An Instant Attraction

Chapter 4

The flight is incredibly long and my legs are thankful when I can stand and exit the plane. My Aunt and Uncle are waiting with smiles at the arrival gate. After a couple quick hugs, we find my two bags at baggage claim and make our way to the car. The actual drive to their house is short in distance, but Boston traffic makes it seem longer. My uncle points out some of the BU campus in the distance as we drive and it finally feels real. I'm doing this, I'm moving to Boston!

I can't believe my eyes when I see the apartment space. The pictures Kristin sent did not do it justice at all. It's beyond amazing. Through the door there is a large living room space to the left and a small kitchen on the right. Straight ahead is the hallway leading towards the bedroom areas. Aunt Madi takes me down the hall to show me which room will be mine.

She gestures to the first door on the left, "That's the bathroom." There are two doors further down the hall, she leads me through the second door on the left, "Here you are," she offers a smile. It's already beautifully decorated. The walls are a pale gray, the same color that seems to run throughout the entire apartment, and the bedding is a dark charcoal color speckled with tiny yellow flowers.

She points to the door across the hall, "That's Kristin's room. She had a few errands to run today, but she should be home any time. She's so excited to see you. I'll give you some time to unpack and get settled." She checks to make sure I don't need anything, then she walks from the room and I hear the door close, leaving me alone in my new place.

I take a few minutes to give my mom a quick call, letting her know that I landed and that I made it safely to Uncle Jack's. I keep the conversation short and sweet. I'm afraid if we talk for too long one or both of us will end up in tears. I promise her that I'll check in at least a couple times a week, although I know she'll probably keep tabs on me through my aunt and uncle. I still have almost two weeks until classes start up, so I'm really hoping Kristin will show me around a little and that I might get the chance to meet some of her friends. I feel like I already know some of them just through her posts on social media.

It doesn't take long to get my bags unpacked and all my clothes put away. I take a few things down the hall to the bathroom and then I take a quick peek in Kristin's door before walking towards the living room to get a better look at the rest of the place. I notice that her room is super clean and organized which makes me wonder how much time she actually spends here. I know she's in a pretty serious relationship, so maybe she stays with him a lot. I'm really hoping that isn't the case, because I don't want to be alone all the time. I wander into the small kitchen and begin opening cabinets, finding it to be fully stocked. I have a feeling that my aunt is the one who filled it with food and supplies. After grabbing a glass and filling it with ice water, I head over to the couch. It's big and comfy and I sink right into the cushions. Flipping on the TV and looking around my new apartment I feel a wave of excitement. I'm suddenly tired from my morning of traveling, but just as I lean my head back and close my eyes, the door swings open and Kristin walks through.

An enormous smile fills her face as I stand up slowly to give her a quick hug. It's amazing how much we look alike; we really look like we could be sisters. We both have slim, but curvy bodies. I immediately think of the fun we can have sharing clothes. I could never really share clothes with Kat, she's a little taller than me and not as curvy, so our sizes never seemed to be the same.

"So, what do you think? Don't you just love this place?" she asks.

"I really do. It's completely amazing," I answer truthfully. I sit back onto the couch and she sits in the chair opposite me.

"Well, it's your first night here, so I'm sure Mom and Dad will want us to have dinner with them. Plus, you must be exhausted from traveling today, so after dinner I thought maybe we could just turn on a movie and catch up a little," she suggests. It all sounds great to me, so I shake my head giving her a "sure." She grins back at me with excitement, "Over the weekend I'll introduce you to my boyfriend, Luke, and some of my other friends. Mom and Dad are supposed to be going to some swanky party on the Vineyard, so we can have some people over."

"Sounds fun. I've seen pictures, but I'm excited to finally meet all of them," I say returning her smile.

She stands from the chair, "You're going to fit right in. They will absolutely love you." She starts walking towards the bathroom, "I'm just going to take a quick shower. I'm sure my mom will be over soon to let us know about the dinner plans." Kristin disappears and within minutes Aunt Madi is knocking at the door. I smile to myself at the fact that she's knocking. My parents were always good at giving privacy to Kat and I, but this is a whole new level. I stand to open the door and welcome her back into the apartment.

"Mia, dear, your uncle and I would love to take you and Kristin out to dinner for your first night here. Nothing overly fancy, but you may want to throw on a change of clothes," she says noticing that I'm still in my jogger sweatpants. "I'm guessing that's Kristin I hear in the shower, so once she's out and you're both ready, just come on over to the main house and we'll all ride to the restaurant together."

"Okay, that sounds wonderful," I say with a smile.

She starts to walk back out the door but stops and looks at me with slightly glassy eyes, "We're so glad you're here staying with us." She quickly turns and exits. First my own mother, now my aunt. I don't think I can handle any more crying today. I head into my new room to find something a little more suitable to wear.