The next morning, The house was buzzing with the chaotic energy of last-minute packing and hurried goodbyes. Her parents hugged her, her mom wiping away tears as if Kayla was moving away forever instead of just heading back to college.
"Make sure to eat properly, okay? And don't stay up too late!" her mom chided between sniffles.
"Yeah, yeah, mom. I'll be fine," Kayla replied, rolling her eyes with a smile.
Her dad gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Call us when you reach your apartment. And, Kayla, focus on your studies."
"Got it, Dad. Don't worry."
They went outside together and boarded into the family car. The drive to the airport was filled with her mom's non-stop reminders about safety, health, and everything else under the sun. Her dad just chuckled from the driver's seat, occasionally nodding along.
Once they arrived at the airport, her parents helped her with the luggage before giving her one last round of hugs. As she waved them goodbye, Kayla couldn't help but feel a slight heaviness in her chest. The comfort of home was something she would miss dearly. Her mom's home cooking is one of those things.
After checking in her luggage and passing through security, Kayla made her way to the boarding gate. She grabbed a quick meal to keep herself busy. Sitting by the large glass window overlooking the runway, she scrolled through her phone and sent a quick text to Laura, letting her know she was heading back to City T.
When it was finally time to board, Kayla found her seat by the window, buckled her seatbelt, and took a deep breath. As the plane taxied along the runway, she leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to calm her nerves. The subtle rumbling of the plane as it took off was oddly soothing.
The flight itself was uneventful, just the occasional sound of a crying baby and the clinking of food trays. Kayla spent most of her time looking out the window, her mind filled with thoughts of the upcoming semester and, of course, her ongoing online conversations with Matthew.
When the announcement came on that they were beginning their descent, Kayla sat up and stretched. The cityscape of City T unfolded beneath her like a sprawling maze, the familiar urban view making her feel both excited and nostalgic.
After landing and retrieving her luggage, Kayla exited the airport and hailed a taxi. The humid air of City T welcomed her along with the bustling city traffic. She gave the driver the address of her apartment, and as the car pulled away from the airport, Kayla leaned her head against the window.
The city passed by in a blur of tall buildings and crowded streets. Kayla felt a mix of relief and anxiety at being back. The comfort of her apartment and her normal routine was something she looked forward to, but at the same time, the thought of meeting Matthew in person one day was both thrilling and terrifying.
On the car ride, Kayla couldn't resist messaging Matthew.
[Kayla: Hey, I'm on City T now.]
[Matthew: Nice! Welcome back. Did you enjoy your vacation?]
[Kayla: Don't you know about it though?.]
[Matthew: just checking in on you. Have you eaten?]
[Kayla: yeah. Just the usual airplane food.]
[Matthew: Next time you'll fly out somewhere, you should bring some snacks. Trips are always fun when you have foods.]
[Kayla: You sound like a five-year-old.]
[Matthew: A five-year-old who appreciates good snacks.]
Their banter continued throughout her journey, helping distract her from her own nerves. By the time she arrived at her apartment, her phone was down to 10% battery, but her spirits were lifted.
"Here we are, ma'am," the driver said, breaking her conversation with Matthew.
Kayla paid the fare, grabbed her luggage, and stepped out of the taxi. She stared at the familiar apartment building in front of her and took a deep breath.
"Back to reality," she muttered to herself, forcing a small smile before heading inside.
Dragging her luggage through the entrance and into the elevator, she pressed the button for the 12th floor. While inside, she couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of relief and dread. Relief that she was back in familiar territory, but dread at the possibility of finally meeting Matthew. Sure, their conversations had been great online, but what if face-to-face interactions turned out to be an entirely different beast?
The thought lingered as she made her way to her inside her apartment, her fingers itching to type another message to Matthew but deciding against it. Instead, she focused on unpacking her things and getting herself settled in. But no matter how much she tried to distract herself, her thoughts always circled back to Matthew's suggestion.
Kayla sighed as she collapsed onto her bed. "Maybe... maybe I should just go for it."
Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Laura.
"Have you arrived?" Laura asked immediately as soon as the call connected.
"Yeah! Just now. How are things at your end?" Kayla expressed concern for her friend.
"Same as usual. Oh! by the way… I'll be filing my enrollment this coming Wednesday. I still have to process some papers which made me delay enrollment. What about you?" Laura shared, seemingly in distress.
"I'll be filing it this Tuesday. My mom just sent my enrollment tuition over. I'll probably go to the bank on Monday and head to school on Tuesday," Kayla reported as she walked to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.
"I see. Looks like I won't be able to accompany you. Take care then." Laura's voice was abruptly cut off by someone calling her name in the background. She quickly bid farewell to Kayla and ended the call.
"I guess Laura is super busy now that her father is preparing her for the company," Kayla muttered to herself, placing her phone down with a small, understanding smile. She didn't hold a grudge over the fact that Laura had to cut the call short.
Laura had always been the definition of a strong, independent woman. As the only daughter of a well-known food chain CEO, her life was practically written in stone since birth. It was expected that she would one day take over the family business, and her father wasted no time preparing her for that reality. Even back in high school, Laura's schedule was packed with business meetings, trainings, and networking events. Despite that, she always found time to be a loyal, overprotective friend to Kayla.
Kayla admired Laura's resilience. She was everything Kayla wasn't—confident, outspoken, a little bit wild, especially on the dancefloor and ruthless when necessary. But beneath her ironclad exterior was a genuinely caring friend who would drop everything to be there if Kayla ever needed her. It was one of the things Kayla loved most about Laura.
She let out a sigh, swirling the water in her glass absentmindedly. As much as she missed having Laura's company, she knew her friend was neck-deep in responsibilities. From what Laura mentioned before, her father had been slowly easing her into the company's operations. Training her to navigate the complexities of the corporate world, a world where mistakes weren't allowed, and expectations were always sky-high.
Sighing, Kayla stood up and dragged her suitcase back to the bedroom. She unpacked everything and neatly arranged her clothes in the wardrobe, making sure everything was in its proper place. Once done, she moved to her study desk to check her papers. Enrollment was drawing near, and there were a ton of requirements to prepare and paperwork to complete to officially enroll for the upcoming semester.