One
Thea
I never really thought I’dbe that person—the one who switches school after a year because they’ve changed their whole career path. It’s not as if the change is because some big scandal went down. There was no sordid affair with a teacher, no cheating on a test, not even the slightest hint of any wrongdoing. The plain fact is, I quickly discovered the major I was studying was not for me. It took a while for realization to set in. I thought my plans were set in stone since ninth grade. Graduate from college with a summa cum laude, become a successful defense attorney defending high-profile cases in the state, get married and have kids. Now my direction has changed, and a high-flying defense attorney has been replaced with a nutritionist and dietician.
There is another reason for this change; one I haven’t admitted to anyone. I feel like I’m stuck. I’m floating around in no man's land with a future I’m not sure I want anymore. The trouble with having a life plan from an early age is the risk of growing out of it. It seemed like a good idea when I was fifteen and obsessed with crime dramas. It’s only when you start hitting the books and going to lecture upon lecture you realize it’s not as glamorous as it seems. I quickly discovered the legal profession is not for me.
So here I am, leaving my hometown of Silver Lake and moving three hours south, where I’ll attend the University of Northport for the next three years. The Health Sciences department at Northport is one of the best in our state, which is the reason I’m transferring there. My career choice may have changed, but my ambitions for graduating summa cum laude remain the same. It helps that my older brother, Jude, goes there. Thankfully, I get to share a house with him and some of his teammates. Jude is on Northport’s ice hockey team, and if he wanted to, he could easily be drafted to the NHL. At the moment, though, he’s set on graduating and “conquering the world,” his words, not mine.
Truth be told, I’m really excited to be living with Jude again. Unlike some siblings, we really get along, and I’ve missed him. Jude moved to Northport last year and while he used to come home often enough, it wasn’t the same as seeing him every day. We used to be as thick as thieves when we were younger. He was always sure to include me in any activities he did with his friends, even if it meant having to be designated goalie in their game of soccer because they were one player short. He’d also cover me when we got into trouble—like the time I threw our frisbee carelessly, and it ended up chopping off the heads of the roses in old Mrs. Jones’s Garden. I didn’t mind if it meant I could hang out with him. Luckily, he feels the same way, or so he tells me. He’s been sending me daily updates about my room and events taking place at Northport during my first few weeks there.
Northport is also a beach town, which is another plus for moving. It has regular access to the sea and a boardwalk with unique little shops as well as a huge shopping mall. Don’t get me wrong, I loved living in Silver Lake while I was growing up, but there are only so many times you can hang out in the town square or at the local shopping mall. So, Northport wins all around.
The downside to moving, aside from leaving my mom and dad, is my boyfriend, Adam, will still be in Silver Lake. He’s staying at Silver Lake State College studying for a business degree. His life plan is to join his family’s construction business and eventually take over from his dad when he retires. Adam has a sound business mind and will do so well in running the company, eventually. We started dating four years ago, at fifteen, and had all our firsts together—first kiss, first prom, and first everything else. When I get to the “married with kids” part of my plan, it’s going to be with Adam. We’ve even talked about it, down to the details of our kids’ names, so I know we’re both on the same page. The trouble is, I’m not sure whether my feelings on my planned future with Adam are also changing.
Adam was the quintessential popular guy at school. The prom king. The star quarterback. The one boy every girl wanted, but only I got. With his blond hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and perfect smile, he really is the type of guy who couldJerry Maguireyou. The kind of boy who has you at “hello.” I fell hard and fast, and when Jude moved away, Adam stepped in to be my inseparable other half. But recently, I feel as though our priorities are changing. I don’t know whether it’s because of all the work he’s taking on—with his studies and the internship he’s just started at his father’s business—or we’re simply outgrowing our relationship. Before, he would have been supportive of my change in direction, just as I was when he told me his plans of following in his father’s footsteps. But, when I told him about transferring to Northport, all I got was an “uh-huh, sure babe, whatever you want to do,” and nothing more. I would have thought he’d be a bit more invested in my decision, given it meant moving three hours away and probably seeing each other less, but I guess I was wrong. I’m hoping the distance between us will put us back on track. It’ll either make us or break us, that’s for sure. I, for one, hope it won’t be the latter.
Just over three hours and one rest stop later, Adam parks his car outside a redbrick building on a quiet tree-lined road just off-campus. I’ll admit to being surprised at my surroundings. I wouldn’t have pictured Jude living on a street like this, especially since he’s the life and soul of any party. Still, I’ll admit to being relieved we’re not in the middle of all the campus action. I’m hardly out of the car when the door flies open, and my brother comes running down the path toward me. Picking me up in the air, he swings me around before setting me back on the ground.
“You’re here!” he says before turning to Adam and pulling him into a brotherly hug. “How was the drive?”
“Not so bad,” Adam replies. “Good to see you, man.”
Adam and Jude have always gotten along. Jude and Austin, Adam’s older brother, were buddies in high school, so our families have known each other for a while. Unlike Adam, Austin is not invested in the family business and chose his own career path, making him the black sheep of the family. It’s one of the reasons, Adam treats Jude more like his big brother.
“Well, let’s get you moved in and settled, and then I can show you around,” Jude continues as he picks up one of my many boxes and carries it into the house, with Adam and I following behind.
I haven’t seen this house before, so I get a quick tour while Jude shows me to my room. To the left of the hallway is a spacious lounge with a huge flat-screen TV, of course, with various gaming consoles plugged into it, a massive sectional and coffee table, and an armchair to one side. A doorway leads to the kitchen/diner, which has double doors to what I expect is a patio or garden area at the back. In the far corner of the hallway, there are various dumbbells and weights, making a small workout area.
“Boys and their toys, huh?” I say with a laugh.
“Hey, gotta keep ourselves fit and ready for the ice,” Jude replies. “Feel free to use them at any time.”
“The rooms on the second floor are for us guys. Devon and Nolan will be back in about an hour, so I’ll introduce you then. Your room is right at the top.”
Jude leads us up two flights of stairs to the attic room and it’s there I realize how much I’ve lucked out. This room is huge and has a slanted roof and full-length window with a balcony at the back. There’s also an en-suite bathroom and a king-size bed, a desk area, and a couch.
“Wow, are you sure this is mine? Surely, last in should get the smallest room?” I ask as I wander around, still in awe at my surroundings.
“Are you kidding me?” Jude laughs. “You’re gonna be living in a house with four guys. Four guys, who, I’ll add, probably smell most of the time due to all the hockey practice. There is no way I’m subjecting you to sharing a bathroom with any of those fuckers, me included. This way, you get your own little space with none of us leaving our smelly-ass socks lying around.”
“Wait, four guys?” Adam pipes up, “Yeah, you’re staying up here with the door locked!”
I know he’s joking, but it still takes me by surprise. He’s never been the jealous type, but I’m still glad he appears to be finally taking some kind of interest in my move.
“Don’t worry, babe, you’re the only guy I’ll let in here,” I reply with a kiss on his lips, which elicits a groan from Jude.
“Okay, I’m out. Four years on, and I still don’t wanna see that.” He points at Adam and I and fakes a shudder. “Gross,” he says as he walks down the stairs.
We make three more trips and have a break for some water before all my belongings are finally in my new room. Before long, I’m thinking about where I can put everything as I plan how to make this space my own.
“I’d better start the drive back,” Adam says as he walks back down the stairs one more time. “I’ve got a big project to start for my dad tomorrow, so I should make it an early night.”
“Sure, of course,” I say with trepidation moving through me and knowing this will be the first night of many I’ll be away from him. I know this is the right decision for me, but Adam’s quick departure leaves me with an overwhelming sense of sadness at the possibility our relationship will change. He’s going and will be back at Silver Lake doing his thing, and I’ll be here doing mine. It feels like we’ve already arrived at our crossroads, and what we do next will determine our future. I hold his hand and pull him back to me, kissing him with as much passion as I can while I try to let him know everything will be okay.
“I’ll miss you so much,” I tell him as we part, my eyes filling up.
“I know, me too,” he replies as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his car keys.