by Zara Rivas
© 2019 Zara Rivas
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
"Jeeze Harper, what do you have in here, stacks of books?" Emily complained, dropping the white box she was carrying to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Not possible," Carter said, walking in behind her, holding my TV in his arms. "That would mean she read books. It's more likely there is a pile of bricks in there."
I rolled my eyes at Carter. "Oh, haha," I said sarcastically, even though his comment didn't bother me.
I didn't think anything could get under my skin today, not even Carter's mocking comments. Because today, I was moving into my dorm at Bexley University, which meant I was about to start the four best years of my life. Or so they say. I did know that it meant I no longer had to live at home with my parents, and I would have total control of my life. I was also done dealing with high school boys and instead had a fresh crop of college boys, who were supposedly more mature. Even though if I was honest, I don't think guys ever fully matured; they figure out how to mask it better.
The best part about starting college though, would have to be the fresh start. I would no longer be known as Charlotte's younger sister, the one who would never be able to match Charlotte's potential. When people here would look at me, they wouldn't just see me as the leggy blond, but instead, they would be interested in what I was studying and what I hoped to accomplish. And even though I was thankful I no longer had to be in her academic shadow; I was so happy to be close to Charlotte again.
While quite a few people from my graduating class were attending college here, my best friend Kara had decided to go to school out of state. I missed her already, and while we promised nothing would change, I knew it would have to.
The good news was, my roommate, Ashely, seemed cool. She was someone I could see becoming close friends with. The second I saw her shoe collection, which happened to be in the same size I wore, and found out of her love for greasy pizza, I knew we would hit it off.
"Well, I think this is the last of it," mom said, putting down a box filled with my shoes. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes, though I had to give her props for even making it this long.
"It's okay honey, Thanksgiving break will be here before you know it," dad said, trying to comfort her. I was pretty sure he said the same thing to her when Charlotte moved in.
"I know," mom replied, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
"Hey guys, sorry we are late," Charlotte said, making her way into the dorm room, Noah, her boyfriend, coming in behind her. She had been down here for a week already since Freshmen were the last group to move in.
"Oh sure, you show up now that we are doing moving in her stuff," Carter told them.
"We…got held up," Charlotte told him, sneaking a peek at Noah, her face blushing. I knew what that look meant.
"We were just getting ready to say goodbye and take off," dad told her, hugging her.
Mom looked at him in horror. "Why don't we stay a bit longer, get dinner or something."
I shook my head at her, throwing my long hair over one shoulder. "It's okay mom, I want to start unpacking, and it might be nice to get to know Ashley a little bit," I told her, seeing the look of disappointment in her eyes.
"Oh right, of course," she said, wrapping me in her arms as tightly as she could.
Charlotte laughed. "Mom, she will be okay, I promise."
"I know that," she told her, smoothing down my hair.
Emily walked up to me when mom finally let go and gave me a tight hug. Since Charlotte had been gone for the past year, we have become a lot closer. I knew it also had to be strange for her, going from having two older sisters at home, to being the only one. Though I'm sure she will love all the attention she gets from mom and dad until mom starts to get overbearing, that is.
After Emily let go, dad came up and gave me his hug, and I knew he was holding back tears. He always teased mom for how emotional she got, but the fact was, he got choked up too, he just knew how to hide it.
"Are you sure you don't want us to come back tomorrow for the BBQ?" Mom asked, giving me another hug.
Behind me, I heard Emily let out a sigh. "Mom, I have plans with Adam tomorrow."
Even though I couldn't see mom's face because she still had me pulled into a hug, I was sure she was glaring at Emily.
"Mom, you already know the campus by heart, you don't have to do the tour again. Plus, it might rain tomorrow so everyone will be cramped under those tents, and it just won't be any fun," I told her.
"Oh, okay," she said, letting go of me. I could see the disappointment in her grey eyes, so I looked at Charlotte for some help. She was good at dealing with mom when she got emotional, plus she had been in this position last year.
Charlotte walked over and rubbed mom's arm, giving her some support. "Why don't we come home in a few weeks for a visit?"
Mom nodded, dabbing at her eyes again. "That would be nice."
"Honey, we should get going before rush hour," he told mom, slipping his arm around her waist.
Mom kissed me on the cheek, then turned around and hurried into the hallway. I knew she was getting ready to let out a set of fresh tears. Emily smiled at me and waved and joined her in the hallway. Dad walked up to me, and I could tell he wanted another hug, though he was hesitating to start it.
"Don't forget to eat healthily and take care of yourself," I told him, using my best lecture voice, as I wrapped my arms around him.
He laughed. "I will. You do the same," he looked over at Charlotte. "Take care of your sister." He hasn't realized we took turns taking care of each other.
"Are you hungry, Harper? We could go grab some food," Noah asked, once dad left the room, closing the door behind him.
Charlotte was so lucky to have found Noah; he was pretty close to being the perfect guy. He was caring, sweet, and he looked at Charlotte like she was the only girl in the world. They were so happy together; it made me feel a little sick if I thought about it. And it wasn't just because I was jealous that I never had a relationship like that.
"There is this amazing pizza place that is only like a five-minute walk from your room," Charlotte suggested, glancing around at all the boxes in my room. "Unless you want us to get delivery, so we can work on unpacking."
I laughed, knowing the clutter must be killing her. If this were her room, she would have already started organizing. "No, I can do it later. Pizza sounds great."
"You better not eat too much, Rapunzel, you know I'm a growing boy," Carter said as we walked out of the room.
I rolled my eyes at him. "Yes, I'm aware you have to consume a million calories a day."
"Well, as long as you're aware," he said, giving me a smirk.
"I don't see how I'm ever going to be able to get sleep," Ashley said, pulling her auburn hair into a messy bun.
She was talking about the fact that it was nearly midnight, and people were running up and down the hall, screaming, laughing, and talking loudly. Plus, the people above us didn't seem to know how to sit still and have been stomping around for the past hour, sounding more like a herd of elephants.
Growing up with two sisters, things at our house have never been precisely quiet, especially when we were younger. However, we were lucky enough to have a larger home, with thick walls and doors, unlike this dorm room. I'm sure it was more of a shock for Ashley, considering she was an only child.
When I found out I was assigned to a dorm in the Morrison Building, I was so excited. Not only was it on the side of campus closest to my classes, but it was one of the few dorms that came with a window a
ir conditioner. Plus, the building itself was huge and looked like an old castle. In addition to the freshmen area, there was a connected section for upper-level students, where Charlotte was.
"I'm sure everyone will settle down once classes startup. They are all fired up because it's their first night here, plus it's a Friday," I told her, arranging my DVD's on the small bookcase. They had been in the box that Emily complained about carrying.
"That's true," she said as she walked over to my nail polish case, skimming through it. She picked up Purple Passion and studied it before she opened it and started applying it to her nails.
There was a knock on our door, well, more like a pounding, and Ashley and I exchanged a glance. She walked up to the door, pulling it open. Three guys were standing there, and it was hard not to notice that they were only wearing their underwear.
"It's time for freshmen run," a guy with a buzz cut said, grinning at us.
"Freshmen run?" Ashley asked him.
One of the guys, with blond hair and killer abs, sighed impatiently. "All the freshmen get together and run around the halls… in their underwear," he said, staring at me as if he was mentally trying to picture it.
Hm, interesting, Charlotte never told me about this.
"One second," Ashley told them, closing the door. "What do you think?" she asked me.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I mean, it could be fun."
I knew that my parents would freak out if they knew I was doing this. Hell, Charlotte would probably freak out as well, but really, it was no different than wearing a bikini at the beach. And with so many people running down the hall, it's not like anyone would get to the chance to get a good look.
"Let's do it then," she said, pulling off her sweatshirt. "Even though I don't look hot at all tonight," she added in, even though she did.
I stripped out of my pajama's, thankful I was wearing a decent pair of underwear and a bra that covered my chest. I ran my fingers through my long blond hair, trying to get some tangles out.
Ashley pulled the door opened again, and the guys gave us another set of grins, no longer looking impatient. We joined them in the hallway, which was almost filled with half-naked people.
"I hope everyone is wearing deodorant," I whispered to Ashley, causing her to laugh.
"I hope that this carpet doesn't give me some foot fungus," she whispered back.
The crowd started moving down the hall, slowly at first, then picking up speed. Soon we were jogging along, screaming and chanting, "Freshmen, Freshmen!" A few people had brought a can of silly string and started spraying it in the air. After we made our way up and down the floors in the freshman section, we made our way down the hallway that led us to the upperclassmen dorms. As we ran up and down the floors there, cheering and chanting, I was suddenly thankful I was a runner, as most people around me were out of breath.
Several RA's approached us, telling us we had to shut it down. After a few boos, everyone started to make their way back to their dorms. Somewhere along the way, I had lost sight of Ashley, so I started to head back to our room alone. As I walked down a hallway towards the elevator, I stepped in something wet. Cringing, I looked down to see that I had stepped into a puddle on the carpet. I was hoping it was water, or pee, and didn't allow myself to think of what else it could be.
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice asked, and I looked up to see Carter walking towards me.
I was guessing he was coming from the showers since his hair was wet, and he had on a pair of flannel pants and worn-out shirt. Not to mention, he had a towel hanging around his neck. His eyes scanned up and down my body, then back up to my eyes, a confused look in them.
"Oh, it was the freshmen run," I explain, wrapping my arms around my body to try to cover up some.
He laughed. "Ah, that explains why you're walking down the hall like that. I must have missed it; I was in the shower."
"Well, I should get back to my room," I told him, starting to walk down the hall.
"Harper?" He called out, causing me to turn around. "You should never walk around barefoot around here. The guys are…kind of gross."
I groaned, making a mental note to hit the showers as soon as I got back. I needed to scrub my foot.
"You guys are making me sick," I said, placing my fork on my plate.
I was having lunch with Charlotte and Noah, and they seemed more interested in feeding each other than themselves. Noah had just fed Charlotte a bit of his food, and it was the fourth time they've done that since we sat down five minutes ago. I guess that's what happens when you're in love.
"Oh please," Charlotte said, taking a bite of her turkey sandwich. I swear, if she offers Noah a bite, I will scream. "I've seen your public displays of affection, and this is weak compared to those."
I couldn't argue with her on that one, but for some reason feeding someone seemed more intimate than making out whenever, and wherever, the mood would strike. But, I didn't want to admit she was right, so I started eating my salad again.
"Besides," she continued, "I thought you were some sappy, hopeless romantic, like me."
"I am, but I'm also realistic," I reminded her.
I've been with enough guys to know that whatever expectations you have going into the relationship is probably too high, and you are bound to be disappointed, one way or another. I also knew that most guys my age are way more interested in what's inside my bra rather than what's inside my heart. Most, not all. And it would be a mission to find one, hopefully without kissing a bunch of frogs first.
Noah cleared his throat, seeming slightly uncomfortable with the girl talk. Not that I could blame him, I was uncomfortable myself. "How was your first night Harper?"
"It was…" I let my voice trail off as I scanned my mind for the appropriate adjective. "Nice."
It was a simple answer, though it was far from the truth. However, I knew if I told Charlotte about my insane night of running down hallways in my underwear, she would give me that look. It was a look she had perfected over the years, and it was a mix of disappointment and disbelief. A look that made me feel like I had let her down. She wasn't as uptight as she used to be, Noah was probably the reason she has started to loosen up over the past year, but at times I still felt the urge to edit what I tell her.
"Just nice?"
I took another bite of salad, stalling for time. "Eventful?"
Noah and Charlotte exchanged a glance, and he started laughing. It occurred to me then that there was a good chance Carter had opened his big mouth about seeing me last night.
"What exactly does eventful mean?" She asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"I… did that freshmen run thing," I admitted, biting my lip. I waited for a look of relief to come over here that I had finally told her, but instead, it was a look of horror.
"You did that? Harper, it's such an awful tradition. I can't believe you took part in that," she told me, giving me a look. Noah reached over and squeezed her shoulder, either trying to calm her down or telling her to calm down, and I wasn't sure which.
I glanced over her shoulder, avoiding her eyes. "You didn't know? Carter didn't tell you?"
"How would Carter know about it?"
"I ran into him in the hall after it was over. I can't believe he didn't tell you," I told her. I can't believe he didn't take that opportunity to blab to Charlotte about it, most likely exaggerating how awful I looked. Was it possible that Carter did a favor for me?
I looked back at her and saw her shaking her head. "No, he didn't mention anything about it." She pulled out her cell phone, and I knew she was going to send him something about it.
Noah cleared his throat again. "So, was it fun?"
Charlotte stopped typing for a second and smacked him on the arm. "I can't believe you are asking her that."
"Oh, come on," he told her, turning her face so he could kiss her on the nose. "It's not that awful. We had even debated it, before we…" he paused, glancing over at me, his face pink.
"Got distracted."
I could see the lovesick look in her eyes. "Well, I guess it could've been worse."
I shot Noah a grateful smile before I started picking at my salad again. The first crisis had been avoided, but sadly, I knew there was a good chance it wouldn't be the last.
"Damn," I muttered to myself as I dug around inside my purse, searching for the key to my room.
I made a mental note to attach the key to my key chain, instead of just having it float around loose in my purse. I had way too much junk in there. And there was no way I was going to head to my RA's office for a spare- while everyone else seemed to have an overly friendly, super excited RA, I was stuck with one that acted like they were dealing with a bunch of toddlers. The last thing I wanted to do was prove her right.