Brooke has always been the shoulder I lean on when I struggle to hold myself up. She always knows the right things to say, or when to say nothing at all. She was a safe space for anyone who needed her. Not a single mean bone in her body. If Angels are real, she's got to be one. She's the light in my darkness. I couldn't remember the last time I let someone hold me and comfort me after one of my nightmares.
"Thanks for being here with me tonight, really, I don't think I'd be as okay as I am if you weren't here."
"I'm here whenever you need me to be." Brooke responded with her gentle and supportive smile.
"Finish that, it really does stink." Brooke said giggling "We need our beauty sleep tomorrow's a big day with a lot to do."
"You're right" I said putting the joint out "Let's go."
Brooke and I head back inside and crawl back into bed. I fall into a much needed deep sleep in the arms of my best friend.
***
"You sure you guys aren't gay?"
Are the first words that I hear when I first open my eyes.
"Fuck off Josie." I said pulling the blanket in closer.
I see a flash of light "No for real girl. You and Brooke hiding things from me?" She laughed.
"Meredith, I think your daughters queer like me! I indoctrinated your daughter!"
"Good, no more boys" my father Joseph yelled back.
"You jealous Brooke likes me more?" I teased back.
"You bitch." She laughed.
"You guys are so loudddddd" Brooke whined pulling her arm away from me.
"What time is it?"
"Time to get up and get ready to go cause we've got shit to do and places to go."
Josie demanded. "Move. Move. Move." She said clapping her hands.
"I've got coffee, come down before it gets cold." My dad shouted from downstairs.
"Ugh." Brooke and whined at the same time.
"Seriously though, looks how cute you guys are?" Josie teased showing me the photo of Brooke and I snuggled in each others arms.
"You're ridiculous, why does everything have to be about sex?"
"Why can't it be?" Josie asked heading into the bathroom to wash up.
"You're such a man."
"Get ready, don't make me man-handle you." Josie teased.
Brooke and I work our way out of bed and downstairs to grab coffee.
"Happy 21st Birthday baby!!!!" My mom and dad came rushing up to me, my mom embracing me tightly. "I can't believe you were born 21 years ago today."
"Thanks mom and dad." I responded hugging her equally as tight.
"I can't breathe, you're choking me." My mother said tapping my back.
"Opps sorry." I laugh.
"Happy Birthday Sweety." My dad says hugging me, "Here's for spending."
Stuffing money into the back of my shirt.
I shift around tickled by the bills, before they fall to the ground.
"Did you just give her money?" My mother said side eyeing my father.
"Come on Sammy, let's go potty." I escape before it turns into a showdown of who loves me more.
Grabbing a blanket from the linen closet and taking my coffee onto the back porch with Sammy I lean against the wooden post, it was chilly, I could see the hot steam rising from my cup. Holding it with both hands to keep them warm as I sip.
It was a blissful moment.
"Hey." Josie said walking out the backdoor
A blissful moment ruined.
"Hey." I said sipping my warm coffee.
"I didn't know you were still having nightmares." She said her voice racked with guilt.
"They're not that bad." I say dismissing it. "I promise."
When did I become such a big fat liar?
"You're lying." She said in a low voice.
"I am" I admitted.
"Why?" She asked pain in her voice.
"Because talking about it affects others, keeping it to myself affects me." I said.
"I didn't think it was possible for such a selfless sounding sentence could be so
selfish." She sounded kinda annoyed.
"Just drop it, okay? It's my birthday, where's my happy birthday? Why an interrogation instead?"
"Wowww" she rolled her eyes. " Happy Birthday you selfish little brat." She said pulling me in for a hug, and she reaches up to tousles my hair. Josie was short, a solid 5'3. I was 5'9, which was kind of tall for a girl.
"Wow sounds so genuine." I said sarcastically shoving her, smelling some of my coffee on my hands.
"Tsss Ow." I hissed, memories from my nightmare flooded my mind, it was the sound of the mug shattering on the wooden porch bringing me back.
A single tear slipped from my eyes unknowingly.
"You're crying? It's just a mug."
I quickly wipe the tear and sniffle, "No, it's just the cold air. Sorry. Mom can I get a broom? Josie made me drop my mug."
"I did not! Don't pin your clumsy butterfingers on me."
"You girls. It's amazing you two still have a neck with how often you go at each others throats." My mom said coming out with a broom, laughing.
"Thanks mom. It's cause Josie has a thick man's neck. Wishes she had my delicate framed neck."
"You shit," Josie said attempting to smack me, but I use the broom to block her hit.
"Go upstairs and get ready, you need to hit the road before morning traffic on CA 299." My mom said "I got the clean up, your dad will make you a cup to go."
"Kay" I say turning inside to pack and get ready.
I hurry up the spiral staircase, and Brooke was finished getting ready walking out of the bathroom.
"I'm gonna meet you ya downstairs, I'm hungry." Brooke said.
"Kay, see ya down there."
Closing the door behind her, pull out a pair of my warm fleece leggings and a hoodie that has a cute teddy bear sleeping on the front. I put on a little make up and fix the braid Brooke did. I go through my clothes and pack up the new clothes I just bought, along with my shoes and make up. "Are you done yet?" Josie yelled from the stairs "You've been up there for a century."
"I'm coming, I'm coming, Jesus." I yell down to her. Before leaving, I pack my paint supplies too, never know if I'll get a chance to find something to paint.
"I love it when you tell me your cuming." She joked.
"You're so gross." I yell down grabbing my bags and exiting my room.
"I'm ready, stop nagging."
"Well don't take so long and I won't nag." Josie teased.
"I'm gonna kill you before we even leave and give my mom your ticket." I said sharply glaring at her.
"I'm offended." Josie joked acting like she was taken aback by my comment.
"When are you getting an agent so you can work on your acting career." I teased back rolling my eyes.
"Get in the car, loser." Josie said "Bye, Meredith, bye Joseph, I'll see you tomorrow night!"
"Bye Josie, bye Brooke. Bye baby" my mom said giving me a big hug. "You better go out there and have the best Birthday ever."
"You betcha, I'm going now bye mom, bye dad!"
I leave waving bye, probably the goofiest smile I've ever had. Honestly this is one of the most exciting moment of my life. My first road trip, my first concert. I haven't been to the beach since I was a kid.
Taking off I continue to wave until we turn the corner and they're out of sight.
Looking over to Brooke who was driving and Josie kicked back in the backseat I could feel a huge smile creep up my face.
I was so excited I could barely contain myself. I pull my phone out and start recording the mountain drive for my TikTok followers.
I was pretty famous for my photography and painting. I did a lot of elapsed footage of my painting as I do them and photography of plants and wildlife. I like to show a lot of growth in nature. If people at school knew it was me, they'd probably freak, half the students are desperate to meet me or buy my art. I've never showed my face though, I've managed to keep my identity a secret, I want the focus to be of my art, not the artist. Filming the drive and waves and beach will be great. I really hoped to find something to paint.
"Ohh I love this song." Josie yelled sitting up quickly in the backseat jumping between the two front seats to climb in with us to turn the song up.
It was Gwen Stefani's "Banana's. Josie started bouncing and dancing in the backseat shaking her head.
Brooke and I join in and scream "This shit is bananas. B. A. N. A. N. A. S." After the song is over we all laugh together.
"I love you guys." Josie said hooking both me and Brooke in her arms. "Thanks for indulging me with that."
"Love you too." We say back.
Shuffling between songs the trip when pretty quickly. In only 3 hours with traffic we made it to Eureka.
The city was cute, it was such a harbor village. Old Victorian Era architecture. It was stunning.
I wonder if I could do an elapse short about the harbor.
I was so excited to visit the galleries and some of the cute cafes.
"This is amazing I'm so excited." Josie said looking around "The selfies I'm going to get here will definitely go viral."
This place was perfect.
We pull up to a little hotel, it was Carter House Inn. The building was also an old Victorian style, painted pale yellow with a burnt orange trim. It was truly adorable.
"It's so wonderful. Here I wonder how the rooms look?" Brooke staring up at the magnificent building before us.
"I'll have to call my mom and thank her later, she really outdid herself finding this place and renting us a room."
Grabbing our bags we hurry inside, impatient for the days events.
"Welcome to the Historic Carter House Inn, do you have a reservation?" The receptionist behind the counter asked.
"Yes under Kinsington." Brooke answered stepping forward.
She was always the adult between the three of us.
"Yes I see you here, the Grand Suite. This way please."
The woman takes us up the stairs two flights and arrives at a white door.
"This is your room, I'm Helen, if you need anything theres a house phone in the room you can make Outbound calls and you can call the front desk, the Wi-Fi password is in your welcome package by the phone." Helen said "Any questions?"
"Nope thank you!" Brooke said before closing the door.
The room was stunning. Natural real hardwood floors. There was a kitchenette with a small microwave oven and a stove. There was a glass cabinet above the sink that was filled with white porcelain dishes. The bed was shite with green pillows a white canopy was draped over the bed. There was a soft felt pull out couch with a large TV in the living space. The doors that separate the bedroom from the living room were white glass panel doors and green curtains that matched the pillows on the bed.
"Okay Meredith I see you, call her right now." Josie said.
I pull out my phone and dial my mother. I reach her voicemail. "Hey mom, the room is amazing thank you so much. I promise to make the most of this trip. We love you, give dad a hug and kiss for me."
The possibilities felt limitless. There was so much to see, so little time.
"Let's go to an art museum, and then a café. After that we can do the beach, come home and clean up and get ready for the concert and grab dinner on the way?" I asked "Sound like a plan?
"Let's get changed." Brooke said excitedly.
We get changed. I wear a pear of black jeans and a an off white button up shirt, that hung loosely to my body. My shirt had cute little giraffe's all over it. I had a brown leather jacket with matching brown leather boots. I put on a black belt and a black leather over the shoulder satchel bag.
Releasing the braid, left my hair in beautiful wavy curls that cascaded down my back.
"Wow girl, you're gonna break some necks for sure." Josie said looking at me she was sporting a black bomber jacket and a white crop top with a pair of joggers and boots. Her usual alt self.
Brooke had on her usual pastels or nudes. She was wear a long pink shirt like dress that was tied in a knot at the bottom just above her knees. She had on a pair faded black stockings, brown boots a long brown cardigan. She had a bag made of straw.
None of us looked liked we'd ever be friends just by looking at us, all of us had our own unique look and vibe we brought to the table.
"Shall we ladies?" Josie asked.
"To the museum!" I say
As we walk to the museum we admire the city by the bay. Some of the streets were still made of brick. They had lanterns instead of street lights. The neighborhood was so quaint.
Getting more into the urban areas the streets became more cement, but the buildings still look pretty old. Maintaining the same image. I pul out my phone and start snapping photos and doing slow-mo video. It will be easier to edit later if id that now.
The museum wasn't far from the hotel and neither was the beach.
Because we're art students, we get into art museums for free, no admissions fee.
The museum was filled with local artist's paintings, seeing some with such beautiful shades of blue when painting the ocean. They brought out deep feelings from inside me.
Josie got bored pretty quickly so she was moving us through the museum pretty quickly. It was hard to focus and then I stumbled on this winter image of an angel.
And it took my breath away. I couldn't stop staring, I was practically gawking. I felt this since of longing and homesickness while I gazed at the painting. I had to restrain myself from reaching out to touch it. I've never felt this way looking at art.