Trying to be a London girl: chapter 1

I am pretty sure that every single one of us has at least once thought about university. Or more specifically, how your university life would turn out to be. Everyone who says he has not, is either a liar, absolutely clueless when it comes to figuring out what he wants, or in the worst case is just simply too lazy to get their fat ass up from the couch to begin with, so why bother with something annoying, like studying?
Let’s make something clear, shall we? I am the type of girl that was dreaming about studying in London, since I was considered to be old enough to start thinking about my future.
However, like everyone else I had to learn that there is a huge difference between dreaming and making it real. My mother always used to tell me: without effort you wont achieve anything. You want it? Then go and fight for it. So that’s exactly what I did. I spent most part of my senior year studying in the library and if I was not there I was usually tutoring some other kids from lower classes who had problems in calculus. Needless to say that my social life was like non existent. But all of this, all the studying, all the fun parties my friends went to, was easy to resist. Because I knew that London was waiting for me. The best time of my life was about to begin. Which brings me exactly to the situation I am currently finding myself in. The day I was dreading but at the same time looking forward so much. My parting day. I saw my sister leaving home almost three years ago, but I guess when you are the one who leaves this time, it is a completely different experience. I never thought it to be a sad day, but as the hours blew by I was proven to be wrong once again.

‘Charlotte’, my mom honked the car once again, it was her way of telling me to hurry up already. Ughh you thought that she granted me five extra spare minutes with my friends, since it was the last time I would see Iris and Franziska for the last time until Christmas, but no, not today. Not when we only had three hours left to get on time to the airport, where we had to pick my sister and her boyfriend from the airport up, before we would continue our journey to Milan. Where the big bachelor ceremony of my sister is taking place tonight. And we still have to pick my dad and aunt from his office up. So I hug my friends tightly one last time and get into the waiting car, not without telling them that I’d text them as soon as I arrive in London. In exactly 48 hours.
As soon as I close the car door, my mom starts speeding down the road, I ‘Mom, we will get there in time, relax’.
Mom ‘I will stop stressing, when this day is finally over. Have you got all your things? What about your passport, you know I told you this morning…’ Getting annoyed with her constantly reminding me with things she already told me a hundred times, I interrupt her ‘Yeah, I got the passport, toothbrush, and guess what? I did not forget my brain in the bathroom this morning, while I was washing my hair.’
Mom ‘Watch your tongue young lady, your sarcastic remarks are not appreciated today’, she gives me a pointed look and continues ‘Besides, you will thank me once you are in London and did not forget to pack something important’. Sure. Sometimes, my mom acts as if English people have never heard about the great invention called toothbrush before. Knowing better than annoy her even more, I watch the streets that fly by instead as we continue our way to my dad’s office.
About twenty minutes later I am sitting in the car again with an overly annoyed mother, a father who has not stopped speaking to his business partner on his phone since he got in the car and a very grumpy, thirty-year-old aunt, who somehow managed to be late again. Which is also one of the reasons why my mom is annoyed and I’d rather spent the next two hours in the train instead of here. Seriously even travelling with a crying baby would have been more enjoyable than this.
Stephanie, my aunt ‘I can simply not see, why you cannot stop for one freaking minute.’ Mom ‘Because you are the reason why we are late in the first place. Besides it wont do you any harm if you don’t drink coffee for once in your life.’
Stephanie ‘Oh common I was not late, it is not my fault you decided to turn up ten minutes earlier, am I right Charlotte?’ I just give her a look that basically says: do not drag me in to this.
Instead of giving in, my mom says ‘Stop acting like a baby. Once we arrive in Milan you can have as many coffees as you wish.’
Stephanie ‘Oh common, please! Charlotte over here has to go to the toilet too.’
Charlotte ‘What are you talking about? You know that that is not true.’ My aunt gives me a death glare before answering me ‘Gee, thanks niece, you always got my back, don’t you?’ Annoyed at her last remark I bite back ‘An advice to you for the next time: set the alarm, get up in time and don’t be late!’
Stephanie ‘How many times do I have to repeat myself? I was not late!’
Charlotte ‘Ehmmmm, yes you were!’
Mom ‘That is enough you two, I really cannot deal with a headache today and right now chances are high that I’ll suffer from one because of your stupid arguing!’
My dad thinks this is the perfect moment to finish his call and contributes to the “conversation” we are currently having, ‘What is going on here?’, he gestures between my aunt and me.
Stephanie ‘Betty, your wife, wont let me get a coffee. And Charlotte over here seems to be in one of her motes again.
Charlotte ‘I am not in a bad mood. In fact, I was perfectly fine, before you started to annoy everyone with your stupid coffee.’
Stephanie ‘Listen you little, spoilt…’ Before she gets the opportunity to finish that sentence, my dad interrupts her again ‘You are both acting like little children. Darling, just stop the car at the next possibility and let her get a coffee, two more minutes is not the world.’ Clearly my dad is trying to make everyone happy again, but did not count the annoyance of mom in.
Mom ‘You do not get to say a word about this. I already told Stephanie that I am not going to stop, the coffee will have to wait. The next one who steps on my nerves during this car ride will be abandoned at the next petrol station, am I making myself clear?’
Stephanie ‘But…’ One glare makes her close her mouth again, before she settles back into a more comfortable position. Her way of saying, that she might be silent but not agreeing. Fine with me. I am happy if I do not have to listen to Stephanie’s constant moaning. I take my iPad out of my dark blue Balenciaga bag, plug my earphones in and close my eyes while listening to Taylor Swifts latest songs. Eventually I fall asleep with thoughts of London crossing my mind.

Lisa, my sister ‘Can you please move your elbow? My hip is killing me.’ Mom, Stephanie, Lisa and me are currently squashed in the back of our Range Rover, while my dad and Felix, my sister’s boyfriend are sitting in the front having a conversation about politics.
Charlotte ‘I will as soon as I am not any longer squashed between you and mom. If you haven’t noticed yet, there is not a lot of room to move.’
Lisa ‘Then reposition yourself.’
Getting frustrated with her lack of understanding I say ‘Mom, help me out.’
Mom ‘Lisa stop acting like a bitch, you will survive another ten minutes.’
Ten more minutes trapped? I think I wont make it. Seriously, I hate it being so close to other people, even if they belong to my family. It makes me feel like I cannot brief properly, since that night.
Mom must have noticed my discomfort, because the next thing I hear her saying is: ‘Take deep breaths sweetie and count slowly to one hundred. You will feel better’, she takes my hand and starts caressing it gently. Slowly I close my eyes again and start taking deep breaths, like my mom suggested. Mom ‘Are you feeling better?’ Even though the panic inside of me slowly starts to subside and I can open my eyes again, I still do not trust myself enough to mumble more than just a ‘Yes’. As soon as the car stops in the car parking lot in front of the hotel, I jump out of the car. Not bothering to wait until the employees open the car door for me.

The Baglioni Hotel, where we are staying is is the example of elegance and luxury. In the middle of the lobby is a round table with a huge arrangement of flowers, which makes you just stare in awe. Seriously, it must have taken the person hours to make it look that incredible. I bet they change the arrangement every day too.
While my parents fill out the papers which are necessary to check us in I join the others in the hotel bar.
Felix, my sister’s boyfriend ‘Great timing, we were just about to order some drinks, what would you like to have?’ It is then that I notice the waiter staring at me. I guess he is quite cute, with is dark brown hair combed back neatly and his suit, which fits his slender body. Still not my type. Iris on the other side would have flirted with him already the second she spotted him. So I do what I always do lately, I ignore his presence.
Charlotte ‘A coke, please.’ As soon as he leaves the table, Stephanie speaks up ‘By the look he was giving you, I’d say that he wanted to kiss you bad.’
Charlotte ‘Don’t be silly. It is his job to focus on the wants of his guests.’
Stephanie ‘Yeahh right, only that he gave you a bit more attention than all the others sitting here.’
Felix ‘Steph is right, Charlotte. The guy definitely made it clear that he is interested. He is quite good looking too; you should go for it.’
Charlotte ‘I’m not interested and I’m pretty sure that he is neither.’
Felix ‘He’d be a foul if he wasn’t. I mean look at you. Any guy would be happy to date a girl like you.’
With my wavy dark brown hair that reaches my elbows, high cheek bones, ocean blue eyes, tall height and slender figure I am beautiful in everyone’s eyes. Even if my parents, friends and other family members keep telling me how pretty I am I just don’t seem to see it. I mean I know that I’m not ugly, cute and sweet yes, but beautiful? I was just not sure about that.
Charlotte ‘I don’t date right now and you know that.’
Lisa ‘It has almost been a year; don’t you think it would be a good idea to go on a date with a nice guy?’
Slowly getting annoyed I say ‘I told you before I have zero interest in dating right now’.
You can tell that my sister starts to get frustrated with my lack of correspondence ‘Not every guy is like Marc, Charlotte!’
Charlotte ‘I am not talking about this. I am not talking about him again. Why can’t you accept that I don’t want to date?’
Lisa ‘Cause I fucking care about you!’, she screams. Everyone in the bar stares at her now. Even the waiter almost dropped a glass. Massaging her temples, she tries to calm herself again before she continues in a much softer and lower voice now ‘We care about you and we hate to see you sad’. How did what was supposed to be “a simple drink at the bar” develop into this? Expressing worries that your family members have for you.
Charlotte ‘I told you I am fine’.
Stephanie ‘Don’t get angry at us, for watching out for you’. I know that all they want to do is help me. Talk to me. But the thing is I am just not ready to talk about Marc. Not yet anyways. Charlotte ‘I know that. Look guys, I’m sorry for snapping at you. I just don’t feel like talking about it yet, okay?’
Lisa ‘Will you ever be?’
Thankfully our parents decided to interrupt our little conversation and saved me from giving them any more answers.
Mom ‘The suitcases have already been brought up. Here are the keys to your rooms’. She hands Stephanie and me one, as we were going to share one room, with Jo, my cousin. And the other to Lisa and Felix.
I took the opportunity to ask ‘Is it okay if I go to my room really quick? I really need to get out of these pants?’ Which is partly true. I really want to change considering it is quite hot outside. But mainly I want to be alone for a while.
Dad ‘Now? What about lunch?’
Charlotte ‘I won’t be long. Can you order me something in the mean time, mommy?’
Mom ‘Okay, but hurry up, we have the appointment at the hairdresser in two hours’.
I nodded and halfway through the door, Felix calls after me ‘What about your coke?’
Charlotte ‘I’ll have it when I come back down’. Without glancing back, I walk to the elevator and as soon as the doors closed behind me I release a breath, I have been holding for far too long.
After I finished changing, I go to the bathroom, where I put my hair back in a ponytail. I stare into the mirror with thoughts of Lisa’s earlier question still hunting me. Will I ever talk to them about my feelings? About Marc. If I am being honest, that is a question where I still have to find an answer. But right now I am still too fragile when it comes to this specific topic. How am I supposed to talk about something that makes me so sad and gives me nightmares at the same time? But I do hope that eventually I will be ready to talk about it.
Before joining the others downstairs I check my reflection in the mirror once again. I am wearing shorts, with a white crop top from J.Crew and a pair of golden sandals from Jimmy Choo. Happy with my decision of clothing I close the door behind me and put sunglasses on as soon as I walk into the garden area where lunch is taking place.

© Charlotte Tomasi

Gefällt mir!Gefällt mir nicht mehr!

0 Lesern gefällt dieser Text.

Beschreibung des Autors zu "Trying to be a London girl: chapter 1"

Charlotte is a girl like everyone else. She grew up in a wealthy, lovely family and has good friends. It seems like she has everything a girl can wish for between designer handbags and vacations on tropical islands. Except she went through something that no girl wishes for. And I am not talking about a cheating boyfriend. She tries to escape that night by moving to London, where she will attend university and is determined to be happy again. The next year will bring a lot of change. New friends, adventures and maybe even love?

Kommentare zu "Trying to be a London girl: chapter 1"

Möchten Sie dem Autor einen Kommentar hinterlassen? Dann Loggen Sie sich ein oder Registrieren Sie sich in unserem Netzwerk.