. Yeah I'll meet new people and make new friends, but you guys are my sisters." I reached out and grabbed their hands. "No one could ever replace any of you. In fact you both should consider going to Marin with me."
Lena snorted. "Don't be ridiculous my grades aren't that great."
Ariana and I laughed. "Okay, okay, then you should consider going to any college in England nearby and the three of us will live together," I suggested.
Ariana had a wide grin on her face. "Just as we always dreamed of." Her other hand grabbed Lena's and I grabbed their hands once more.
"Just as we always dreamed of."
-
I got out the shower and dried my hair the best I could. The rest I knew would have to dry on the drive or maybe even the plane, but oh well. I sadly stood in front of the mirror assessing myself. My eyes were at a constant war between being either a green color or blue. One day it’ll look emerald and then the next azure. My hair was dyed black to bring out my vibrant eye color and I sometimes straightened it or I let it be a wavy mess. My face all around was shaped almost like an oval, but not quite. I didn’t dislike it anyhow though. My figure was also quite curvy. I wasn’t thin. I actually wasn’t even flat stomached since I had a little pouch there instead, but I didn’t see much of anything wrong with that. Especially since it didn’t seem to turn off guys. In addition I also had an ass that I was fairly proud of and my thighs actually were pretty thick too.
That is due to me eating so much I bet.
I got dressed quite casually since my first day actually at Marin wasn't for a few days. I put on a grey sweater with a frayed pair of jeans. If it was still cold I had a coat I could use. England was far away. I'd be miles from my family and friends with even an ocean between us.
I found my suitcase where I left it last night and fell back on the bed with a churning stomach.
I suddenly was dreading leaving for England.
-
"You know what, Miss College?" Ari began, getting up into a sitting position.
"University," I corrected.
She rolled her eyes with a slight smile. "Sit up, okay?" She looked smug. "I'm gonna see your future."
-
I stood with my bag and my suitcase, glancing at my fidgeting mother beside me. She stood beside me with her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping against the floor as many people moved around us. We'd reached the airport and it had been about ten minutes of her just standing beside me and I turned to her.
"You don't have to stay, Mom."
Her foot stopped and she straightened out. Her blue eyes looked at me and she sighed as they sparkled.
She was crying.
We'd said goodbye all ready I guess, but when we had, maybe it wasn't real enough. For either of us.
My heart sort of ached as I stepped forward and hugged her. She began to sniffle, sobbing very quietly as she wrapped her arms tightly around me. She laughed. "We're the same height," she pointed out. "My baby is so grown."
I knew I might start crying myself. "Mom," I said, my voice cracking as I chuckled through my own upcoming tears.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry."
I closed my eyes and for a moment didn't want to let go. "You said you'd let me go," I whispered.
"Well, when you were nine you promised me you wouldn't grow up."
I only held her tighter as we both laughed. I let her go eventually and we stepped back from each other in the slightest. She wiped her finger under my eyes.
"I should be crying, not you," she said.
"Crying is sort of infectious," I defended. "Like yawning." My mom then began to yawn and I laughed at her. "There it is."
She took out a Kleenex and wiped her face before she blew her nose out. She held the Kleenex in her hand balled up as she said, "I guess I should go now."
I nodded in sad agreement. "I guess so."
There was a moment of silence before she said it first. "I love you, Liyah."
I smiled back with a hoarse voice. "I love you too, Mom."
She hugged me one last time but then she began to walk away, pausing. "Make sure you call me as much as you can. Especially if you have questions or anything like that. Talk to me about everything and anything you'd like."
I nodded, "I will."
She nodded and then sadly began to leave. I bit my lip sadly and then I swore beneath my breath. Those tears probably smudged my makeup. I don't care how vain I sound, but looking like a crying clown in public isn't cool. I began searching around in my purse for my mirror to check on it.
I felt it in my hands so I grabbed it and then pulled it out. I opened it and then someone bumped into me. The mirror fell to the floor, breaking as someone said, "Oops. Sorry! Late for a flight."
With that they disappeared and I looked down at my broken mirror with a pout.
"Just great," I murmured. I got down and tried to figure out how exactly to pick it up. I would feel bad about leaving it, but how am I supposed to clean it?
I picked up the largest piece and then had the mind to check my makeup while I was at it.
"Broken mirror?"
The voice shocked me into dropping the piece only creating more mirror pieces.
I sighed and looked up at the very tall person above me. He had a low voice and his attire was a bit ... rich in some way. He wore a sheer button up shirt that wasn't totally buttoned up, revealing tattoos on his chest and some simple jeans with a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. His hair was somewhat slicked back but it was long and wavy for the most part. Actually, it was very loosely curly.
I stood up, finding that more comfortable. "Uh, yeah."
His lips quirked at the corners. "That's bad luck you know." His head tilted to the side. "Seven years of it."
I shrugged. "Uh, I don't believe in that type of superstition stuff," I excused.
His smile widened and he only chuckled. "Of course, Miss." He nodded and then turned away, shaking his head still laughing to himself.
Something about him wasn't right; I knew right then. He was handsome and attractive but what just happened made shivers ripple down my spine and goose bumps sprout on my skin. I got back to trying to get up the pieces but my flight would be leaving soon.
"Señora."
I looked up and saw what I believed to be a janitor. I almost sighed in relief.
"A man told me you'd needed help cleaning up a uh..." His eyes looked down at the mess and they widened briefly. "Broken mirror." He shook his head. I could've sworn he murmured something extra to himself, but I couldn't really hear it.
"You get going. I'll handle it."
I stood up. "Gracias, señor."
He waved his hand. "I'm the janitor." I was getting my things up when I heard him add, "He also told me to grant you good luck." I didn't care in all honesty. "He says you will need it big time."
I nodded. "Okay then."
I smiled nervously as I turned away from him. That entire situation was just weird.
-
"What are you talking about? You aren't a psychic," I insisted as Ariana stood up and then disappeared. Lena and I shared a look but she only giggled.
"She got this huge type of future ball or something," she explained.
I rolled my eyes. "Okay, those are definitely bull shit."
Ariana returned holding the "future ball" in her hands. It was set on something so when she placed it on the ground it wasn't rolling around. Ari inhaled and closed her eyes, waving her hands around the ball.
"Ari, what are you doing?" I whined.
She placed a finger in the air, eyes still shut. She brought the finger to her lips and whispered, "Shh."
I sighed and Lena was still just laughing at this.
Ariana's hands went back to circling the ball and she said, "Once you are in England you will be happy." I stared up at her almost blankly as she continued. "You will make many new friends; but," she opened one eye and pointedly said, "they'll never be as cool as us."
I only laughed at her. "I didn't need your future ball to tell me that."
She shrugged and closed her eyes back up. "Just saying." Lena laughed as Ariana continued. "And," her lips twitched at the corners. "You will meet a tall, dark, and mysterious stranger who will fall madly in love with you," she purred. "But," she intervened, "beware for he will be of darker matter than you can handle."
Lena snickered, "Yeah, Liyah. Beware," her and Ari said together making weird fingers that closed in on me.
I flinched. "Stop it!"
They both laughed at me and I rolled my eyes.
"Oh my god, Aaliyah. You of all people should know we're joking," Ari giggled.
Lena hugged me. "Yeah, don't be so scared. I believe in the first part though." She rest her head into my shoulder. "You'll be happy."
-
Tall, dark and mysterious stranger the words echoed in my mind as I searched for the board to the plane, thinking of that man.
I shuddered and bit my lip, pausing.
-
"My mom says we're leaving soon so we need to be quick," I said softly.
It was news I knew that neither of them wanted to hear. I noticed tears in Ariana's eyes and Lena looked on the verge of tears herself.
Lena nodded with a sad smile. "You'll be happy." She grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes with her brown ones. "We'll catch up with you, soon."
I nodded and pulled her into a hug, holding her curvy build one last time. Lena was the youngest but between the two of us we might as well have been the oldest. In fact she might as well have been older than me since she was so tall and more developed than me. We looked after Ari together as though she were our daughter and I think that made us even closer. Her caramel toned skin shined as I noticed a tear striking down her face.
"Don't cry," I said. "Then I'll cry." Her eyes looked behind me. "Just wait till you see, Ana."
I turned around and there behind me was Ari, covering her mouth with a wet face of tears. She took her hands down so I could hear her sobs and sniffles. "I wish we could take you to the airport," she cried as I embraced her. Her thin arms held onto me tightly and I felt so bad. We'd all known each other for the same amount of time, but Ari and I had known about each other and waved to each other a lot in the early stages of our relationship. Until Lena became our link and since then we've known each other as close friends.
"I know, mija, I know," I said in her ear. She let me go, wiping her face.
She laughed. "God, I'm such a mess."
We all laughed and I said, "No matter how far away this school is or how long I'm away, you two will always be my sisters."
They both said, "Aww," as they pulled me into a group hug with me laughing in the middle as I too began to cry a little.
-
Finding my seat was a struggle, but when I did I sat down and sighed. I heard the voice of someone telling us we'd be taking flight soon and I just tiredly rest my head against the window.
My eyes were heavy and as much as I wanted to feel positive about the future I couldn't help the uneasy feeling in my stomach.
-
OKAY I’M SORRY IF THAT WAS CONFUSING. THAT WON’T BE USED ANYMORE IN THE STORY TBH. AND HAVE YOU GUYS HEARD THE NEW 5H ALBUM? I WANT TO RANT BUT I’M TRYING NOT TO BE LIKE 2013 ME (if you remember that wallflower where I had 2 page A/Ns).
I’m gonna maybe try updating this every Friday ok lol. Or I might change the update day to like Sunday or something, who knows? But yeah, thanks for reading. The beginning of this story is very introductory, lots of Aaliyah just being in college and happy BUT OF COURSE THAT WON’T LAST LONG.
I love you guys. Comment, vote, fan, and promote. Y’all rule.
Also very irrelevant note I guess but NO I don’t ship Hauren or Styregui lol I’m only using them together bc LAUREN IS SO HOT I’M LESBIAN FOR HER ;OABG ABKDV KAN/GKMKJL JUST LIKE CAMILA. Also they actually look related (Haz/LoLo) like honestly to me Lauren is literally Larry bby bc she has Harry and Louis both in her personality and she looks like them too. (I’m actually Zauren and Camarry shipper but I’m actually just Camren af all around so)
OK I’M DONE NOW.
- Jaxxy Bear