The academy was large.

I had to roll my window down as my mother pulled into the lot, the wind causing me to squint. I stared at the buildings, taking in the campus and the noise. Lots of people were arriving at the same time we were, kids and their parents hugged on the side walks, groups of students had already formed, some people already looked lost.

              Joe stuck his head out of the window. "Truman!" A guy with black hair turned to see us. "You're still as ugly as the last time I saw ya!" Truman threw his middle finger in our direction and Joe sat back and hollered laughter.

              The girls' dorm was across the campus and the walk there was silent. Joelle helped me with my bags, though I was afraid her thin arms might snap at any moment. The building neared, and I shifted my soccer bag from my right shoulder to the left, the ache causing me discomfort. "Well, what do you think?" She was grinning when I met her eyes.

              I shrugged. "It's big."

              She laughed and grabbed a hold of the suitcase again, starting to walk. "Isn't it beautiful? I remember when I went here as a girl."

We opened the door to the building and a gust of warm air flew across my face. A faint smell of vanilla filled my senses. I breathed in deeply, not knowing whether I enjoyed it or not.

              A short, chubby lady noticed us and started to squeal. "Joelle!" she waddled over and I couldn't help but chuckle. Her awkward legs made for awkward steps, until she was in front of my mother and pulling her into an awkward hug. "You are just the most wonderful person to see on this stressful day. And...oh my, who is this?" The short awkward woman looked at me.

              Joelle's smile grew. "This is Scout, my daughter." She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squished her head to mine. "Don't we look like twins?" I huffed in response, my eyes narrowing at the stranger. We did not look like twins, not in the slightest, except for our eyes. "I suppose she's gotten more of Aaron in her," she backtracked, as if reading my thoughts.

              The lady had red hair, frizzy in all angles. She stepped closer to me and I had to edge back. "I'm Donna, one of the History teachers. Your mother and I go way, way, waaaay back." She held out her hand and I took it tentatively. "Actually, you're about the same age as my daughter who I- oh shoot!" Donna cut herself off as she turned back the way she came, searching. "That boy was right behind me..." she was talking to herself by this point.

              My mother and I exchanged looks, silently deciding to move on from the conversation. We picked the bags up again.

              "Peter!" Donna cried.

              "You really do not need to do this," someone groaned.

              I cast a glance down the hallway Donna had wandered, to see her standing in front of a tall boy. He wore a black t-shirt that hugged his lean figure and dark jeans. Brown eyes saw me, a goofy smile plastering to his face.  The boy, Peter I assumed, picked up a hand to wave at me, but Donna used the opportunity to latch on and tug him out of the building.

              "She has always been an odd one," Joelle murmured when we stepped into the elevator.

              "I think she is my favourite person so far," I returned, sure of it. My mother looked at me with wide eyes, a small grimace found her. "She's a little silly, but so herself. I like it," I defended.

              My room was 505. The fifth floor, five to the left. We followed the white brick hallway until we found a wood door that read those exact numbers. The door was slightly ajar, and my mother poked her head in first. "Hello?" she called.

              No answer.

              I pushed the door open, and Joelle grabbed my hand. "Someone might be in there!" she hissed. She stepped into the room on quiet feet, looked around, and gestured for me to come in.

              I rolled my eyes, but followed suit. I took in the room with a steady glance. It was small, but spacious enough. The walls were white, the floor an oak brown laminate. Across on the far wall was a large window with black panels, beneath it a large white dresser that stretched from one side of the room to the other, just short enough to have one bed on the left, and one bed across on the right. The room was mirrored pretty much down the middle. At the foot of each bed were small white desks.

              The beds were undressed, save for someone having left their luggage on the right-side one, claiming territory. A thought ran through my mind of a younger Donna being my roommate, loud pig-like snores escaping into the night. I shivered and turned my attention to my mother putting my things down on what would have to be my side.

              "I wonder who your roommate is!" she squealed, coming over to hug me. "This is so new for you. You're going to have a blast!" Every action of hers was animated, shoved in my face with too much enthusiasm. She turned on her heel and made her way to the window.

              I joined her, placing my forehead on the glass and letting a groan fall out of my mouth. "Everyone is going to hate me." I hadn't realized how nervous I was, my stomach churning in waves.

              My mother looked offended. She turned me to face her, hazel eyes ablaze. "Don't say that. You will always have your brothers if anything goes wrong."

              "They hate me too!"

              "Oh, come on," she soothed. "They do not. I mean, Joe can be an ass sometimes." I gave her a pointed look. "...all the time," she corrected, "but this is new for all of you, you being here, I mean. You are going to have so much fun. Life is more than being restricted to a small cabin like you were, this will be quite the adventure."

...

My mother left in due time.

She left after an hour of fussing over the room, preparing my bed, and making a point of setting the laptop she gifted me on my new desk. "Look at that," she had admired, turning her head from side to side as if it looked better from different angles.

We sat down on the bed together to go over my schedule and make sure I had all the text books I needed when she received a call from Walter. "Oh yes, yes. Okay. Yep. I'm coming now." She had stood, tears already forming in her eyes.

"Oh, stop that," I begged.

She wouldn't leave until I promised to call her later that night, and I compromised by saying I would email. She brushed blonde hair behind her ear, put a dainty hand on my shoulder, closed her eyes, and left.

I stared at the door for a few minutes, finding it awkward to be by myself in a place that I didn't know. My fingers knotted together and I pursed my lips. It was Friday, a few days before classes started on Monday, and my mind was drawing on a blank of what I could possibly do. I laid on my bed, puzzled.

In Smithers I would have taken Glenn for a hike, or had lunch with my father to discuss his characters and story plot, or read my books until I had a soccer game later in the day. I could have taken the dirt bike down to the lake and told Gary Fields that he couldn't fish for shit, and then show him how to. I might have gone to the market for Mrs. Martins' fresh eggs, stopped at the dog shelter to see my favourite duck tolling retriever, or even gone into work at the diner for an extra few dollars.

My mind had wondered enough that I barely noticed the door burst open, bringing in two lively bodies that seemed to mold together.

I jolted upright, my eyes wide as the peoples fell on the bed across from me. It took a moment, but I was able to make out light blonde and dirty blond hair, multiple hands, and finally, two pairs of eyes staring wildly back at me.

"What are you doing, creep!" the girl screamed.

Her blonde hair was a mess, cascading down her shoulders like it had meant to be an unruly waterfall. She had blue doe-shaped eyes, and a fold between her brows as she tried to figure out why on earth I was there. The boy was just as disgruntled, even more so, as he adjusted his gray joggers in the crouch area and ran a hand through his dirty blond hair, tossing the golden locks back and smiling like he hadn't just been caught 'getting some'.

I smiled in return, oddly finding comfort in the uncomfortable situation. "I'm Scout," I said casually, standing up to hold my hand toward the pair.

The boy offered his as well, squeezing mine with ease. "Brooklyn," he replied. His eyes looked almost gray and I couldn't help but swoon at the sound of his voice. "You can call me Brook, though."

The girl was annoyed. "Scout? Weird. Guess you're my roommate?" She ignored my hand. She had a suspicious look on her face, and what appeared to be a permanent scowl.

"It looks to be that way," I said with less venom than her.

Her eyes could have rolled to the back of her head. "Great," she muttered, standing up and tugging on Brook's arm. "Let's go to The Commons." She stood and went right back out the door.

Brook gave a low laugh before raising himself. "Don't worry," he said to me, "It only takes a few years for Sedona to warm up." He placed a large hand on the small of my back, the veins in his arms jumping. "It was nice to meet you, Jane." He disappeared behind Sedona.

Heavily confused by the turn of events, I glared after them. My roommate sucks, I couldn't help but think.

I dropped back onto the bed, placing my head in my hands. A second later I heard my phone chime from my bag. I leaned to the side, and grabbed the device with eager hands. Not that it was overly exciting, but it was my first text received on it.

I looked at the screen, taking in the name. My mother, I grimaced. She had barely just left me.

Mom: I'm sending an email with the information about soccer tryouts!! Xoxo, J. It read.

That was interesting, I decided.

Me: Ok.

Mom: Are u ok?

I put the phone face down on the dresser without a reply and hurriedly crossed the room to grab 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley, determined to finish it before the night end.