He Will Be Mine

Chapter 10: Welcome Weekend

*** Alyssa's POV ***

So, this is it. I am now officially a freshman at Kettlewell College, and we're on our way there on this sunny Saturday morning in late August. Ryan is driving my car with Mindy riding shotgun, and Dad insisted that I ride with him and Mom in their car. Something about wanting me to spend my last days of freedom with them.

What I didn't mention to him is that it feels like the opposite. It feels like these are my final days of being under their thumbs, and now I'm off to total freedom. Well, total freedom except for the classes I will have to attend. But no more worrying about the comments people make behind my back about me being unmated or whether I'm going to be Alpha, and no more being obligated to attend all the stupid social events my dad likes to host "just in case" I meet somebody I like.

The scenery around here is a little different than I expected. When I think of Maine, I picture a coastal town. I picture boats and sea breezes and beach houses. Turns out, Kettlewell is a small inland town not so different from other small towns I've been to. The air smells different than back home, but it still smells good. There are no densely wooded areas nearby, but there are lots of trees around, little parks to visit, little pieces of home I could cling to if I need to.

Not sure when or where I will be able to let Mari out, but she has been agreeable about waiting until we go home over a break or something, knowing that our time here is for a good cause.

That's about all she's been pleasant to me about lately. She is still upset about what happened with Tyler, and personally offended that I shut her out. She's not wrong, and I've told her that. She has told me she needs space, so other than chiming in here and there about Matt, we haven't spoken much in the last couple weeks. With her upset with me and Ryan busy with Mindy a lot of the time, it's been pretty lonely. That in itself should be enough to keep me on task here.

We pull up to the driveway to my dorm building and are stopped at a "Welcome Booth," which is basically a folding table covered in the school colors with a picture of the mascot, where a group of women are waiting to field the incoming traffic, getting the students and their vehicles registered and handing out Welcome Weekend itineraries and assignments. My packet shows that I need to track down a young woman named Felicity Combs, who is both the resident advisor for my floor and the person who will be giving us a tour shortly. So, we pull in and park where the women direct us, and then go hunting for Felicity.

She waits for her group just inside the entrance to the building, wearing a giant nametag that makes it impossible to miss her. Felicity turns out to be a tall, willowy woman with a head full of big, poofy, ginger-colored curls. She seems to have freckles covering every inch of her, and when she smiles her toothy grin at me, I immediately decide I like her. Her eyes are too big and set too far apart and her nose is a little oversized for her face, but it works on her. She's pretty in an earthy sort of way. More importantly, she's friendly and her voice is soothing to listen to.

"Hi, I'm Felicity," she greets me, holding out her hand.

I haven't bothered to take my nametag out of my packet and stick it on yet, feeling a little silly about even having to do it in the first place, and I'm glad she doesn't say anything about it.

"Alyssa Bentley," I respond, shaking her hand. "But please, call me Aly."

"Oh, right. You were the late addition. Most people might not even notice when something like that happens because I bet most RA's don't even look at their rosters until like a day or two before, but I do. I noticed when Maggie was removed, and I noticed when you were added on there. I figure there's a story to that," she says cheerfully.

She sounds friendly enough, but I have to wonder if it's an accusation, or maybe a not-so-subtle way of digging for dirt to gossip about. Hmm. Maybe the jury is still out on whether I like her.