Lexi's Love & War

Chapter 1

Alexandra "Lexi" Cole smiled wide as she and her parents drove down a bustling residential street one sunny August afternoon. They passed multiple houses in an area located a few minutes away from New York University, each with students moving in with the help of parents or friends. School was set to start in a week and a half, so everyone was rushing to finish moving in beforehand.

"We're here, Lexi!"

Lexi blinked hard and looked at her mother, who had spoken. She unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out to glance at her apartment complex. It was a small building with cream-coloured brick and a black roof and seemed to look worse for wear. It appeared to be kind of dirty, and even a little creepy from its appearance. But seeing a few students coming and going soon put her at ease. Lexi grinned as she walked towards the trunk of her parents' rental SUV. She grabbed the first box she saw and began her trek to her apartment.

As she approached, she noticed that the door was already cracked open just enough to peer in. Lexi's grin widened as she heard a familiar voice coming from the other side. She used her foot to open the door wider before entering.

"Nikita?"

Upon hearing her name, Nikita Ivanov appeared from the kitchen with a grin of her own. "Hey, Lexi!"

Lexi dropped the box off to the side to hug her friend and roommate. "How have you been?"

"Great, thanks! I'm not thrilled about being back at school, but oh well. I can't wait to be done moving in, too! I forgot how painful and stressful it is."

"Yeah, I get that. Why don't we chat some more after we finish moving in? Just so we can both get done faster. Is that okay?"

Nikita nodded. "That's actually a good idea."

"Sometimes I have good ideas," Lexi teased.

"Sometimes," Nikita joked.

The pair laughed before Lexi grabbed the box and hustled to her room. Her parents followed behind shortly after, and the trio spent a good amount of time bringing boxes and totes of her belongings inside the small two-bedroom apartment. Once that was done, Lexi's mother began organizing the kitchen with Nikita's mother, while Lexi and her father focused on her bedroom.

This is a bit bigger than my bedroom in my old dorm, Lexi thought. It wasn't a huge difference, but it was noticeable. There was a twin-sized bed with a flimsy mattress atop the wooden bedframe, as well as a decent-sized closet and small dresser. There wasn't a table or chair for her to do work, but that was fine because she'd brought those items with her.

The pair soon began getting squared away. They made the bed and put Lexi's clothes away in both the closet and a small dresser. Her father set up her desk and table while Lexi organized her shelves with various odds and ends. Novels, textbooks for the coming semester, and other things that didn't have a home elsewhere made it onto the bookshelf. She surveyed her work once it was over with a sense of satisfaction. It was going to take some time, but this apartment was going to feel like home soon enough. She promptly turned her attention to her father, who was now staring out the window.

"Dad?"

He whirled around to face his daughter. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing, really. I just let my mind wander. Sorry."

"It's not a big deal."

Lexi's father nodded before hugging her. "Let's see if Mom needs any help."

The pair walked downstairs, only to find Lexi's mother chatting away with Nikita's mother. They were discussing how hard it was for their only children to be moved out when Lexi and her father appeared.