For a Reason Chapters 1 and 2

Chapter 1

She was often someone who didn’t think much of herself, but, she knew that there were a lot of people out there- true friends, that did.  They thought the world of her.  Alexandria Hartley was a 22-year old who was finishing up college.  She was studying to be a writer in school, which meant a lot of English classes, and creative writing.  She was ok with that, and she enjoyed it.  Sitting at a desk typing, or sitting on her bed with a pad and pen was where she felt the most comfortable.  She would sit there with a cup of tea or coffee with some classical music or jazz and write till she could write no more.  She felt at peace with the world when she was writing.  She had even filled her summers with classes so she could be done with school.  She wasn’t overly fond of it.  She was always one who wanted to shake the dust from the school off her feet and move on to something better.  She hated having to do homework, and having to listen to teachers drone on about things she could really care less about.  She really disliked how serious everything was, and most of all, she hated that she had to take all those Core classes like Science and Math that she was never going to use, and were just a stumbling block for her. She also didn’t like being made to take a foreign language… She decided on Spanish when she really was forced to pick one… because she had taken it in high school.   That was really the only reason. 

Right now, she had just finished her last final for Spanish 3, which was, THANK GOD, the last foreign language class she had to take EVER.       She handed it in, with a smile, because she knew she did fine on the exam, and she would never have to see Mr. Esposito again.  He was nice enough, but he spit when he talked, assigned too much homework, and didn’t allow students- even though they were in college- to chew gum in class… She would have understood if it was Biology Lab… But Spanish? 

Anyway, she felt free as she gathered her stuff and put it into her pink damask rolling book bag.  Her step was bouncy and light.  She walked down the hall (that smelled suspiciously like green beans although the cafeteria was in the other building, at the far end, and there were no restaurants in the vicinity…) with wood doors that marked the classrooms, with sometimes, a drinking fountain, some lockers, a poster for something no one really cared about, an outdated payphone (who really uses those anymore anyway?!), or a bulletin board with-again- flyers for things no one really cared about… She actually had to laugh and roll her eyes.  She was SO over this. 

She had no more exams today, so she went home, to her little apartment, right off campus.  She had tried to make it a home, and had done a pretty good job.  Her apartment was mostly done in Target Modern with creative touches of Hobby Lobby thrown in the best places.  She actually lived alone, which was rare for a college student.  The reason she was able to afford such a nice place-all by herself- was that she had been writing for The Cincinnati Enquirer for years, even when she was in high school.  She was a regular columnist.  She also worked in the school cafeteria over the summer when no one else wanted to work there… She only had a few classes during that semester.  But, the real kicker in this was that she had just been paid an advance check for a novel she had sent in to Smith and Caine Publishers. They loved it.  And after a few edits, they were getting 100,000 copies ready to go. She was so excited, but she had been able to keep it a secret- for the most part… Her parents knew, and so did her sister, Alyssa… And her best friend, Maddy… But other than that, everyone was clueless as to where all this dough was coming from.  Her parents were paying for her to go to school, and they were very generous, as far as helping her furnish her place. She really didn’t plan to live there much longer though, which was a little sad, since she had just moved in 2 semesters ago… But, she knew that she was going to be in a better place, and she was going to have a little more money rolling in, so wherever she decided to live would be away from the school, and closer to wherever her dreams would take her. 

She really did like her apartment though… It was a creative place.  She dropped her brown, faux leather purse from New York and Co on the side table by her front door, shut and locked it behind her, and put her car keys in the black and white damask bowl from Hobby Lobby.  She had a whole collection of this stuff.  Ali sat down on the couch and sighed, getting into her rolling book bag, and getting out her laptop, which she had recently covered with a special laptop skin she had created and ordered.  It was hot pink with silver damask (there we go with that pattern again…) her favorite pattern.  It had her name engraved on it in fancy script.  Alexandria Renee Hartley.  She kind of liked the formality.  She thought it looked pretty on book covers too, which made her smile. I’m really doing it! I’m really a writer! A Novelist! And soon, I’ll be a freakin’ college graduate!!!!! She turned the laptop on, and plugged it in, waiting for it to boot.  She got up and went to the fridge to get a Dr. Pepper and some pretzels.  It wasn’t quite lunchtime… but she was starving… She had to wake up at 6:30 and eat at 7 to be at class by 7:30, and then, she had her Spanish exam, which had taken her about an hour and a half to complete… Which meant it was now a little past 9… Yes, it was not quite lunchtime… But she planned to eat a handful of pretzels to tide her over until lunch.  Then, later, she would meet her bestie for dinner at The Macaroni Grill.  Madeline Astor was always someone that Ali could turn to when she needed advice, but today, the two gals were just catching up.  It was always a party when they were together-no matter what they were doing.  Maddy was studying psychology at the same university as Ali.  She was quite good…Whenever Ali had a problem; she knew she could go to Maddy to get some resolution or comfort. 

They were totally different people, Ali and Maddy, but, they worked.  Ali was shy and moody, at times.  She had long, beautiful red hair that was the perfect shade.  She had put blonde highlights in it about a year ago, and since it worked for her, she continued to do it.  Since she was what her mom called: a closet rebel, she painted her nails black, or in wild colors that looked like they were engineered by the folks at a highlighter company.  She had her ears pierced twice, and usually wore some kind of black stud in the top piercing, and a dangly one for the originals… She would never tell her mother, or gasp, her father (moreover) that she had a small tattoo on her hip- of a star.  It was just something fun to do over a weekend…

Maddy was prim and proper.  She looked like she was a modern version of someone out of a Jane Austen book.  She was lithe and blonde- her hair wispy and romantic.  She had a fair complexion.  She was always put together.  She was kind of preppy/chic in her wardrobe, and she wore a lot of neutrals and pastels.  Maddy was ready for sundress weather.  She loved to look feminine.  Her nails were usually in a shade of pink, manicured perfectly.  She loved to look girly, but grown up.  Madeline had just about every color cardigan sweater in the book, and ballet flats to match.  Ali’s favorite on her BFF was a dusty rose-colored quarter-sleeved cardi with pearl buttons, and a bow by the neck.  It was adorable. 

Maddy was nothing like the somewhat rebellious Ali, which was good, because they balanced each other; rubbed off on each other…  Ali shook her head with a smile, sipping her pop, checking her email.  Nothing exciting… Mostly emails from her Facebook and Twitter accounts… So, she got into Word and started typing in hyper speed.

 

               Chapter 2

When Ali wrote, she felt like she was the only girl in the world, so that world was her’s.  She loved that she could control the environment.  She loved the clacking of the keys as she typed, and the slight scratch of her pen hitting notebook paper.  Sometimes, she wrote on napkins, or on the back of takeout menus, receipts from Deb, or on the back of a flyer that had been put on her car in the school parking lot.  She carried a cute little notebook with her pretty much all of the time.   But, in her large purse that she carried when she was going a lot of places- she carried whatever regular notebook she was writing in at the moment.  Right now, the one in her purse was a One-Subject 70-pager with a cover which showed enlarged, colored cassette tapes… a Target purchase that her sister, Alyssa had pointed to one day when they were in desperate need of retail therapy. 

Alyssa was a great “baby” sister.  In reality, she was only 4 years younger than Ali.  Alyssa hated that their parents had given them names that sounded alike.  Ali guessed that it was probably because everyone called Alyssa Alice because it wasn’t Ali- which was already taken…by herself… She could have gone by Alex, but her parents didn’t want her to have a boy’s name… Ali let Alyssa call her Alex, to help ease that tension.  Alyssa was going to come over after school the following day.  They were going to go to T.G.I. Fridays for appetizers and dinner. Her sister went to high school and was a senior.  She had medium-length, dark brown hair, which she had dyed recently to have some light brown streaks.  She was adorable. She wasn’t tall, but she wasn’t short either, like Ali, and Maddy… She wore mostly darks and neutrals, like Navy Blue, Hunter Green, Maroon, Brown, Black, Charcoal Grey, Plum… You get the picture.  Ali wasn’t really sure, however, if she was choosing to wear them, or if she just bought them because it was very convenient to buy things that matched with everything.   Alyssa was only 18, so it was a tad unfair to drop her into a style genre… At 18, you don’t know who you are yet, even if you think you do.  Ali remembered when she was 18.  She had liked writing, and she wanted to pursue it as a career, but, she got scared, and almost thought that nothing she wrote was actually any good, and almost bought a $1,000 camera and became a photographer.  She really had no idea why she almost abandoned everything to do that, but, she was glad where she was able to get a digital camera, take pictures, AND write novels…

She was happy that for Christmas that previous year, she had been given a very nice, almost-professional camera with lenses and everything!  To make a little money over the last few months, she had taken some wedding pictures for a couple whose photographer had backed out at the last minute… And she had taken pictures for her sister’s Senior Portraits when the package didn’t get them everything they needed.  She did that for a few other people too, and they were most grateful.  She was the multi-talented girl.  She was bright and vivacious. And, she knew that one of these days, she would be a well-known novelist.  She was already on her way.

 

Madeline Astor was happy when her phone buzzed and it was Ali.  They had been friends for what seemed like a millennia.  In actuality, it had been about 12 years. Her best friend had texted, “I’ll be there in 10.  This traffic is horrible.  I’ve seriously been sitting here for 2 minutes without moving a single inch. GRR! Don’t they know that I have to go see my bestie and they’re holding me back?! People! Gosh! LOL….”

Maddy laughed at Ali’s mirth in this situation and responded with, “True that!  Just promise me you won’t text while you’re ACTUALLY driving. I really wouldn’t like to go to your funeral. Black isn’t my color.”

A few seconds later, she got back, “ Ok.”

When Ali got there, they both laughed, and shook their heads.  Ali looked gorgeous today.  She always did, truth-be-told, even though her best friend didn’t see it.

Ali’s chestnut hair was braided close to her head like a crown with the loose wisps of hair were curled.  She was wearing a dress, which was rare, and only for special occasions. It was a royal purple color with an asymmetrical neckline and she wore a pretty black belt around her tiny waist. She was wearing purple stilettos and a big smile on her face.  Ali obviously noticed Maddy noticing her attire. “Yeah, I look like a grown-up today!”

               “Any particular reason why?” Madeline raised an eyebrow.  They were seated in a booth with candles on the table, and white wine in the glasses.  Maddy had taken the liberty of ordering it because she knew that’s what Ali would want.  She was proven right when her best friend took a grateful sip and smiled.  “Well….” She had a slight deviousness to her voice. “I sent in a rough draft of a book I’ve been writing to my editor and publisher… They LOVE it… and they think it’s gonna be a hit.”

               “That’s awesome!  That’s so awesome!  What’s this one about? Have you talked to me about it?”

               “Not really…. I wanted to keep it to myself because I had a good feeling, but, I was paranoid about it… It’s about this group of ladies who came to this transitional home to find peace, and to get back on their feet, but, weird things keep happening… They get freaked out… A few leave… More come because they don’t know any better, and then, the ones who knew better and didn’t say anything get attacked by this bogey man with a chainsaw.”

Maddy was both enthused, and freaked out… “Really?! That seems a little scary and morbid… but very interesting….”

Then, Ali burst out laughing.  “No. Just kidding. The story is about a struggling writer who is trying to find the perfect kind of book to write, and that was one of the scenarios that she puts down on paper that ends up making it to the bookshelves of mystery and horror-lovers everywhere. Do you remember when I showed you that Audrey Hepburn/ Bill Holden movie, Paris When It Sizzles about that script-writer?”

               “I do.  It was a very interesting, if-not-slightly-confusing movie.  Is that what line you followed with the story?”

               “Pretty much.  My publisher thinks it’s ingenious.”

               “I’d love to read it, if you don’t mind.”

               “It’s only a rough draft, but, I thought you’d like to have this.” She put her black leather bag in her lap, and took out a bound-at-Fed-Ex/Kinko’s copy of her latest work of art, handing it to her friend with a chuckle.

Maddy couldn’t contain her excitement.  Her BFF was a great writer…better than Ali herself even admitted.  And to be given a rough-draft of something that only a few eyes had seen was an honor.  She took it into her grasp with the loving care of a fine piece of china or a beloved toy or something and looked at her friend with pride. “Thanks, bestie.  I really appreciate this honor.”

At that, Ali made another mischievous smile. “Your copy was the first I made… I wanted you to have the first…I actually wanted you to be the first to read it, but they kept pestering me at work… So, I had to capitulate. Read the dedication…”

Maddy smiled and obeyed with a look of genuine pleasure.  It said, “To Maddy, because you found me when no one was looking; when I was invisible… and you’ve never stopped loving the nerd that is me.  You’re the best friend anyone could ever have!  Thank you for your faith in me. I LYLAS; Ali.”

At that, Madeline Astor felt tears in her eyes of emotion-at knowing how her best friend felt about her.  It was really something… and they hugged fiercely.