Mackenzie and Miles O'Connor Love Wins In The End

Chapter 13 First Day as a Junior

The following morning, sunlight streamed in through the thin curtains of the dorm room, waking Mackenzie gently. She stretched, pushed her blanket aside, and sat up with a determined smile. Today was her first official day in the junior dorms, and she wanted to start it off right.

After brushing her teeth and splashing cool water on her face, Mackenzie returned to her desk, where boxes and bags were still waiting to be sorted. She began carefully unpacking her school supplies-her neatly sharpened lead pencils went into a cup holder, folders were stacked by subject, and her binders were slid onto the shelf above her desk. She hummed softly to herself, feeling a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the quiet. It was a call from her brother, Miles.

"Hi, Miles!" Mackenzie greeted warmly as she answered.

"Hey, Kenzie!" his voice came through, bright and full of energy. "Are you excited for your first day?"

Mackenzie grinned, twirling a pen between her fingers. "Yes, I really am. We're getting our schedules today and setting up everything we'll need. It's going to be busy, but fun."

"What are you going to do first?" Miles asked curiously.

"I think I'll finish organizing, then check out the common area before classes start," she replied, glancing at the papers on her desk.

"Can I see your dorm room?" Miles asked suddenly.

Mackenzie laughed lightly. "Of course. Give me a second." She stood up, switched her camera on, and slowly panned it across the room, showing him her neatly made bed with the lavender comforter, her desk setup, and Kayla's side of the room.

"Wow," Miles said in awe. "It looks great!"

"Thanks, bud," Kenzie replied, smiling. She set the phone back on her desk, propping it up so she could keep talking while unpacking. She pulled out a small pile of highlighters, a pack of gum, her favorite vanilla hand cream, a travel bottle of sanitizer, and a soft-scented body cream, arranging them carefully in her desk drawer.

"What about you?" Kenzie asked, looking at the screen. "Are you heading to school soon?"

"Yeah," Miles said, swinging his backpack strap over his shoulder. "I was just packing my bag before I called you."

Just then, movement from the other side of the room caught Miles' attention. Kayla stirred awake, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. On the phone screen, Miles pointed. "Um, who's that?"

Kenzie immediately shook her head with a playful scolding tone. "Miles, don't point-it's not polite. That's my dorm mate, Kayla."

"Ohhh," Miles said quickly, lowering his hand, a little embarrassed. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," Mackenzie reassured him with a chuckle.

"I should let you go so you can get ready," Miles said after a moment. "Have a good first day, okay?"

"You too, little brother. Love you."

"Love you too, Kenzie," he replied before ending the call.

Mackenzie smiled softly at the phone before setting it aside. She turned to see Kayla stretching and yawning.

"Morning," Mackenzie greeted cheerfully.

"Morning," Kayla replied. She glanced at Kenzie's desk. "Who were you talking to earlier?"

"My brother, Miles," Kenzie explained. "He wanted to see my dorm."

"That's sweet," Kayla said with a smile as she grabbed her clothes for the day.

While Kayla got dressed, Mackenzie slipped the last of her pens into her pencil case, zipped it shut, and tucked it neatly into her bag. Kayla pulled her hair into a ponytail, and five minutes later, both girls were ready to go.

Mackenzie grabbed her bright orange high-top sneakers and slipped them on, lacing them tightly. Kayla clipped her Buffalo Rams keychain onto her backpack zipper.

"You ready?" Kayla asked cheerfully.

"Yep!" Mackenzie said with a smile, tightening her backpack straps.

Together, the two girls stepped out of the dorm, sunlight spilling across the campus. Their excitement was written all over their faces.

Later that day, after settling into their classes, Mackenzie and Kayla sat together under a tree, comparing their new schedules.

"Looks like we have English, science, and history together," Kayla said, circling the classes on her paper.

"That's great-we can help each other study," Mackenzie replied. They chatted for another five minutes, making plans to meet between classes and walk to their dorms together.

When lunchtime arrived, they chose a spot in the dining hall. Mackenzie ordered creamy Alfredo pasta, while Kayla picked steak and fries. Over their meal, they laughed about first-day jitters, talked about the next day's activities, and shared little stories about their families.

By evening, both girls were tired but happy. Back in their dorm, they got ready for bed, tucking their things away and dimming the lights.

"Good night, Kayla," Mackenzie said softly.

"Good night, Kenzie," Kayla replied with a smile.

As Mackenzie lay in bed, she thought about Miles' call and how proud she was to be starting this new chapter. With her dorm mate by her side and her family cheering her on, she knew this was only the beginning.

✨ Word Count: ~847.