Film Reels In Grayscale

Chapter 2: New Life

I couldn’t particularly tell what the differences are I am experiencing now that I am in LA compared to what my life was like in Brooklyn. I thought of it as I sat down my bed coming home from a great day hanging out with my new friends, Sammy and Rob- they are one of the differences, I guess?  Both of the guys are so nice to me and fun to be with, being around them is one of the things that is new to me aside from this house, I can tell that we are going to be good friends. I have a life inside my room and a life outside it thanks to them. I grabbed my book, Life of Buddha, I am not a Buddhist but I love reading their teachings because it is somehow just similar to how people do live their life, it is one of my routine as soon as I get in my room to end my day after spending it  being goofy with Sammy and Rob, after torturing Sam with new skateboard stunts, touring me to cool places I thought I’d never be able to visit before the class starts, which is tomorrow.  I went inside my bathroom and took a shower. I was jamming to Taylor Swift’s Paper Rings dancing along the beat and singing to it as I heard a knock on my door, “Mathi! Anj and Lou is here hurry!” my brother said. “What? That’s impossible.” I proclaimed as I hurried washing down the soap from my body, “I mean it’s possible but those two aren’t stupid enough to travel that far on ordinary days. I wore my bathrobe and went out the shower to change to my terno getting ready to sleep applied my skincare, but I couldn’t just sit back and completely wonder what Tim said a while ago, I need to see if it’s true, I thought as I heard my mom shout, “Mathilda?! Are you still not done? Come down here.”

I quickly got up and rushed to the stair and saw at the balcony my two bestfriends, Anj and Lou. “You have got to be kidding me!” I exclaimed. “Why are you bitches doing in here?!” I asked them.

“You don’t get to enjoy LA just by yourself hun,” Anj answered me then laughed.

“Girl, you have a nice place, and a hot looking topless neighbor who jogs at night,’ Lou told me and I immediately knew that it was Rob she was referring to, “Oh, that neighbor?” her eyes lightened up even more and got back at me with, “You know him?!” she shouted at my face.

“yeah, his name is Rob- Robert I mean,”

“Oh, so you’re giving someone a nickname now?” Anj told me.

I answered her, “It is not what you think it is, he’s my friend. I have to make friends in here you know, and he’s my classmate too.”

Anj seemed satisfy with my response and nodded slowly while sipping her drink, “ I can get you his number and get you on his pants— I mean social media accounts Louia,” she glared at me and threw a pillow.

“You will always be a b***h wherever you’ll be put into Math.” Lou declared.

“I know Lou, I know. Thanks for reminding me,” and all of us laughed loudly, oh god I miss my girls. Guess I’m indeed lucky with my friends for coming here.

“So, who’s up for pizza?!” I shouted. and there I can see their faces lit up, and changed their smiles into grins when my brother asked, “Where’s Casper?”

“Oh— Tim he’s not here, it’s just Anj and Lou, I -uh,” as I turned my head on them mouthing the word ‘help’ and they just ignored me.

“What?” Tim looked confused, “He’s very busy little boy, he’ll come for sure but not now or these days may be soon,” with a smile on her face Lou interrupted, thank God.

Tim made a frown on his face and said, “Well, that’s sad I kind of miss him though.”

“Yeah Mathi misses him too,” Anj answered Tim.

“I what Anj?” I was flustered with her words, but it is not a lie, I do miss him, it is not like I broke up with him because I do not love him, I am just protecting ourselves from the hurt if we try to work our relationship with this long distance thing and my friends just laugh at me with that reason because they think are hopeless romantics and would do anything to stay in love, and that’s what makes them so precious, I thought as I look at them. We ordered 2 boxes of pizza for that night, 1 box of Pepporoni pizza and Buffalo pizza from Maze’s Pizza, it’s one of the best pizza store in town Sammy said. When  our orders arrived, we stayed up and watched Friday the 13th: Camp Crystal Lake in my room, me and my girls are horror fanatics, it is the reason why we clicked. We talked all night and there I knew that they decided to went here because the opening class in our school, my past school is scheduled next week, while ours was a bit early. We caught up with each other’s life, theirs for me and mine for them, if there’s really a catching up on mine. We decided to sleep at 4am since I still have class, “You guys know I can skip my class so that we can hang out,” I told them. Their faces lit up but said the opposite, “We did not came here to disturb your new school life and make you miss your first day in your new school you i***t,” Anj told me as she pulled my hair, “Ouch! What was that for?” I argued.

“For being an i***t,” Lou answered me. “Let’s go now go to sleep you have a class later Math, we can hang out after it it is not like we’re gonna go home tomorrow, duh,” she added.

I was happy with their surprise visit, the thought of going to a different school is like starting a new life, being reborn in a different timeframe. It made me sad knowing tomorrow’s new life at LA Art Institute won’t be with them, that’s what I thought until I fell asleep.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm, finding out Anj and Lou already got up and was at the kitchen after they went for a run.

So, they left me huh, “Mom, what’s for breakfast?” I asked my mom.

“Oh, Lou cooked pancakes and bacons.” mother said.

“Oh, that sounds great and appetizing too,” I said as I sat on the table to eat.

Anj turned on the TV and the news about the missing girl was still on air, “That’s the only creepy and scary thing we heard so far in this town, we saw a lot of those girls’ faces on the street-“

“On the airport too,” Lou interrupted Anj.

“Yeah, have you ever wonder where they’ve been? Being gone for that long people would assume they’re dead.” Anj added to her statement a while ago.

I felt sad thinking what’s might be the sister of Rob thinking right now is thinking. She must be so sad and may be she felt betrayed not hearing from her friend which is really frustrating and a horrible thing to feel. I am also quite sure that she’s stopping herself from thinking what I, Anj and Lou is thinking, or may be everyone, that they’re dead. But, if they’re already indeed dead, where’s the body? I thought as I took a bite on my pancakes and bacon. As Anj poured a juice on my glass, I thought of Rob, “Yeah, right Rob,” Anj and Lou looked surprise with what I said.

I quickly  finished my meals and rushed to my room, but before that I hurriedly told the girls, “I need to get ready, I just remembered that I have gave my word to Rob and Sammy to be early so that they can fetch me at 9:30 am and it is already 8:45 so that they can give me a tour before we formally start our days as students at school. I’ll introduce the both of you later to them when they fetch me so at least make yourselves look presentable, just kidding you guys are beautiful, see you in a minute,”  both of them just nodded  and laughed at me because I ran and almost fell off the stairs to get ready.

I took a quick shower and dressed myself like my usual school style, a sweater, my blue jeans, and a converse, leaving my hair undone, wet and messy I put on sunscreen and did a light make up just with my eyebrows and my lips. The doorbell rang, “Oh s**t that’s them,” as I looked at my phone to check time and it is already 9: 33am, “Shoot.” I muttered and went downstairs.

“Coming!” I shouted only to find out as soon as I reached the door that Lou and Anj were already talking to Rob and Sammy.

“You guys better take care of her, “ I heard Louia warned  them and Sammy answering, “Yes we will especially if you give me your number, just so you know, I can update you with everything that’s happening to Mathilda.”

I can see that the four of them are enjoying each other’s company, even though Lou and Rob seem awkward, exchanging smiles and it is so cute.

I interrupted Sammy’s flirting action with my friend Lou, “Louia, as you can see Sammy is not my mother to be updated with my every move,” my arms now on Lou’s shoulder wrapping it,   I teased him and it looked like it work because the smile on his face faded.

“But, you can still have my number,” Lou added and that made Rob looked amazed and Sammy’s face lit up.

“You Rob, can have Anj’s number too,” as I winked at him and had Anj say, “Excuse me Mathi?”

“C’mon Anj it is not like you weren’t so all over him last night,” Lou said which made us all laugh.

“You guys are the greatest traitor next to … of all time,” Anj blushed which made her looked more cute.

I went away from my girls and went near the boys, huh cool, I have two girl best friends back in Brooklyn and I made two male who’s going to be my best friends here in LA, “What a match,” I thought.

“Let us now go because I don’t want to be late on my LA Art Institute tour as your welcome party for me on my first day of school,” as I dragged them away from the door and from my friends, “You two!” as I am pointing Anj and Lou, “Get ready before 5pm, the four of us will be having a  good time.” and smiled widely at them I can see how happy their faces are as well as these two guys with me, I guess I’m a matchmaker now, lucky for these four aye and the three of us, Sammy and Rob walked away from our house and started our walk headed to the streets to pick up some cab.

Sammy wrapped his arms around my neck and said, “You never told us your best friends are that pretty you sike!”

“Hello? Do you expect me too? I mean they are really pretty and you won’t find an ugly in my group of friends you know, we are all gifted with beauty, brain and hearts,’ I boasted.

“Now you are showing off huh?” Rob butt in and smirk, “Gosh, we always thought ever since we met you about how humble you are,” he added.

“So, what are you gonna do, the two of you?” as I crossed my arms on my chest.

“We’ll throw you off the deepest pit and burry you alive and steal your friends from you,” Sammy answered me with a hoarse voice which made us all laugh and finally a cab arrived at our direction, we rode it and after a 30-minute ride, I was able to see the again the beauty of LA Art Institute. We got off our cab, Sammy and Rob took the lead.

“So, you said last Saturday that you haven’t been here? S obviously you enrolled online right? So, it is your first time seeing this institute?” Rob asked me and I nodded, completely fascinated with how this campus looks.

“It is completely different from the picture, I mean they look the same, but I never thought it would be this big. And wow, this place looks really great, spacious, and I also know that it is a complete facility, every student could get to use everything they want for what they need.” I uttered.

With amazement because of my reaction both of them smiled and Rob said, “You’re absolutely right. Now, Mathilda welcome to LA Art Institute. And let’s start our tour,” as he and Sammy looked at me while taking a step back towards that very huge gate with a ‘Welcome’ hanging on it. It looks cute and it is obvious that they have really prepared for this day to come.

“As you can see, we’re at the entrance to the building, we’re at the center. On the sides, left and right-“ as Sammy and Rob pointing, “You can see that it is field with booths and just so you know it is the tradition here to welcome the new students like you with all of these fancy booths and games you can try for the rest of the day.” I got confused, “What do you mean by that the rest of the day? Like we have no classes yet? I thought you said-“ I sounded really like someone who’s been disoriented.

“We hate to break it up to you we just do not want to it to be spoiled, but yes. We don’t have classes yet all we have now is a welcoming ceremony and a 2-hour orientation, the chance to locate your locker, know your full schedule and have fun for the rest of the day, that includes the night also,” Sammy winked and continued, “The place where the booths stood is the school lawns, the one you see in our brochure where the students likes to study and do their projects, we have also another lawn at the back the only difference is that it has more trees compared to what’s here in the front.

I am stunned by this school, just to imagine the students are given time to enjoy before the real stress starts, you see a lot of people have always looked down on us, the students who take up any course related to arts for their own reasons. And events like this is a big help to at least enjoy before getting so doomed. I looked around the area in amazement and I can feeling something inside me stirring up because of excitement.

“I can’t wait to try one,” I ran to one of the booths, but I felt Rob grabbed me, “What?” I asked him.

“You see I suggest we enjoy the booths later, we should start getting our full schedules, the schedules we have now aren’t the only ones we have more and also we need to get your locker number and keys of course, then proceed to the hall for the orientation,” wow that’s a lot.

“Trust us, you would regret it if you go to the booths first,” Sammy whispered to me and I think I get no what they meant.

So I continued to follow them to the service area, wow this sure is a different school, they have a service area, “This is where you tell all of your concern, we call this place the voice of the students.” Rob told me.

The person assigned behind the desk smiled at me and I too, smiled back. “So here’s  your schedules, and you miss, you get your locker key here,” as she pointed the name admin, “I bet you don’t need your own direction because I assume your friends will help you find it.”

Sammy and Rob smiled, “Yes, we’ll escort her Ms. Wilde,” Rob told the girl.

We were walking on the hall way and I can really identify who the freshmen, new ones are and the old ones are on the way they react to things, if I am not together with these two, pretty sure I ended up like them and regret it afterwards for going for the fun first and neglect the important things to do in my first day of school.  As we continue with our pace something caught my attention, it is a group of students are putting like teddy bears, flowers, candles on someone’s locker, did someone died? I thought until I heard Rob shouted, “Amy! Stop it!”

“Let go of me!” the girl said, “How dare you treat her like she’s already dead?!” as she rips off everything that was placed in the locker, so she’s Rob’s sister, and this might be her friend of Synthia, the one who went missing.

“Pretty sure she is you slut. I wonder why your friend ditched you off you could have just went together with her.”  said by someone who dresses up like someone who goes clubbing, the one more deserving to be called as a slut since it is so pretty obvious, and the crowd laughed because of her statement. So, there are bullies in here too huh?

“Watch you mouth.” Rob warned the girl and the girl threw her hands on the air as if she was surrendering and mouthed ‘Okay.”

“Hey are you okay?” I asked her as I helped Amy clean the locker.

“She’s not dead, my bestfriend is not dead, she just went away from all of the things that’s f*****g her up. And she’s not dead.” I can feel how completely messed up she feels, especially the despair when she asked, “Right Rob? There are still a chance she’s alive right? I mean the police haven’t found a body yet and the news aren’t reporting anything new too.” it such full of despair. All Rob did was to nod and pat the shoulder of his sister and helped clean the space too. I insisted to help even though they tell me not to, they say I’m new but I already got caught up with the old student drama until they gave in, so I ended up helping Amy and the two of them went to the admin to get their locker keys as well as mine.

“What will you do with these?” as I pointed the things we have set aside from the locker.

She looked at me with a sad face and told me, “I’d keep this, a lot of people do care about her as you can see, which made me happy. I can just put them back when things are all clear and I know you know what I mean. It is not that I have lost hope, but I am just not ready for it, but I know that’s not what happening is right now, she’ll be back and will probably just laugh on these stuffs while I tell her the story.” Amy said those words full of despair and hope. That’s what I am hoping too now, Amy for your friend’s safety, both of the missing girls. As I stood up I lost my balance and fell off my feet due to the numbness when someone caught my arm and I heard Amy exclaimed, “Are you okay?!” as I feel like my body was already leaning on something, but weird- I never thought a wall can have a heartbeat, just when I realized someone caught me. I looked up to see a familiar face of the one who caught me, “Hi.” I said and smiled awkwardly, so you got to this school too huh I thought to myself. He helped me to stand up properly, smiled at me and whispered, “See you later,” which I find creepy as I watch him go to the hall where the orientation is to be held.