Can't See Straight

Coffee. The wonderful liquid that kept Kitty awake in the morning and made her a functional person. Without it she was a miserable zombie who didn’t want to be spoken to, but once she had that first sip she was ready to face the world.

The coffee cart was draining her bank account day by day. Of course she had coffee back in her dorm, but it was the instant stuff that was almost chewable. It hit the spot on those late nights she was staying up and studying but in the morning she wanted the good stuff. It was overpriced coffee, prices hiked up for college students in need of a fix, willing to pay whatever was needed. But she ignored the expensive price tag. Just how she did with every luxury in her life. Clicking checkout in a heartbeat when a new game was released or tapping away when she spotted a headset she liked in a shop.

Moving away from home had given her that independence she craved for so long. She loved her grandmother deeply, but there were times she felt suffocated by her love. The need to wrap the girls in cotton wool, terrified something bad would happen to them, as it had their mother. Kitty needed to move away from Atlanta though. The city only had a handful of woods nearby that she could roam through on a full moon. Whitmore however offered her endless space and a peace of mind that she wouldn’t bring harm to her family.

With her latte wedged firmly in her right hand she started to make her way back to her dorm, blowing lightly into the hole in the lid as the liquid warmed the cardboard. She took a few sips, the coffee still scolding hot inside. As she made her way past the benches she spotted another female with a map, wearing a lost expression. “Hey… are you lost?” She spoke as she approached the stranger.

MANDY REID

Moving from a city college to a campus college was a big change. At least for Kitty. Everything she needed was on her doorstep, including the expensive coffee cart, which was very strategically placed. Students needed their coffee, and they were here to provide at inflation, for which the wolf was willing to tap for.

Still, at least there weren't clothes shops surrounding her, pulling her in every five minutes to look for a new outfit for an impending night out. Instead, she would have to travel into Mystic Falls for anything substantive. Even then, the shops were lacking. All of them had that small hometown vibe to them, with rails that looked like they hadn’t been updated in months. The same top hung on the same hanger for weeks on end until someone finally caved and bought it. It wasn’t just the shops that she missed about Atlanta. And it was the liveness of the streets. Every night something was happening somewhere. Bars and restaurants were busy from open until close. Like with all major cities, it was a place that never stopped. Even at 3am things were still ticking over.

Over in Mystic Falls though, there was just one nightclub and one bar, but it didn’t stop Kitty from having fun. Always the type of person to take everything in her stride, even when she lost her eye. It was just one of those things, and she needed to push on with life. Albeit, she didn’t walk out of the hospital days later with a smile plastered across her face, happy about what happened. There was an adjustment period for her, as she came to terms with the fact she could only see out of one eye.

With her cup of coffee in hand, she approached the lost-looking girl, as she was tossing the map in the bin. “I spent weeks getting lost around here. There are so many floors inside so many buildings” She made the mistake of leaving her dorm on her first day 10 minutes before class started. She needed at least 20 minutes to find the building, the floor, and the room. By the time she arrived there 30 minutes had gone by and Kitty lingered outside wondering whether she should brave it and head inside. To be that person who's late. She opted to trawl back to her face and save face.

But 12 months had passed now, and Kitty was starting to call Whitmore College her home. Everything was slotting into place nicely, bit by bit.

“I’m Kitty!” English lit? A low hum came from her mouth as she pondered, “Gotta be honest I have no idea where English Lit is but…” She dug her hand deep in her jeans pocket, retrieving her phone in an instant. Kitty unlocked her phone, tapped away before tilting the screen towards Mandy, “There is an app you can download that shows you an interactive map of the campus. Was easier to follow than the paper one” She tapped a few more times, “So apparently English Lit is in that building over there” Her right eye lifted from her phone, gazing off into the distance as she pointed towards one of the buildings up ahead, “The one on the left just up there”


MANDY REID

Despite being the youngest she was the first to flee the nest. There was a pang of heavy guilt resting on her shoulders as she left her grandmother behind, but at least her sisters had stayed put. Keeping their grandmother company if anything. It was apparent from a young age Kitty would be the first to leave. She was the one always itching for adventure, keen to explore beyond the city and America one day. For Kitty, Atlanta was somewhat tarnished. It was the place where she was bit and the place where she killed someone.

Her grandmother told her to take baby steps instead of jumping on a plane to Spain. Move to Mystic Falls first, see how that worked out then maybe venture further out. Being homesick was something that rarely struck her, possibly because she could be back with her family in no time. The first few days at college were somewhat lonely. Joining the college in her second year was daunting, as most people had already well-established friendship groups from their first year. Even in her classes, people stuck to their own group of people, but Kitty bit the bullet within a few days and started to approach people. Striking up a conversation about anything and everything. For some, they would engage in politeness, but most other students were forthcoming. Especially the ones who had been thrown in the same boat as Kitty. Miles away from home with no connections.

“Oh god no. The place is an absolute maze. So many buildings and corridors and… it’s massive” Okay perhaps it wasn’t massive but it was a damn sight bigger than her old college.

She took a sip of her coffee as the other girl introduced herself, “You too” She beamed, lowering her cup as Mandy asked for directions. Kitty eagerly showed her the app she had downloaded on her phone. It was an idea that was bouncing around in her head when she started, but someone in her class burst her bubble. Maybe the notion was true. All the good ideas had been taken and she was left trying to build on something someone had already created. Maybe her dream of becoming some famous game developer or someone who creates a really cool app was just a dream.

Kitty laughed as Mandy gestured to get her something in return “Nah it’s fine. I need to cut down on the caffeine and muffins. I swear since moving to college my diet has been trash. Those instant noodles are the only thing keeping me alive right now” She had gone from her grandmother’s cooking to eating something that could be made with just water, “You’re from England?” She chuckled quietly, “Sorry you probably get that all the time”



MANDY REID

The instant noodles were keeping her ticking by for now. That and the alcohol that was often swirling around in her stomach at the weekend. Her grandmother tried to show her around the kitchen, but it went in one ear and out the other. Her sister’s on the other hand knew a huge range of recipes. Sometimes they’d message Kitty with some ideas, but with so many ingredients and so much time to prep everything. “An I.O.U” She repeated with a short nod. A little surge of happiness inside as the idea of making a new friend.

It was scary moving from Atlanta to Mystic Falls, but at least she hadn’t left the country. Being thrown into a whole new town where she knew no one. At least it was only a car journey that lay between her and her family, rather than a long-haul flight. Kitty chuckled at Mandy’s impression of a girly American, “Yeah I can imagine it’s irritating at hell sometimes” Standing out from the crowd was so relatable to her. The first few weeks of college she found everyone turning around to stare at her as she entered the classroom. The girl with one eye. She didn’t mind people staring at her, but rather people just straight up ask her rather than whisper amongst themselves. “Nope… the truth is I’ve never left America” She admitted with a smile and a shrug. “I’d love to go to Europe at some point!” The family wasn’t exactly swimming in money when she was growing up. Secretly when she was younger she hoped her mom would take her to Japan. Show off their roots, but now that job had been delegated to her grandmother, who realistically was getting too old now. Just another one of those things that would be put on her ‘bucket list’, along with other shit like getting a tattoo or jumping out of a plane.


MANDY REID - we could wrap up with yours?