EVANESCENCE

CHAPTER 22| Welcome To a Fresh New Start

It was like a New Year's Eve in the middle of June.

I took the deepest breath as if it was the breath of the fresh start for me. "Well, okay, here we go" I instinctively pulled a smile, as I pressed the doorbell with Alex waiting with me. A few changes just happened in our house. It was still a home sweet home, painted sky blue, and the porch still has it's the swing that flashed my childhood memories back. More pots of succulents gave life in this porch. Is this even real?

Once the door had swung open, my mother almost fainted seeing her one and only daughter in front of her. "Oh my God Stacy! Is this real Alex?!" She gushed clutching her hand on her chest looking like she almost had a heart attack as she squeezed me for the tightest hug.

"Mum, it's real. It's me, I'm really home." We were both grinning like fools, as we took a long time to have a warmest welcoming hug. I was like a long lost daughter in this scenario. But anyway, I really love the effect of how my mother welcomed me. The tender care of her warmth never changed. Still the mom I know.

"Welcome back home Stacy!" Automatically dad and Andy pulled me in for a hard hug as if we won a football game. It was priceless to have my family with me again and back to the place where I really belong.

"I'm really glad to be back." My smile was still unerased constantly at the moment as a blissful air embraced me up.

"Well dinner is already prepared. I didn't cook something fancy and special, I'm really surprised!" Mom exclaims as we all piled in the dinner table. Once we all settled down, we started shoving our food. The conversation just started and I'm pretty sure I'll get bombarded with the question, and apparently I'll be a storyteller.

"Jesus! I haven't seen you for ages!" Andy said in disbelief still looking as though he's ready to whack you off with his sharp eyes and a lip piercing and an arm full of tattoo.

"Yeah, you really changed sweetie, You were like eighteen the last time you had a visit here."

"We really missed you."

"How was your life in London? Though we do Skype calls, I'm still eager to know." My mom said.

So many questions. So many things to explain. So many things happened in my life. It was a long long story. I wasn't even ready for this. So many things I have to say to display and to conceal, it was both bad and good.

"Well life was great, I lived in a shared flat with Luke, you all know that and worked as a violin and piano mentor... Well, nothing really tragical happened. Everything was really okay." I smiled but I admit that I do feel quite jittery.

"Good... What about your boyfriend? Are you still going back there?" I almost choked on my father's question. What should I say? I clearly don't want them to panic.

I swallowed hard and smiled "Oh Luke? We um- I can't answer that question dad."

"Oh." Oh my God. Awkward silence. I elbowed Alex and whispered unobviously "Don't say anything please."

"So how're the kids you were teaching?" My mom changed the subject which is something that I was so glad of.

-

Dinner session just ended. The conversation and the questions dropped on my was pretty tedious to answer considering the fact that they will just put the blame on me and my bad life choices if I spill that it had been hell too. However, I feel relished to have their company and the changes I have to face.

So many things evolved tremendously. Our house was a lot more appointed classy rather than before where everything seems defective. Too many things I have missed and ao many changes happened that I never knew. I should never look back at Luke. I'm here now with my family.

Currently, they are back in their own businesses. My dad was in his office just along the hall, My mum was on the kitchen doing some couple of things for the bakery she runs while Alex and Andy were just next to my room, messing up with an electric guitar. Alex and I were going to a random party his friend was throwing so I was casually dressing up and fixing myself. Well, I'm not really fond of attending messed up parties, but what could possibly go wrong anyway? Plus I don't even have that social life I used to have when I was still a teen. I should really start to change myself. I badly wanted to. To forget everything and to maybe give this life a hit.

However, my room still looks the same. Looked untouched for three years, but I bet somebody kept it neat and clean. My room was brightly and newly painted mint green, with the fairy lights on the ceiling. The wall still has the quote painted 'Wait for me somewhere between reality and all we've ever dreamed'. The small cream wooden shelf of my favorite novels was still there, and the rack of the extended plays of my favorite bands was still on the corner.

My bed was next to a huge window with a pale pink lace curtain, where you could see the view of the sea and hear its wave. It reminded me of how I really love it here. Santa Cruz is reasonably safe and has been my real home. From the moment my feet stepped out of the car, and air of bliss automatically hugged me and welcomed me back.

Once Alex and I head off outside, we entered the car, and he started driving on our way to his friend's house. After a short drive, he pulled over and ring the doorbell.

A random tall guy opened up and lead us in. The music was blasting inside and the house was crowded with twelve to fifteen more or fewer people. Alex started to introduce me to his acquaintances and as usual, I was so bloated with comments like this.

"Oh, so you're Alex's sister? I never saw you here? You're really pretty."

"Man, she's so fit."

"Oh My God I like your hair!"

Patrick, Kervin, Denver, Valerie, Cheryl, Neth, Leah, Christian. Names that have been mashed up in my head. Some looked sexy, some looked like they just took drugs, some looked like perverts and some looked decent, but all of them were friendly and fine. The idea of socializing is making me all anxious but there stood Calum, smiling.