Pursuing Miss Introvert

'Rrrngg!' 'Rrrngg!' Amelia's bedside alarm clock had been ringing for the last two minutes but she kept ignoring it. She wished she could have slept for one more hour at least, but her music teacher was scheduled to come over at eight in the morning. Yawning, she reluctantly reached out and slapped the tiny clock to silence. "Why is it morning already?" Rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake herself, she threw the covers away and lazily sat up. At eighteen years old, Milly had just moved into her Aunt's house close to her school. She just enrolled at Saint John's College of Arts and Sciences as a music major and her mom sent her to live in her aunt's house instead of in a dorm. A total bummer, of course, but her aunt was cool and they were pretty close, so she thought it was no big deal. Having lived two hours away in a suburban community all her life, her mom was still worried about her living in the big city on her own. And besides, her aunt and her only cousin had a pretty spacious place. It was even more convenient for someone like her instead of sharing a room in a dormitory. Feeling unusually thirsty, Milly got off her bed and drank the remaining water from her tumbler. She moved in just a week ago and she had to clean up and organize her things yesterday. Her mom mailed some of her high school documents that were needed for college records. Tired and restless, she could probably sleep for another eight hours. But she didn't have that privilege. Today was her first lesson with the music teacher her mom hired to continue her training. Well, mom sure paid for it, but the decision to continue doing the home study was hers. She loved art. All forms of it. Since she was young she had always been into dancing, drawing, and painting, and when she reached middle school she finally learned to play instruments. Performing music and doing her art was her way of expressing the emotions she normally wouldn't be able to do.  Amelia held those moments close to her heart. She was doing well with her piano now, but if she wanted to perfect it to the point of a professional level, she had to continue her training outside school. Looking out the window, a soft smile played on her lips as she watched the trees sway in the breeze outside. What a calming sight. Her aunt had spent months plotting her backyard years back into what it looked like now. Her bedroom was at the far end of the house, facing the back garden. But the view only gave her a temporary calm as she was still feeling sleepy. Dragging her feet, Amelia walked stiffly to the stairs. The bedrooms were all located on the second floor of her aunt's four-bedroom home. The first floor was an open concept design and the living areas all flow together. She loved her aunt's house and she'd been there countless times, especially during school breaks and holidays. But this was the first time she would stay for at least a few years until graduation. Eyes still half-closed, she grabbed the railing and slowly went down the stairs to the living room. Her aunt had probably already left for work. At this time in the morning, it was usually just her and Ryan, her cousin. He was an architecture major at the same college and was just two years older than her. "Milly?" Speak of the devil. "Hm?" She groggily peeked at her cousin and continued to walk past him. "Milly!" Ryan grabbed her arm from the back to stop her. "What are you doing?" Amelia let out a sigh and faced her cousin. "What?" She finally fully opened her eyes and glared at him. Why was he being so fussy this early? "I'm just going to the kitchen." She answered. "In that?" Ryan pointed at her clothing. Milly looked at herself. She was obviously still in her sleepwear, but they were just in the house and he hadn't bothered with any of it before. The two of them remained close growing up. She didn't need to walk on eggshells with him, but she didn't quite understand his attitude that morning.  Milly rolled her eyes at him. "What's wrong?" She scratched her head in annoyance. "I've always worn this in the morning, I don't know why you're so fussy today." Thinking her cousin was just having a bad day, Milly ignored him and turned in the direction of the kitchen. And completely stopped in her tracks. Lounging on the living room sofa were four strangers in t-shirts and identical jersey shorts, gaping at her. That's when she realized how she must look to them. Her hair was still a tumble of mess, and her sleepwear, well, not much of clothing, to be honest. The cotton spaghetti-strapped top and too short shorts barely qualify to cover her. She must have stood unmoving for a full minute when Ryan stood in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. "Change your clothes!" He turned and pushed her back up to the staircase. Only then that Milly ran as fast as she could upstairs and closed her bedroom with a bang. "That mutt!" She could strangle her cousin to death and be done with it. Why didn't he ever bother to tell her that there were people downstairs at that hour? "Ugh." Amelia rolled her eyes from frustration and embarrassment. Imagine walking in on a bunch of guys while still half-asleep and half-naked. She paced her room and contemplated skipping her scheduled morning class, but her stubborn nature prevented her from doing it. This couldn't ruin her morning. Besides, who were they anyway? This was her home. At least for now. Gathering her self-confidence, Milly moved to her closet and chose a pair of loose sweatshirts. She might as well take a shower first before going down again, she thought. It might save her some time before her teacher arrived. When she finally came downstairs, no one was in the living room anymore. The kitchen was silent and undisturbed too. Satisfied, she grabbed a bun from the table and poured herself a half glass of milk from the fridge. She wanted coffee, of course, and she would after she finished her bread. She turned the coffeemaker on as she rummaged through the cabinet for her favorite coconut jam. It might still be there if her cousin hadn't finished it yet.  Yes, Milly smiled to herself. It was still there. She purposely hid it there days ago so Ryan wouldn't gobble it down like a food maniac. Stingy, she knew, but who cared? Bouncing happily in the kitchen, she waited for her coffee to boil. Amelia could hear Ryan and his friends outside. They must have been in the garden where her cousin had a basketball ring. Good for them, she thought. She liked her privacy a lot and her aunt knew that. That was why she just let her do her thing. She never bothered her about anything in the house unless it involved her safety. Ryan was pretty cool too, most of the time. Realizing she had just given him an unnecessary compliment, Milly snorted and shook her head. Her cousin wasn't the most expressive about things. In fact, like her, his personality was more of a background guy too. But throughout the years, even when they were younger, Amelia felt his steady presence in her life. He wouldn't give her any compliments whatsoever, but he would be there at important events. Always on the sideline, silently supporting her. Even though she grew up without having a father figure, her mom and aunt never failed to make her feel that everything she had was enough. And it was. She hadn't longed for her dad. Maybe because she learned independence early. Her mom being a doctor, Amelia learned to be on her own. She didn't ask her mom either about her father. The only time her mom mentioned him was when she told her that he was not in the country. Not in a very long time and she hadn't had any communication with him since Amelia was born. That was still a mystery for her, but since she started her interest in art at a very young age, her focus shifted to her lessons and schooling. Her desire to know who her father was blurred out in the back of her mind. The coffeemaker started boiling and Milly turned it off. With a cup of coffee in hand, she proceeded to the study where her upright piano was. After plugging it in, she sat there and played with the keys while occasionally sipping her coffee. Her music and her paintings were her ultimate joy. Some of her friends often teased her for being too closed up. When others got excited about going out, she was always the one who refused to go because she preferred to work on a piece of something. She couldn't blame them though. While most girls of her age go on dates and parties, Amelia would shy away from it and would prefer to bury her head in her attic studio at home. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy parties, she did. Only when she felt like it. Most of the time she didn't feel like going, so she opted out. Her best friend, Lucy, would just roll her eyes and let her be. Amelia smiled, missing her overly zealous friend. Lucy went to attend a different university to pursue a degree in broadcast journalism. The total opposite of her interest. But maybe that was why both of them clicked right away in middle school. Opposites attract, as they say.