The next morning, I spent forty minutes getting ready for class.

When I was done, I looked at myself in the mirror. I had on a pair of jeans and a crop top, as well as light makeup. I'd also gelled my hair, so my curls were really defined.

A knock on my bathroom door broke my focus. "Come in," I called.

Nabila walked in. She had on a large jacket and a pair of jeans, and her face was bare.

She exclaimed, "Thank god, you're finally done!"

"Don't say it like that," I looked back at the mirror, admiring myself. "You know I can't show up on the first day looking like scraps."

"As usual. Anyway, I'm so nervous! I wonder what classes are going to be like. What do you have first?"

I looked back at her. "An intro to psychology class. How about you?"

"Intro to game-"

Her phone's alarm rang.

She gasped. "Oh my god, we have to go now, or we'll be late!"

I chuckled. "Nabila, chill! We haven't even had breakfast yet."

"You mean you haven't!"

"Oh." I paused. "Fuck, I guess I'll just take something along with me from the lounge's vending machine."

She scoffed. "A candy bar, how nutritious."

"I mean, it's either that or I stay behind to have-"

"Candy bar sounds good, I'll get one for you! Just finish up."

. . .

Our dorm was off-campus, so we had to take the shuttle to class to make it in time. It was about a five-minute drive. We spent about an extra five minutes locating the building where our classes were (we had it in the same building that day).

We arrived at my class first. Nabila said, "Well, here's your stop. Unless you want to help me locate my class..."

Smiling, I rolled my eyes. "I'll see you after class."

She groaned, walking away. "Good lu- I mean, see you!"

Still smiling, I shook my head and turned to the door. Well, this is it.

Tugging at my shirt, I walked into class.

My college was a medium-sized one, so some of the classes were not that large in terms of student numbers. In that class, there were only about thirty seats inside. I wasn't the last person to arrive that day, but unfortunately, the majority of the front seats had been taken by the time I did, so I had to sit closer to the back.

The professor started talking about ten minutes after, when the majority of the seats were filled. After having us introduce ourselves, she started going on about the syllabus.

Not too long after, I sighed softly. This is why I hate first days.

The girl beside me chuckled. "Welcome to every class you're going to have this week."

I looked at her. She had dark brown eyes, a tawny brown complexion, and afro hair done up in a bun.

I replied, "Oh well, I might as well drop out now then. College was fun while it lasted."

She sniggered. "I'm Precious, by the way."

I chuckled. "I bet you are."

"No, like that's my name."

"Oh, my bad." I giggled. Oh my gosh, kill me now!

"So, what's your name?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, it's Aimee."

"Nice to meet you. Are you a freshman?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Nah, I'm a sophomore."

"Cool."

We both fell silent. Great, now the awkward pause.

After racking my brain for a bit, I asked, "Okay, honest opinion: what would you rate this college out of 10?"

"Hmm," She furrowed her brow. "Maybe like a 7.5."

"7.5? That's not bad. What would you say are the pros and cons?"

"Well, for pros, I would say the food is a major one. It's really good. Like 'I've-gotta-force-myself-to-stop-eating-so-I-don't-gain-weight' kinda good."

I chuckled. "Alright, food is one. What else?"

"People are generally friendly. If you're into partying, you won't be disappointed here. Even if you aren't, there are lots of different clubs you can join that'll help you meet people. Apart from the social aspect, teachers here are really experienced and well-accredited. The library is also well-stocked. I think that's all the pros."

I nodded. "Alright. Now, what about the cons?"

She thought for a bit, then replied, "Some teachers can be bitches. Also, the workload can be quite a lot, especially near the end of the semester, though I think that's common for many colleges. I think that's all the cons."

"Alright, that doesn't sound too-"

"Oh wait, there is one more con. The drama here can be a bit..." Smiling, she looked away, "...much."

I internally groaned. Oh no!

I asked, "What do you mean?"

She looked back at me. "Don't get me wrong, a lot of people are friendly and it's entirely possible to avoid certain situations. But even though there are over five thousand of us... I'll just say that you'll be surprised how far news can spread if you end up in certain situations. Also, some people are more difficult to handle than others."

"Great," I groaned. "I've already had my fair share of drama in high school, I definitely don't need anymore!"

"Oh don't worry too much about it. As I said, it's possible to get through the entire four years without getting into anything major. You just have to watch out for certain people. By the way, are you living in the dorms?"

"Yeah."

"Which one?"

"Diamond."

She smiled. "Oh, same! You're on the girl's floor, right?"

"Yeah."

"Same. Great, so this isn't going to be one of those one-off conversations! I'm glad to have you as a dorm mate."

I smiled. "Yeah, me too!"

. . .

Nabila and I had only one class that day, so when we were both done, I dragged her with me as I went exploring campus.

To Precious's credit, she hadn't lied about the canteen's food - it was great! There was a wide variety, and enough veggie options to satisfy my tastes. I could see myself coming there whenever I felt too lazy to cook.

The rest of the school week passed by in a flurry of introductions, classes, and events. I met a bunch of people and joined a club aimed at cooking cuisine. People, especially freshmen, were really friendly, but I attributed that to first week-itis and didn't hinge many expectations on it. Also, thankfully, a lot of my classes weren't too crowded. Professors spent most of the time going over syllabuses that week.

Ironically, the biggest shock I experienced that week was unrelated to college and happened on Friday. As I was walking back to my dorm in the evening, my phone rang.

I answered it. "Hey-"

Nabila exclaimed, "No time! Get back to the dorm, it's an emergency!"

I furrowed my brow. "Wha-"

She hung up. I called her, but she didn't pick up.

What the fuck? My heart rate sped up as I quickened my pace. Is there a fire or something? Why would she just hang up like that? It has to be something that affects me. Maybe something to do with my room? Ugh, I hate this!

. . .

I barged into Nabila's room. "What the fuck is going-"

Leaping from her bed, she grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her.

I frowned. "Bila, what is up with you?"

Dragging me into the bathroom, she replied, "Shush, no questions!"

"What do you mean 'no questions'?"

Throwing open the door leading into my room, she gestured at my bed. "Ta-da!"

"Nabila, I swear-" My words caught in my throat when I realized who was on my bed.

Smirking, he stood up. "Missed me?"

Angelo.
                         .       .       .
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