6. Lara

Chapter 6

Lara

T his still doesn’t feel real. Have I really just landed in London ? Is it truly my new home for the foreseeable future? These questions play on an endless loop as I slowly make my way through customs and security with the other thousand people arriving in London today.?

Moving almost robotically, like cows in a milking line, the masses make their way through the welcome doors ahead of me. As I pass over the threshold, an overstuffed backpack over my shoulder and two books in my arms—because one is never enough—I hear shouting.?

From a distance, the shouting is indiscernible. I’m continuing my leisurely stroll into the terminal when the shouts sound again. I’m closer this time and can make out the word.

“Yoohoo!”

Who the fuck bought the guy from Frozen ?

The shout comes again, louder still. Curiosity gets the better of me. I look around the arrivals hall, and that’s when I see it. Harper and Mia are standing on a bench near the back of the room. Above their heads in lettering I’m certain would be visible from Mars is a sign reading ‘THAT’S MY GIRL’ in hot pink glitter.?

A squeal rings out through the airport when Mia’s eyes find mine, and all eyes turn towards my ridiculous friends.

My cheeks ache from how hard I’m smiling, even though they’ve embarrassed the shit out of me. The two of them look like absolute nut cases, but fuck, I love them. I pick up my pace, running at them as best I can with my monstrosity of a backpack in tow.

“Lara!” the girls yell in unison as they meet me halfway. Dumping my backpack in the nick of time, Mia launches herself at me. Thank god the girl is only 5ft with a tiny frame—she hits me with force. My attempt to catch her fails, and Harper collides with us.

The three of us hit the ground as one, resembling a twisted pile of limbs. Laughter bursts from all of us, mine almost hysteric. This is real.

I awaken with a start. Bolting upright, a level of uncertainty about my surroundings washes over me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, calming my breathing before I burst a lung. Slowly opening my eyes, I take in the space.

It’s dark. Heavy curtains hang drawn across a window to my left, rays of sunlight fighting a losing battle to break through the small gaps. A large, empty, built-in bookcase stands opposite me. Directly in front sits suitcases containing everything I own, waiting to be rehomed. My eyes roam to my right, and I see the entryway to my wardrobe and ensuite bathroom. The barn-style bedroom door next to this is closed, and I hear nothing but silence beyond it.

After my breathing and heart rate are under control, I lie back down. Staring at the ceiling, I grin to myself.

I’m home. My new home.

Feeling calmer than I did a few moments ago, I grab my phone off the bedside table. Damn, it’s 8:00am already. My feet drag across the floor as I make my way into my ensuite, and shudder when I see my reflection. Good god I need a shower, and perhaps a makeover. Mascara smudges underline my eyes, complimenting the bags perfectly. My hair, which had been nicely curled yesterday, now gives off Hagrid vibes rather than the desired Hermione at the Yule Ball.

Mia and Harper are off work today to help me unpack and settle in like the good little housemates they are. We’re hoping between the three of us, we can get most of it sorted today, leaving the weekend for sightseeing. Listening out, I’m greeted only by silence. I take that as a sign to have a quick shower and attempt to fix this mess.

The heat of the water streaming over my hair and down my body warms me from the inside out. I’ll regret washing my hair as soon as I’m out and spending half an hour blow-drying it, but right now, it’s exactly what I need.

Wrapping a towel around myself, I pop my earphones in and hit play on my current audiobook. Zade is doing unspeakable things to some lowlife as I stroll into the kitchen and run smack bang into Mia, who just stepped back from the cupboard.

“Ah!” Mia screams, and a cloud of flour plumes around us. It miraculously managed to miss our bodies, but it did hit almost every surrounding surface.

We stare at each other with wide eyes for a moment before bursting into laughter. Mia’s mouth hangs open as the laughter bursts from her in fits.

“Jesus fuck, you scared the crap out of me,” I respond, flour particles floating around us like snowfall.

As we pull ourselves together, Harper enters the kitchen and stops dead. Her eyes widen for a moment as they roam over the flour, settling back on us. Surprising me, Harper breaks into a wide grin. She lets out a slightly unhinged laugh before walking over to us.

“What on earth did you two do? I leave for five minutes to pick up coffees, and you’ve redecorated our kitchen as a winter wonderland.”

The three of us spend the next 15 minutes cleaning up our mess, all still laughing at our mishap. I’m still trying to remember the events of last night, but I’m coming up blank.

“Gals, I have a problem.”

Two pairs of eyes shoot in my direction as Mia and Harper pause, their brows dipping in confusion in unison.

“What the hell happened last night?” I ask. “The last thing I remember is dumping all of my belongings in my room, and then it’s blank.”

A moment passes, and both the girls grin. Harper breaks the silence.

“Lara, hon, that’s because you passed out moments after.”

“Welcome to jet lag, baby!” Mia adds, giving me a cheesy wink.

I’ve experienced jet lag previously, but damn it hit differently this time. I must have slept around 12 hours, which I’ve never done. I don’t even think I slept that long as a child. Actually, I definitely didn’t. My mother has spent many years reminding me of what a painful, sleepless child I was. A night owl from day one.

After a quick breakfast of homemade pancakes, courtesy of Mia and her latest fixation on cooking, we spend the rest of the day unpacking as much of my stuff as possible. By the time 6 o’clock comes around, we’ve achieved a lot: my books are restored to their former glory within the bookshelf, the smut, of course, having pride of place; my walk-in wardrobe is bursting at the seams from the sheer number of coats it’s holding. For someone who lived where it rarely went below 20 degrees, I certainly own a ridiculous number of coats.

Exhaustion gets the better of me, and before I know it, it’s 8 o’clock and I’m back in bed. As I snuggle into the blankets, I sigh. It’s been a long and tiring twenty-four hours, but it’s also been incredible. My cheeks hurt from the amount of laughter they’ve released. A sobering thought enters my mind: I don’t remember the last time I laughed so many times in such a small time frame. Being around Mia and Harper has me embracing a carefree feeling, a feeling that’s somewhat foreign to me.

The past six months have been a mental battle, to say the least. My friends back home are incredible, but they’re all beginning to head down their own paths. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so proud of them and endeavour to be each of their #1 cheerleader. But some days, it’s harder to do so than others.

I’ve felt so lost recently, living day to day. I’d find myself always being the first to reach out in my friendships, whether it was to check in or to make plans. Every so often, I wouldn’t. What happened then? We wouldn’t speak until I gave in and reached out eventually. I know and understand we all have our own lives and our own priorities, but it sucked to feel like they were higher on my priority list than I was on theirs.

I’ve only been here one day, but it feels like it’s meant to be .