3. Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Alisha
T he next day, Ophelia was nursing a slight headache and I was tidying up the kitchen. We’d gone a bit overboard with the snacks so I was busy throwing empty packets away and swiping up the crumbs.
It was about eight o'clock in the morning and after a restless night of sleep, I felt I needed to get up earlier. I had already gone through two cups of coffee and tried not to laugh as Ophelia let out a groan.
“Need some painkillers?” I offered, throwing the packet to her which she caught with one hand just about. She grumbled a thanks as she took two tablets and gulped a glass of water. She then placed her head back on the pillow and sighed. I was glad to say I hadn’t followed Ophelia’s lead last night in drinking a few more glasses of wine. I think I just felt so anxious about the trip that it couldn’t leave my mind.
My friend soon fell back asleep and I knew it would be rude of me to wake her, so I made some breakfast and started planning my article in advance. I turned on my laptop and stretched out my fingers in front of me.
I was frantically typing away some notes, having come across the official Ischgl promotion Instagram account. I watched a few ski videos and huffed as I would never be at a professional level. My dad would probably laugh at the idea, as when I was little, I would barely leave his side to go to my swimming lessons.
Dear Heaven, what was I getting myself into?
I glanced at my empty cup and decided another round of coffee would do. It was now 10:30 am and Ophelia was finally starting to stir from her slumber.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty.” I switched on the coffee maker and as it whirred to life, Ophelia stretched out her arms and stuck her tongue out at me.
“Mmm. God, what a headache. Oh, are you making coffee? Gimme.” She threw the blanket off her and instantly it was as if her headache had disappeared as she skipped over to me. Chou hopped onto the counter and nudged her for a stroke. She gladly obliged and scratched him under the chin. His tail swished from side to side.
Oh, I so wished I could take Chou on the holiday. I needed my comfort and his gentle purrs.
Our coffees were ready within a few minutes, and we comfortably sat at the dining table, staring out into the street bustling with busy shoppers, dog walkers and excited children on scooters.
I was pulled away from my thoughts when Ophelia spoke, “Have you heard much from Caden?”
Hearing his name caused my heart to beat rapidly, the dreaded ex. We split up about six months ago but he still tried to talk to me. He would text me to say he missed me and asked if we could try again. Fat chance at that, the guy had cheated on me with one of my so-called friends, Felicity. I had tried to cut ties with the pair, which absolutely broke my heart. Now, I closed myself off and the idea of falling for someone again seemed far-fetched.
“Nope. I’m just going to continue to ignore him. He doesn’t dictate my life anymore,” I said truthfully, taking another sip of my creamy coffee. I couldn’t lie though, I sometimes missed being adored. The sex itself had been good but clearly not good enough for him to go and sleep with Felicity. She had grovelled for the first month but clearly, I hadn’t meant much to her as she stopped contacting me. Losing a friend had hurt much more. It was a whole other level of pain and it took me a while to get through it.
“Too right. Time to start loving yourself now, Ali. You are so much better than that idiot,” Ophelia said, and I was grateful for her presence. She always knew how to pull me out of the hole I buried myself deep into. Some days, I had just wanted to stay hidden, but Ophelia was determined to keep me in the open so that I could slowly start to heal.
“Thanks.” And I meant it. We finished our coffees and decided perhaps a few hours of shopping would be good. I definitely needed to buy ski-appropriate clothing; I’d rent the skis whilst I was out there as well as the helmet and poles. I could picture myself now on the slopes, probably having a Bridget Jones moment.
The next few hours went by quickly and after selecting a few pairs of trousers, socks, zip-up jackets and a few wool hats, Ophelia and I sat down in the nearest cafe with the cutest name, Teacup O’ Delight . It was a small but adorable business, with a soft pink roof and a glossy white entrance door that rang a bell as you entered. The seats inside were plush, a mixture of white and pink. The tables also had patterns of roses and love hearts, and I always took great care whenever I went there, avoiding any spills of my hot drinks.
The name was fitting as we had our steaming cups of lattes topped with cream in front of us, with mini gingerbreads on the saucers. Christmas music was playing in the background and the cafe was busy for a Saturday afternoon.
We sipped our coffees and reminisced about the previous week of work, which had been a little quiet. We had some competition with the other local journalist company Capture and they were known for their swanky, lavish building and upend customers. We targeted all demographics, and I found we were much more unique. Our articles were from personal experiences and I was about to go on a scary one.
“Do you think you’ll get a promotion?” Ophelia placed her teacup down and bit into her mini gingerbread head first. Poor little guy.
“I hope so, I feel it’s about time, so this article has to be good though. It could make or break me. I still can’t believe we’re even going.” I grimaced and finished my coffee, trying to shake away the anxiety.
You’ll be fine, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.
“Hey, enough with the worrying. You do it too much that you’re starting to get wrinkles, Ali.” Ophelia frowned, and maybe she was right. I spent most of my time panicking about what hadn’t even happened yet, but my brain was programmed that way, it had been for most of my teenage and adult years.
“Got any tips?” I questioned, anything to stop my mind from going overboard.
“Full of them. But you know me, I always say meditation is the best. You should try it later,” Ophelia suggested. I pondered on the idea and agreed that maybe I would.
“Ready to go?” I asked my friend, just as she was finishing her coffee.
“Yes, I think I’ll head back home and call my family,” Ophelia said and I nodded. I would also do the same as Saturday was the day I’d usually call them. I gave Ophelia a hug as we said goodbye and with my shopping bags, I walked home and contemplated how exactly to break the news to my family.
Arriving home in less than ten minutes, I was immediately called by my older brother, Zane, who was in the process of fixing his hair. He was a 6’1’’ professional hockey player and always wanted to look his best. He was twenty-seven with dark, brown eyes and a sharp jawline. As the eldest, he was the one we’d look up to as a role model.
“Hallo behne, everything okay?” he asked with a slight frown as I was chewing my lip. I placed my shopping bags on the sofa. I’d carried the bags in one hand to take the FaceTime call. I rested my phone on the kitchen table and filled Chou’s bowl with some cat food. Due to there being no garden, he had to stay indoors. He had his litter box and I was very glad that he hadn’t made any mess. There were occasions where I’d come back home, and he had left a special surprise for me on the kitchen floor. Once satisfied that Chou was happy, I picked up my phone to focus on my brother.
“Totally fine. Are the others joining us?” I sat on the sofa and propped my feet up on the coffee table, my slippers already donning my feet.
“Nahi, they’re busy,” Zane said, and just as he said this, our little sister Kiya popped up on the screen. She had long, curly hair and had a personality that could melt butter. She had only just turned twenty-one recently and was due to finish university in the summer. She was studying Archaeology and had been fascinated with rocks and fossils from a young age. For her fifth birthday, my parents bought her her first fossil brush, which she took with her everywhere. It was adorable and another reason why I admired our parents, as they understood our passions and nurtured them from a young age.
“I’m here!” Kiya waggled her fingers excitedly and turned the screen to show her housemates as well, who waved at us.
“So guys, I have something to tell you,” I said, suddenly feeling a little nervous. I clasped my clammy hands together and tried to shake off the bubbling anxiety that was building up. I tried to use the techniques my therapist had taught me a few years ago, hoping my anxiety wouldn’t flare up again.
Deep breaths, one, two, three.
Both my siblings paused what they were doing and stared at me, waiting patiently for my next words.
“We are seated,” they both said and I laughed before continuing. Maybe my nerves were easing up now. It helped to talk to my family, and they understood me as best they could.
“So, my boss has asked me to write an article.”
“Finally. What will it be about?” Zane asked, his eyebrow slightly raised.
“Austria. And I have to go there next week,” I said and then waited for their response. They both took a moment to take in the news and then the two of them simultaneously started asking questions about the whole trip, who would be going with me and for how long.
“We’re proud of you, Ali. Just so you know,” Kiya said and I almost wanted to reach through the screen to hug her, if I could. They definitely needed to come up with a device like that one day.
“Thank you. How do you think Mum and Dad will react?” I played with a loose thread hanging off my top and then looked back at my siblings on my phone.
“They’ve always said you needed an adventure, didi,” Kiya said and Zane nodded in agreement.
“Absolutely. It’s only two weeks and you’ll be back before Christmas. This is the boost you need, Ali,” Zane replied. After ten more minutes of chatting, I felt a little better. Everything will be fine.
It wasn’t long before dinner rolled around, and Chou was curled up on my lap, his belly exposed for lots of rubs. I was happy to oblige and could feel the rush of endorphins through me.
“Can you come with me to Austria, Chou?” And in response, he let out a small meow. I wasn’t sure whether this was a yes or no, but it was nice to know he could understand me and my feelings right now. One of my siblings would need to look after him whilst I was gone, which I knew Kiya would volunteer for as she was on her Christmas break from next week.
“You’ll be fine,” I whispered to myself, hoping that these words would ring true next Thursday when I got on the plane. I needed to put the past behind me. Enough thinking about Caden, about Felicity. They didn’t deserve a place in my head anymore.