Chapter 2: Chaos in Calamity

“Elodie, I take it?” The green-eyed hottie smiled. God, even his teeth were perfect. All I could do was nod. Just breathe, Elodie. You’re fine. “The name’s Juda. I’d give you a hug, but uh…” Juda gestured to his shirt, somehow soaked with sweat, even though it was only about 80 degrees out here. “Performing will do that to you,” he joked, reading my mind.

“She’s not much of a talker,” Maggie butted in. Something about her tone felt condescending. The only thing I hated worse than humiliation was a savior complex, so I knew I had to say something. Come on, Elodie. Say something, anything!

“You guys were really good, by the way,” I mentioned. Anything but that.

“Thanks! Yeah, we’re actually in a band called Chaos in Calamity with two others. You’ll have plenty of chances to see us though, don't worry,” Juda winked.

“Who said I wanted to see you?” I shot back, suddenly feeling defensive of my pride. Blondie laughed before muttering something to Juda that I didn't quite catch. Something about me being “feisty.”

“Whatever, man,” Juda laughed, playfully pushing his friend. “Hey, we should get going so Mom doesn't combust over having dinner late again, but I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Blondie agreed. He left, walking in the opposite direction of where Maggie’s car was.

“Come on, kids, let’s roll,” Maggie said, fishing her car keys out of her purse and putting on a pair of sunglasses. Mind you, this is still Ohio, and in the hour that I’ve been here, I haven't seen the sun once. I didn't question her logic, though, and neither did Juda, who gave me one of those “don't mind her, she’s crazy” kind of looks before sending another smile my way. No. I can't do romance until I get my acceptance letter. I can’t get distracted again. I’ve already lost too much time fantasizing and wasting my energy on things that will only get in the way of my ticket to the Ivys.

So, I smiled back at him, making it look as friendly and platonic as I could. We both followed Maggie to her car, and since I technically wasn't part of the family, I let Juda ride shotgun. It didn't bother me much, especially since the term “out of sight, out of mind” really does apply to these two as they made conversation about random family gossip. I didn't have to talk the entire ride to their house, and I liked it that way.

As Maggie drove, the houses grew further and further apart from each other. We passed the occasional farm as we went deeper into rural Ohio. Nothing is more terrifying than rural Ohio to a city-slicker, and that’s the truth.

Finally, we pulled into the dirt driveway of a house that seemed to be on a few acres of land. Wait, I was staying here? Isn't there a horror movie that starts like this? What happens if someone gets hurt this far out in the middle of nowhere? Back home, I lived in an apartment with my mom, about a five minute walk from the nearest emergency room. Tons of people were around everywhere, but here, there’s no one. I prayed that the cell towers could reach all the way out here, but I was too nervous to check. Instead, we all got out of the car, and Maggie popped the trunk so I could get my bags.

I put on my backpack and was about to grab my suitcase, but Juda beat me to it.

“I got it,” he grinned.

“I can carry it just fine,” I argued, even though the bag was actually pretty heavy. As much as I didn't want to carry it, I had to make it seem like it wasn't an issue.

“No way L.A., I’m taking this one." I rolled my eyes at his comment. My reaction only caused his smile to grow. He effortlessly closed the door to the trunk before following his sister onto the front porch. The house looked cozy on the outside with a porch swing swaying in the wind on the edge of the porch next to the railing. I lagged slightly behind the two siblings as my stomach started to turn. Somehow, being here, having to live here, didn't feel real until this very moment. My heart pounded, and I wiped the sweat from my palms onto my black leggings while Maggie unlocked the door. Juda’s gaze lingered on me for a split second, and I wondered if he could tell how on edge I was.

The door swung open, and both Maggie and Juda wasted no time rushing inside. I, on the other hand, had to take a couple of breaths to ground myself before I crossed the threshold into my new home for the next few months. Before I had the chance to close the door behind me, I was enveloped in my second hug of the day.