1Chapter 1- The beginning
Bella
Our choices make us who we are; some significant choices lead to insignificant conclusions and sometimes some seemingly insignificant choices lead to the most significant instances in our personal history.
If someone had told me that my insignificant choices as a college freshman would change my life, I would not have believed them. Let's start with Orientation, who knew that the choices that I would make that day would have ramifications for the rest of my life, certainly not me.
August 22nd 2010
Sunday
It's move-in day. Today my life begins. Today I am a full grown adult.
These are the thoughts swirling in my brain as my parents dropped me off at school and helped me move into my traditional style, girls only, no air conditioning, dormitories at Nagler Hall in Manhattan, New York.
"Bella, are you sure This school is the right place for you?" Asks my dad, Charlie
"Yes Isabella, I would have hoped you'd choose the 'right' kind of school to meet the 'right' people, like perhaps Columbia." Remarked Renee in her typical WASPy, snooty manner.
"Well, mother, I would have perhaps gone to Stanford, or Berkely but weren't you the ones who wanted me to stay in the Tri-State area?" I bit back.
Renee Swan, daughter of William Vanderbilt, married to heir of Swan Industries, Charlie Swan were as WASPy as they came. Blue blooded, founding families, having lived on Winchester Lake, Connecticut for generations at this point, did not want their only daughter straying too far from home so they ensured that I only applied to colleges that were in the tri-state area.
As close as we live to New York City, I've only ever visited the city twice, well, without my parents at least.
"Well, Belly, take care of yourself, don't do anything I wouldn't do, and remember whenever you want to come home, I'll send Billy to pick you up." said my dad, kissing my forehead.
"Well dad, you realize that trains exist, right?" I remarked snarkily
"NO! I forbid you to travel by trains. Or eat Street Meat. And remember, even if we are no longer enforcing it, your curfew is still 9pm on school nights and 11 on weekends. Just because you're living in this city, does not mean you live like a heathen." Said Renee as she was climbing into the car. "Always remember who you are, Isabella Swan, don't let me down." is the last thing my mother said to me before leaving.
It's a weird feeling, the first time your parents drop you off at school. The reality is, they're not even 5 minutes away. They live an hour and a half away. Their rules sucked. I'm gonna miss them and yes, even their dumb rules, not that I plan on "behaving".
That evening, I went to my school's "Freshmen Dance Party" in the Dining hall. There, my roommate Jessica and I meet Angela and Lauren, also roommates. After dancing and food, Lauren decides that she wants to head to a club and test out her new fake. I don't have a fake and while Angela has one, she would rather not go out to a club. Jess, altho she has no fake, decides to tag along with Lauren.
Angela uses her fake to buy a bottle of cheap grocery store, chateau diane Merlot, that we sneak back to her room. Never having drank before, it doesn't take me too long to get drunk and pass out in Angela's room.
August 23rd
Monday
I wake up staring at the Empire State Building, never in a million years had I imagined this would be my view every morning- wait- you can't see Empire State from my dorm. Also, there is Air conditioning- my dorm definitely doesn't have AC. Panic sets in, unfamiliar city, unfamiliar room, and this unfamiliar pink duvet. Where in the world am I?
As I start to panic and look for my phone, in walks Angela holding a starbucks cup and a bagel as an offering.
"Sorry you were out cold and missed the first session of orientation- I brought you breakfast, hopefully you're not too hungover" she said, passing said breakfast to me.
"So, you didn't actually miss anything, Orientation is dumb anyway, wanna come to Washington Sq park with me and some of the other freshman?" She asked as I was leaving.
To skip or not to skip, now that is the question. Isabella Swan, daughter of Charlie and Renee Swan, would never in a million years skip something as essential as Orientation. But. I am not just Isabella Swan anymore. I'm Bella, the fun freshman who gets wine drunk and spends her first night away from home in a stranger's bed passed the f out. So i decided to Join Angela and the other Freshman, there's about 6 people including Ang and me who are skipping this orientation, Jasper Hale, Mike Newton, Bree Tanner, Adriana Duncan. Mike is flamboyantly gay with pink hair to match the stereotype and within the first 5 minutes of meeting him, I already know he prefers to bottom rather than top. Bree is constantly flirting with Jasper, who looks a bit uncomfortable, and Adriana and Angela are whispering like teenagers and giggling about something as I walk outside my dorm to join them.
Since the subway is super crowded, Jasper and I end up getting split from the rest of the group.
"Have you been to the city before?" I ask Jasper trying to make conversation.
"Yes, my brother lives here, you?" He asks back
"A couple times- I'm from Connecticut so it's not exactly far. Where are you from?" I ask
"Sunny, Southern California, Ma'am" he responds in an unusual southern accent.
"Your accent would disagree with you" I smirk and remark.
He gives a full belly laugh and responds, " Well I lived in texas with my Mama till I was 9 and then when Mama met my Dad, we moved to San Diego to live with him and his son, Ben. In fact, I think we might run into Ben today." he says almost mysteriously.
Before I can ask him any more questions, the train reaches our destination, and we must deboard.
Jasper ends up leading the group since he's been here more often than the rest of us. We get to the park and there is so much hustle bustle everywhere. There are chess tables where teenagers and Old men seem to be hustling each other, tables set up with New York Souvenirs, Skateboarders skating around the fountain and the giant fountain, right by the arch. Okay, it's not Giant but still.
"Wait, is this that fountain from friends?" Asks Bree
"Just because Friends was set in New York, doesn't mean that everything you see was part of the show." Responds Adriana, seemingly frustrated by this topic.
There is also a piano by the archway and the person playing sounds so talented. I follow the music towards the Piano. Next to the piano is a tall Asian man, wearing glasses and holding a hat. Jasper walks to the man, and decides for some reason to take all that cash instead of putting any in. Asian dude somehow knows this is gonna happen so he pockets the cash and flips his hat on his head before taking Jasper in a headlock, until Jasper yells mercy.
"Meet my brother Ben," he says to the group once he's released. "And also Edward" as the pianoman looks back and smiles crookedly at us.
Ding Ding Ding. If you asked an 18 year old me if she knew her life would never be the same from this moment onwards- she'd have scoffed at your face but since hindsight is twenty twenty, I, where I stand today can see that that's the decision that changed everything. Skipping Orientation or perhaps even passing out in Angela's bed or even drinking wine with her that night. Seemingly inconsequential decisions that lead to utterly prominent moments in your life.