Winter Chic Lit: Jade's Diary, Chapter 3

Go here to read the previous chapter in Jade's 2008 diary.

The word for the day is free. No scratch that, the word for the day is independent. At dinner Denise told me that she is moving back to the East Coast. She is transferring to St. Peter’s College in Jersey City. She has already found a place in J.C. and wants me to move in as her roommate. I was extremely elated by the news. I have not been comfortable living back home with my parents. One of the issues I had with my break up with Justin was losing the place that I had called my home.

Don’t get me wrong, my parents aren’t intrusive. They do give me my space, but since I have been home I have been paying rent. It seemed senseless to me to pay for a room when I once had my own place, but I guess my parents were trying to instill a sense of responsibility in me. After all I didn’t have to pay for groceries or cable or anything else for that matter. Still, I couldn’t walk around naked when I wanted to. I also couldn’t leave the refrigerator door open as I got food out or drink juice from the carton. I damn sure couldn’t come and go as I pleased. One thing I learned since moving back home is that a child is a child forever.

No matter how old you are you will always be your parents’ baby. I was constantly getting the business from my parents because I would go out and not tell them where I was going. I just could never get used to “checking in” as I call it. I know that my parents were only expressing their concern, as they have said repeatedly there are a lot of crazy people out there, but I hadn’t been use to telling my parents my whereabouts in quite some time. I couldn’t get back into the groove of doing that.

My parents didn’t appear to be too upset about my announcement. I think they knew I was still uncomfortable about having to move back home. They were happy to know that I would be moving in with Denise. My parents are very familiar with her. They saw her grow up and also helped to raise her. Denise said we could move into the apartment in two weeks. I have already started packing my things.

The next day I got a chance to take a look at our new place. A new place--what better way to start off a new year! It was like a dream. Somehow it was sweeter than when I saw the place Justin and I moved into. Maybe it was because I was on my own this time, an independent single woman on the verge of doing big things. Denise had already seen the place before, but when I saw it I could help but jump up and down. I guess my excitement began to affect Denise. Before I knew it, we were both jumping up and down together. It was as close to a “Sex In The City” moment that I have had in a long time. All we needed were the Miranda and Charlotte archetypes to arrive.

The place had the smell of fresh paint. All the walls were white. The floors were wood and freshly coated with polyurethane. I could hear my echo. What was even sweeter than the place being brand new was that it came with a washer and dryer. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom, a linen closet, and a small room that we decided to turn into a walk in closet – one half belonging to her and the other half for me. The kitchen was a great. Electric stove, aluminum sink, and brand new refrigerator and the cabinets were maple with a cherry finish. I was totally in love with my new Jersey City home. Best thing of all was that the owner of the two- family home was Denise’s godfather. He owned several homes and a construction business. We were getting the place much cheaper than what the place could really go for on the market. The deposit and first month’s rent kind of set us back a bit, especially me since I wasn’t expecting to move into a new place so soon.

The next week Denise and I rummaged through thrift stores and stumbled upon some great finds. Denise’s parents purchased a brand new taupe micro fiber sofa and chaise lounge for our living room. My parents were kind enough to donate one of their televisions for our living room. I had thought since Denise was living out in L.A. that we would be using her furniture, but later she told me her place was more like a room. The apartment and furniture really belonged to her roommate. After we mixed our vintage pieces with some pieces we found on sale from Pier One and IKEA, the apartment really became ours. The only thing to do now was move in. Oh, and have a party. Of course we had to have a party.

Denise never told me why she made a sudden move from L.A. back to ol' Jersey. I always thought she liked it out there. As close as we were, Denise could be a little guarded. I figured that whatever the reason was she would tell me when she felt comfortable. I guess I wasn’t the only one with the desire to make a fresh start this year.

Our dads helped us move in. I also enlisted a few of my associates from campus to help us with the promise that they would be invited to our housewarming. And of course once we settled in to our new place we made it our business to plan our first party – our housewarming extravaganza. I was so caught up in the excitement of getting a new place and moving I didn’t realize the strain I was putting on myself with my commute to school. Between work and school I would never have any time in my fabulous new place, I have to make some hardcore decisions about my academic future. I surely can’t give up my job….it pays my bills and there will be certainly more of those coming since I got my own place again.

But I and Denise had a party to plan, and that would have to take precedence over my commuting issues. We worked like insane women to pull our extravaganza together in a week and a half. We invited everyone we knew since grade school that we still had contact with. It was going to be the first of many bashes. Like a fool, I invited both Greg and Ty. I realized after had sent the invites that sending invites to both of them may not have been the best move. I mean to have ex whatever (jump-off I guess) and my future whatever (that is if I can ever get him committed to a series of dates) in the same room was probably not the best idea. Someone might get jealous. Or even worse both of them might ignore me. I figured that one would not come. My thought was confirmed when Ty text that he had other plans. I think I just dodged a bullet. Can’t wait for the party…

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