Chapter 4 - A Call and A Bad Advice
849 Words
A sudden ringtone broke the quiet room.
Elsie looked around.
“Where is it?”
Her grandmother glanced at the chaos surrounding them—the open suitcase, scattered clothes, books stacked on the bed, and a pair of shoes sitting suspiciously on top of a pillow.
“Good question.”
Elsie began digging through the clothes.
“It’s here.”
“You said that five minutes ago.”
“I have a system.”
“You have chaos.”
“I prefer the word organized confusion.”
“That’s because you’re confused.”
Elsie paused.
“That was unnecessarily accurate.”
Her grandmother smiled.
Elsie continued searching until she finally found the phone buried beneath a sweater.
“Found it!”
She lifted it triumphantly.
Her grandmother shook her head.
“I was beginning to think we would have to call your phone to find your phone.”
“That would have been brilliant.”
“That would have been embarrassing.”
Elsie glanced at the screen.
Her face immediately brightened.
“It’s Livia!”
She quickly answered.
“Hello?”
A loud voice exploded through the speaker.
“ELSIE!”
Elsie immediately pulled the phone away from her ear.
“Livia!”
“Don’t ‘Livia’ me! I heard you got the job!”
Elsie laughed.
“Who told you?”
“Your grandmother.”
Elsie slowly looked at her grandmother.
“You told her already?”
Her grandmother shrugged proudly.
“Of course.”
“I thought I was supposed to tell her.”
“You were taking too long.”
Livia’s voice came through again.
“Westbridge International! Elsie, do you understand how impressive that is?”
“I think so.”
“No, you don’t.”
Elsie smiled.
“You sound excited.”
“I’m in Newhaven! Of course I’m excited!”
Elsie’s eyes widened.
“You’re still there?”
“Obviously. I told you I wasn't coming back to Willowbrook anytime soon.”
“You said that three months ago.”
“And I meant it.”
“This is perfect!”
“Why?”
“Because now I don’t have to listen to you complain about Willowbrook being too quiet.”
“I never complained.”
“You once called the town ‘aggressively peaceful.’”
Elsie considered that.
“That was accurate.”
Livia burst out laughing.
“You know what? I actually missed hearing you say things like that.”
Elsie smiled.
“I’ll miss you too.”
“Good. Because you're going to need me.”
“For what?”
“Surviving Newhaven.”
Elsie looked around her room.
“I thought I was moving for a job, not entering a war zone.”
“You haven't seen Newhaven traffic.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
Livia paused before adding seriously,
“Listen to me carefully. First rule of Newhaven—don’t trust anyone who says they’re ‘just five minutes away.’”
“Why?”
“Because in Newhaven, that means anywhere between five minutes and three business days.”
Elsie laughed.
“Second rule?”
“Never let your grandmother find out how much takeout costs.”
Her grandmother called from beside her,
“I heard that!”
Livia immediately lowered her voice.
“She’s there?”
“Yes.”
“Tell her I love her.”
Her grandmother smiled.
“I heard that too.”
Elsie laughed.
“And third rule…”
Livia paused dramatically.
“Don’t fall in love with your boss.”
Elsie’s eyes widened.
“What?”
Her grandmother raised an eyebrow.
Elsie immediately covered the phone.
“Livia!”
“What? I’m giving professional advice.”
“That is not professional advice.”
“It absolutely is.”
“I haven't even met him!”
“Exactly. That's why I'm warning you early.”
Her grandmother started laughing.
Elsie groaned.
“I am going to hang up.”
“Fine, fine. But seriously, Elsie…”
Livia’s voice softened.
“I’m really happy for you.”
Elsie’s expression softened too.
“Thank you.”
“You worked hard for this. Don't let the new city scare you.”
“I won't.”
“And don’t forget me when you become important.”
Elsie smiled.
“That’s impossible. You’re too loud to forget.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“I take back everything nice I just said.”
Elsie laughed.
“And I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Promise?”
“Promise. I’ll be there when you arrive.”
Elsie glanced around her messy room.
For the first time, the chaos didn't seem quite so overwhelming.
Tomorrow, she would leave Willowbrook behind.
There would be a new city, a new job, unfamiliar faces, and an entirely different life waiting for her.
She didn't know what awaited her in Newhaven.
She didn't know how much her carefully planned future was about to change.
For now, all she knew was that she wasn't going alone.
Her grandmother squeezed her hand.
And Elsie smiled.
Tomorrow was the beginning of something new.
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