Chapter One

Chapter One of my 'novel' "Waiting 待ち."

The city wasn’t what I expected, but it certainly was quite classier than San Diego. London’s beautiful, actually. The cabbie made his way to a rich neighborhood, my proposed new area of living. I tossed him a few notes, since I could barely understand currency. He looked shocked, maybe I had given him quite a bit more than what my tab was. I smiled and headed out the door, my lone suitcase rolling behind me.
I brushed my wavy brown hair across my shoulder, I can only picture my dark blue eyes staring at my landscape in awe, making them pop against my pale complexion. The lawn was a dark green, and perfectly manicured. My house was large, with white siding and elaborate glass windows with dark green shutters, almost the color of the front yard. I made my way up the path to the marble porch and entered the home.
This was the nicest house I’ve ever lived in, and I lived in quite a few houses, all of them wonderful.
I slipped my flats off on the rug in front of the door, leaving my suitcase there as well instead of scraping up the oak floors.
I saw my mom’s familiar face peek around from the corner down the short hallway. “Darling! You’re finally here!” she sauntered over to me, giving me one of her trademarked fake smiles.
“Hi, Mom.” I replied to her, giving her a gentle, and awkward hug. Awkward? Yes, this family isn’t very touchy-touchy.
“You’re father and I are going out in a few minutes, I don’t know when we will be back. Be good, doll.” I tried to smile as sincerely as I could. Of course not even five minutes when I just got home and haven’t seen them in months they take off. I shook my head and picked up my suitcase and shoes, heading up the staircase. “Aren’t you going to say hello to your father!?” she angrily yelled up the stairs.
Ignoring her, I made my way into my new bedroom. Inch-worm green walls, lavender colored bedding, lacy curtains on the windows. A huge bed sat in the room, accompanied by a white dresser with a mirror to match. My clothes were already neatly put away in the vast closet, and my shoes lined up in the floor of it. I plopped on my bed, pulling out a journal I had bought. The paper and ink pen were my best friends right now.

Journal,
Hey, it’s me. I’m Arielle Parker, your average sixteen year old Californian now living in London. You can get to know me as I write in you. I suppose it seems silly telling you about myself, as your nothing but a mere book with blank paper in you. But, I’m going to do it anyway. You can be my new friend Journal, and as insane as it seems, yeah. Maybe I should give you a name? It’d seem like I was actually writing to someone, instead of just...no one. I’ll call you... Mia. That’s a simple enough name right? Mia, the light yellow velvet covered diary. Well Mia.
I’m Arielle Blaire Parker, as I said before. I’m sixteen, and my birthday is December 27, 1995. That’s right! I’ll be 17 in December. Well, my favorite (or shall I now say favourite) colors (colours) are lavender, and candy apple red. I really enjoy chicken fettuccine alfredo. I could be a vegetarian, but I would die without meat. My star sign is Capricorn, and I’m shy most times unless I’m comfortable around someone. I’m laid back and understanding as well, but I kinda wear my heart on my sleeve. So no being mean to me, Mia! Ha, what am I saying? You’re just a diary.

I’m really fond of English accents, so I guess I’ll be able to listen to the boys around here better. Speaking of them, school starts in three days. Bleh, I don’t even get to be settled or make any friends before then. You’re a good listener Mia. Perhaps I’ll tell you more about myself later? I’m going to go look for something to do, now that my stupid parents aren’t home.

I read up about this little obsolete coffee shop in the city. I guess I can go there, it’s not in a bad neighborhood.

Well, talk to you later Mia!
xo Arielle

I closed the diary, it was odd. I just opened up to a piece of paper like it was my best friend that I had known for years.

I punched in the taxi number on my new cell phone, and minutes later he was here.

* * *

The coffee shop was in a really quiet part of London. Not scary quiet though, more like peaceful quiet. There was no traffic bustle or sirens. Just the birds chirping and the slight breeze rustling the leaves. It was also quite the nice day outside, shining sun and not a cloud in the sky. A perfect September evening.

Fighting my jet lag every step of the way, I walked casually inside of the little building. I was soon welcomed by the warm smells of pastries and cookies, coffee and tea. A barista was at the counter, and some people were gathered around tables or chessboards. Quiet chatter filled the room, matching the quaint smells. No one even turned to look at me as I walked in, the bell on the door ringing. It was almost like everyone here was a family, that they were all regulars. Soon, I felt unwelcome and out of place.

Having nothing else to do, I plopped down at a table in the corner, and gazed out the window. That was, until a voice interrupted me.

“Ello!” I suddenly recognized the accent as an Irish one. “I’m Vinny, Vinny Finnigan. And you are, love?”

Okay, this boy was flamboyant. Second, that was the first time I had ever been called ‘love’ before. Lastly, something warned me not to have a crush on this boy.

“I’m Arielle Parker.” my Western American dialect was a polar opposite from his own Irish one.

“You here on holiday? May I sit with you?” Vinny continued.

“Yeah, you can sit here. And no,” I smiled, “I just moved here. Today. I got here today but my parents have been here for a few months, getting things settled.”

“Ah I see.” Vinny sat in the seat across from me. “Well, like I said, I’m Vinny. I’m sixteen, and gay.” He smirked, and that’s why my instinct warned me not to fall for him. He was gay. I had no problem with it, but I knew something about him was different from the norm. Although, in today’s society gay can be a norm. In America, anyway.

“I’m Arielle, sixteen. Straight.” I replied, matching his information. A straight white-toothed grin flashed across his face. Vinny followed with a two-shake and comb-through of his reddish brown hair.

“So you have any siblings?” he asked, as the barista brought him some tea. I shook my head, and the barista spoke next.

“Would you like anything, love?” an unidentified accent asked me. I looked at Vinny, who told her to get me a certain kind of tea. She nodded and hurried off.

“You look confused, like you dunno where her accent is from.” his swift Irish dialect told me. I shook my head hopelessly. “Well, she was born and raised in Wales, so she’s Welsh. Her accent is from around the Cardiff parts. Her name is Vanessa, and she’s here to study.”

Welsh, okay. I could remember that. Vanessa the Welsh barista-student. Vinny continued, “so how’re you liking Nolan’s? This little place here?” a smile spread across his face once more.

“It’s very cosy. Seems like everyone knows each other here.” I grinned back. It was odd, I don’t usually open up to people so fast. I usually don’t talk to complete strangers at all.

“Yer, everyone who comes here are regulars. Most of us come almost everyday, Nolan’s is like our second home.” Vinny laughed. “Certain nights we have music and things, I play piano on Sunday afternoons. You should come watch me sometime, eh?”

I nodded. I think I’d like that.

“So, tell me about yourself.” I smiled lightly, trying to pretend I was human, and could talk to new people. Even though in this case, I was the new one.

Vinny got through the basics, then told me some deeper things. “I haven’t always lived in England. Just a year ago we moved here from Ireland, it was really hard. I left everyone and everything I knew behind, I cried on it for months. Then I met Sam, he was really nice and pretty basically the person who got me out of the closet, and out of my post-move depression. We dated for a few months, and he told me he loved me but then broke up with me. Same old, same old.” Vinny’s face fell a bit.

“Awh, I’m so sorry.” I threw out the all cliche sympathy line. I was sorry though, it was awful. Typical teenage stuff, but it still hurts.

“Yer, when my parents found out they went absolutely crazy on me. They aren’t homophobic, but they think it’s against the Bible and isn’t right. That it isn’t normal. Well, it’s whatever to me. I don’t know what I believe. They accept me now though. But at first they treated me so much differently, it’s like they knew nothing about me. In reality, I hadn’t changed who I was at all. All I did was realize that I played the other field, if you get what I’m saying. I guess they were scared, but I’ve forgiven them now. My sister was indifferent to it all, I’ve also forgiven her, if there was anything that really needed to be forgiven.” Vinny looked ready to cry discussing it all, it made me somewhat sad.

I pursed my lips, I honestly didn’t know what to say. So I just gave him an understanding look and took a sip of my absolutely wonderful British tea. Then words found me; “how did you cope? With moving, and your family, and things? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking?” I smiled a tiny bit, hoping and praying I wasn’t walking on thin ice.

“Look around, or in that corner.” he smiled at me, his green eyes glittering. In the corner to where he pointed I saw a grand piano on a bit of an elevated floor. The piano was probably just about as old as the little building itself, but it was breathtaking and beautiful, not to mention in wonderful condition. It matched the dim lit, wooden paneled, wooden floored shop perfectly. It was as if the whole place just melted together to make like a yummy soup or something.

I can see why the regulars here are so attached to the place. What they offer is wonderful, and something about the building in general is just so welcoming, and almost reminds of you of home.

Even if a person didn’t have a home to call their own.

“Music.” a whisper of a word escaped my mouth, followed by a nod from the Irish teen.

“You yourself don’t seem to sure you like it here. You look like even though it’s only been a few hours you want to hop on a raft and paddle yourself back to America.” a playful smile grew across Vinny’s lips.

I nodded in a simple reply.

“Well, just find something you enjoy. And revolve your life around it. You can go to it for comfort, and security. When you feel like you have no one. It may be the simplest of things. If you can’t find it, just wait for it. Keep waiting. It’ll come to you.” he smiled at me for the millionth time this evening.

“That’s a nice idea, thank you.” I smiled back, one to mirror his own. I saw him glance down at his watch, it was indeed getting late.

“Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta be getting home before my family sends out a search party.” Vinny laughed and stood up. I nodded, standing up myself.

“I gotta go as well.” I said, “jet lag. Plus it’s late.” I chuckled lightly.

“Friendly hug?” he asked, and we wrapped our arms around each other. Despite being strangers, this was honestly probably the least awkward hug I’ve ever had in my life.

A minute or so later, Vinny pulled away. “See ya around here?” he winked and walked away, heading out the door.

Later, I followed in his footsteps, hailing a cab and making my way home.

* * *

When I got home, it was unnervingly quiet. The house was empty of course, and my parents weren’t home.

Of course.

I flopped on my bed, and pulled out my journal once more today.

Mia, my lovely Journal friend!
It’s me, Arielle of course. I had a lovely evening at that coffee shop. I met a gay Irish boy. His name is Vinny Finnigan. He’s super nice, and my age. He’s a musician as well. I hope I get to see him around, I’m really comfortable around him, and he me. He spilled his life story to me in the couple of hours we spent talking. Not that I mind though, it’s nice to chat with someone who isn’t as fake as a Barbie doll. I feel alive. Strange to say, I know. But it’s true!
Vinny can see right through me, and this newfound depression from moving. He told me to find something I really love, and have my life revolve around it. Or he said to wait, and it could come to me.

But what am I waiting for, Mia? I haven’t a clue. And the unknown scares me. Like tomorrow, it’s unknown. And Sunday as well. Followed by Monday. Especially Monday. School.

I think tomorrow I may return to that nice little coffee shop (it’s called Nolan’s, by the way) and see if I can catch up with Vinny again. Apparently everyone who goes there are like regulars, and the customers never change. And it’s like they all know each other. It’s really nice.

Talk to you later!

xo Arielle.

Author's Note

Leave any constructive criticism! Thank you.

Reviews

[Daydreamer54]

I find it odd that she managed to be friend's with someone so quick and they immedaitly start telling each other personal stuff. That doesn't normally happen. Also I thought the extra infor about their waitress was unecessery. it would also help if you described what vinny looked like so we know why she thought she sdhouldn't fall for him and did she feel any attraction to him at all in the 1st place?

[C.D. Anderson]

thanks so much! (: I'm always in need of reviews. :) It makes sense now that you say it. x)