Chapter One
Raina
“It’s happening, Sis. There’s no turning back now.” Anthony grins at me and points at the Welcome to New York City sign above us.
Clapping my hands, I wiggle in my seat, causing my long ponytail to swing against my back. The golden brown color shines in the sun. I squeal, and Anthony to side-eyes me.
“What?” I feign innocence.
He just shakes his head and laughs as he takes the next exit.
“This. Is. Crazy! Ahhh! Anthony! I can’t believe we’re finally here! Or I should say, I’m finally here.” I clap my hands again as my eyes take in the sights before me. I’ve been here a handful of times before, but every time feels like the first. The excitement, the sights I missed before, the pure novelty of being here. I can’t even describe the way it makes me feel.
Like…
Being on top of the world.
“You’re a big city girl now, Rai. Think you can handle it?”
“Says the boy who thinks he’s a big city man now?” I grin.
“Hell yeah, I am. Los Angeles is no joke, Sis.”
I laugh. “Maybe not but it’s not New York.”
Anthony rolls his eyes again. I used to tease him they’d get stuck like that. You’d think the girl in the family would be the one to roll her eyes but not in this one. “You’ll understand soon enough.”
We drive into the city, and I drink it all in. My favorite song plays over the speakers, and I reach forward to turn it up. I sing the lyrics like no one’s listening.
Suddenly, the music cuts off.
“Rai, I love you, but definitely stick to writing the lyrics and not singing them.” Anthony pats my shoulder and grins.
I glare at him until we both burst into laughter. He loves to tease me about my singing. As much as I wish I could sing well, it’s just not my strong suit.
“You know you’ll end up here, Ant.” My voice goes soft. I want my older brother here with me more than anything. He loves Los Angeles and wants to finish school there. Hopefully, he’ll come to New York when he’s done. I need to sell him on this city, which means it’s time for me to become an expert.
“You never know, Sis. In the meantime, how about we hit up a concert tonight after we move you in? See how the music scene really is around here.”
“What? Really? You found us a concert to go to?”
Anthony nods as he checks the GPS. We’re less than five minutes from campus. I can’t help but squirm in my seat. I’ve waited for this moment for so long. Worked so hard for it.
“Of course I did. You know I have the hookups.” Anthony tosses me his famous cocky smile. The one that won the hearts of all the girls at our high school.
Puke.
“Yeah, yeah. Good work, Ant. A perfect welcome goodbye.”
The word goodbye hangs heavy between us. Yeah, he’s been at college for two years already, and he’s heading into his junior year, but this feels different. I’m away now too, leaving our parents as empty nesters, and Anthony seems even farther away.
A moment later, he pulls into a parking lot, and I immediately recognize the college building before me. New York University. Welcome.
“Here we are, Rai. NYU in all its glory,” Anthony announces, and I squeal again, this time even more high pitched.
“Jeez, Rai. My ears.” Anthony parks, and I practically fall out of the car.
Finally. I’m finally here.
At my dream school.
In my dream city.
Pursuing my dream career.
What more could I possibly ask for?
Two hours later, we managed to find my room, unpack, and grab a bite to eat. My roommate still hasn’t arrived, and a part of me hopes she doesn’t. We talked a few times over the summer, and while she seems normal, I’d rather have a single. “Maybe you’ll get lucky, and she won’t show.”
Anthony shrugs and pours himself a shot of watermelon vodka. “Want one?” He motions to me with the bottle of liquor, and when I make a face, my brother rolls his eyes. Surprise, surprise.
“What? Shots aren’t my thing.”
“Is any alcohol your thing?”
I laugh. “At least I can say I tried it.”
I remember the first time Anthony introduced me to some drinks. He filled me up on mixed drinks and alternated them with shots. I thought I was cool and knew what I was doing, making myself look older in front of his friends.
Yeah.
It didn’t turn out the way I expected.
Instead, I made love to the toilet all night long and didn’t speak to my brother for a few days.
Since then, I’ve learned to enjoy the occasional wine cooler, or “pussy drinks” as my brother likes to call them.
“Anyway, back to the roommate. It’d be sweet if she ended up not coming. I don’t feel like calling you when I need to dispose of a body.”
Anthony laughs and throws back his shot. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t hurt a fly. It’s a special type of sarcasm. One my brother understands flawlessly.
“Being with you all summer makes it harder to say goodbye. Who else can I joke about dead bodies with?”
Anthony holds his second shot up to clink with my wine cooler. “Damn right, Sis.”
The next day, after a delicious breakfast, we walked through Central Park before Anthony dropped me off back at the dorms.
“Stay safe, you hear me? Don’t party alone, or hell, even walk alone at night. Danger lurks everywhere, especially in a big city and—”
I pull my big brother into a hug, my head only reaching his chest. “I know, Ant. I got this. You taught me well.”
Anthony squeezes me tight before letting go. “See you soon, Sis. You’ll rock this. Just like everything else.”
“Love you, Ant.”
“Love you, Rai.”
I wave as he pulls away, hanging his head out the window like a fool. I got used to him not being around as much since he went off to college, but it was nice having him home.
Reality begins to set in as I turn and walk back to my room.
I’m alone here in this big city.
What was I thinking?
You were thinking what an amazing city New York is. The food, the culture, the art…
I jump when a group of guys hustle past me, and one of them elbows me in the side. He glances back, and our eyes lock for a brief second before he disappears around the corner.
My heart races, his intense dark eyes flipping my insides in circles. What?
Who was that?
I rub my arm and hurry back to my dorm. He could’ve at least apologized.
Those eyes. So dark.
Hmm, what’s he all about?
Pushing the thoughts aside, I focus on my footsteps. The dorm building is a flutter of activity as kids and parents move about, boxes and various items strewn everywhere. I take in my surroundings, the people watching in me coming out in full force. My best friend, Lori, knows all about one of my favorite hobbies. I dragged her to the mall time and time again to people watch.
I find people interesting. How they love, how they interact, how they fight. I picture them in different situations and let my imagination run wild as the stories form.
Which then inspired my lyrics.