for the airport tomorrow evening. To say I was excited was a major understatement. All my suitcases were packed, my outfit for tomorrow was laid out, and my bag to take with me on the plane was ready.

I decided to wear something comfy on the plane since it would be a long flight. That didn't mean it was ugly.

I quickly organized my room and jumped into the shower. I would take a bath and relax, listen to my music, and let loose. I plugged the drain of the bathtub, quickly filling it with water and my strawberry-scented soap.

I slipped out of my clothes and stepped into the tub, letting out a sigh of content. I picked up the container with my face mask in it and applied some on my face. I spread the gooey charcoal mask all over my face and flipped the cap shut, putting it away. I pressed play on my Spotify playlist, relaxing back as 'Positions' by Ariana Grande played in the bathroom.

Ah, self-care baby.

It was good to clear your mind every once in a while. Appreciate the small things and the small feats you do every day. This was my way of doing that. Even though my time here never lasted long, I tried to make the most out of it.

As I was gently splashing around the water in the tub, I let out a yawn. The lack of sleep I've been getting was finally hitting me.

I glanced at the time, my lips parting in surprise. It was only 6:13 in the evening.

I let out a sigh and decided that it was time for me to attempt to get some sleep. I faltered as I remembered my attempt to sleep last night. The cold sweats, the tears, the headaches...

I let out a sigh and quickly drained the tub, taking a short, well-needed shower. I stepped out of the shower, drying myself off and staring at myself in the mirror. I was pretty fit. I always made sure that I was satisfied with how my body looked. I didn't want to give myself another excuse to hate myself.

I hastily slipped on some clothes, sighing as the cool fabric of my pajamas came in contact with my skin. I brushed my hair back, sighing at myself in the mirror.

My body felt like lead and I wasn't sure why. My head felt as if it was close to tumbling off my head and my hands felt raw and hot. I groaned and shut off the lights of my bathroom and walked over to my window, opening it a crack.

I turned to close my lights but stopped as I heard someone whisper my name. I turned around, confused, and looked around. Not seeing anyone around me, I peeked out the window and that's when I saw my neighbor, Hamza.

I smiled at him and waved at him. I quickly turned, closing my lights and walking back to my window.

"Can I...?" He asked, gesturing to my room. I nodded and stepped out of the way. I watched him get onto the sill of his window and take a large step into my bedroom through my window. I smiled as he landed on the floor of my room with a small huff.

I watched him rise to his full height, the golden sun that was setting outside my window letting streaks of light illuminate his skin ethereally. I smiled and walked over to my bed, patting the spot in front of me for him to sit. He gave me the same small smile he's been giving me since we were 9 and sat down.

Hamza has been my neighbor since we moved here. He was a few months older than me and was also a junior. He didn't go to the same school I went to because he was homeschooled. He said he preferred it and he could also take some classes at the community college next door. He really cared about his future.

Hamza was part Egyptian and Palestinian. He was Muslim, he had told me once, but his parents weren't very practicing.

You could really tell he was Arab because he just had that Arab beauty people wanted so bad. He had naturally tan skin, the head of loose dark curls, the arched eyebrows over the almond-shaped eyes, the full lips, and the well-defined jawline. He was handsome, to say the least.

He looked at me, a sad smile on his face, "Are you okay?"

I smiled, softly, wrapping my legs underneath me. He always made sure I was okay when I didn't think anybody cared. He always made it his job to make me feel like I mattered and I loved that part of him.

I shrugged, "I don't know. I just don't feel so good."

He rested his head on my bed and looked up at me, "What's wrong? You sick or something?"

"I think so. My legs and arms hurt and my head feels heavy." I said, staring down at my hands that were in a lot of pain for some reason.

He said nothing for a few minutes and I said nothing. My mind was racing as I stared at the beautiful colors that were in the sky from out of my window. I sighed inaudibly.

"You haven't been sleeping again." He said a statement more than a question. I looked at him and rolled my eyes.

"I'm sleeping fine" I lied.

He gave me a blank looked, "Are you going to lie and say that you are in hopes that I'll spend the night with you? If you wanted me that bad, you could've just asked."

I rolled my eyes, hitting his shoulder lightly, "Whatever, Hammy."

He rolled his eyes at the nickname.

After a beat of silence, the both of us looking at each other, no words to be exchanged, he sighed, sitting up.

"You excited about your trip tomorrow?" He asked, picking up the 8 Ball on my desk.

I smiled widely, "Yeah, I wish you could come."

He rolled his eyes, "Ew, a summer on the beach. No, thanks."

I rolled my eyes, "You love the beach,"

He gave me a confused look, "No, I don't. I only agreed with you that I did so that you could stop pestering me about it."

My jaw dropped slightly, "You didn't."

He nodded, "Evil, huh?"

I nodded, "Very. I thought you were my friend,"

"You got to learn how to fend for yourself in the real world, babe." He said, smirking.

I ignored the blush that stung my cheeks at the nickname he gave me. I laid down next to him, staring at my ceiling. I loved spending time with Hamza because he made me feel at peace. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but I didn't need to pretend to be having fun with him. He knew anything and everything about me.

He could make my day brighter just by telling me something stupid he did.

"You'll call me when you get there?" He asked, looking at me.

He claims he doesn't like me and that I'm annoying, but we both know that he's lying about both of those statements.

"Fine, since you're begging me to," I said, jokingly.

He chuckled and got up off my bed, staring down at me. I gave him a cheeky smile and he rolled his eyes, kicking me lightly.

"Get some sleep," He said, pointing at me.

I nodded, saluting him from my bed. He smiled, walking over to my window and climbing onto it. He turned back around and winked at me before he made his way over to his room. I smiled to myself and closed my eyes.

He was too good for this world. Too good for me.

When I woke up again it was 5 a.m. It was dark outside, but I could see the sun making its way to the horizon, coloring the sky a Prussian blue. I got up and groaned as my head spun and all I could see were stars. I took in a deep breath and walked over to my window.

I inhaled the fresh summer air, letting the cool winds envelop my body. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips at the feeling of a beautiful summer beginning. New people to meet, new places to go, and new memories to make all waiting for me.

I took in one last breath and closed my window, quietly making my way downstairs. I made it into the hallway, the moonlight streaming in from the window on the ceiling lighting my way to the living room. Once I made my way down the stairs without tripping, I tiptoed into the kitchen, my throat begging for a glass of water.

I wrapped my hand around the cool glass, filling it to the brim with water. I turned around, leaning on the counter behind me, downing the water down my throat.

I let out a sigh at the refreshing feeling of the water sliding its way down my chest and into my stomach. I looked around and smiled, feeling homesick already.

This trip would be really long and I'd miss every inch of this house.... and my family. I would miss the table by the door that I always managed to bang my shin on, the stupid alarm that would go off when someone opens the house to the door after 12 at night, and I'd definitely miss the creaky steps into the basement. Now that I thought about it, I wouldn't miss any of those.

I smiled and refilled my glass, taking it into the living room. I took a seat on the sofa, the ringing in my ears deafening, the heaviness in my head painful, and the twinge of pain behind my eyes searingly painful.

I let out a quiet groan, deciding to distract myself by turning on the TV. I went to Netflix and turned on a random movie that I wasn't really watching.

Eventually, the blinding lights from the TV started to pain me so much I decided to shut my eyes and just listen to the movie. As I rested my head back, I thought about all the things that could go wrong on this trip.

I wasn't a pessimist, I just wanted everything to go right.

I wasn't exactly sure when I fell asleep, but all I knew was that it was a well-needed few hours of sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a hell of a day.

A/N: IM SO SORRY THIS CHAPTER WAS SO SHORT AND BORING. But I introduced Hamza who I'm completely in love with, but yeah !! Do you like Eden so far?? What'd you guys think of this chapter anyway? You liked it a lot?? or 'just stop it nai with these chapters, they're shit'.

Also, does anybody else feel like my writing is changing, or is it just me?? Oh and check out my tiktoks for sneak peeks and stuff like that. the user is just my wattpad username just lowercase. love you all sm and i wish you the best day ever