The Opposite Sex Enigma - Part Three

Comfort Zone

When I stepped into my dorm room, I immediately felt like I had made a big mistake. It was small, smaller than my bedroom at home. A single bed sat in the far corner, a wooden desk on the left and a small bedside table in-between. The walls were a neutral beige with only a small window above the bed with drab curtains. Out the window, I could see another block of student residence. Beyond that was a two-story learning centre, where the library and classrooms were. 

What was I thinking, moving away from home, from my friends, from my safety nets?

The first week of Uni went by in a blur. It was Orientation Week (O-Week) which was filled with non-stop parties and social events. Luckily, I had already turned 18 before Uni started so I had no excuse but to join in with the craziness. After a responsible year of studying and being a super boring person, it was a shock to my system. On the first night, I forced myself to go to the Uni bar.

One of the first people I met was Luca Jensen. He was good-looking but highly egotistical, with perfectly-styled, light brown hair and chiselled features. He didn't see any competition amongst the other boys in First Year, so he walked around the bar like he owned the place. I watched him chat up every girl along his path. He stopped to make out with a couple of drunk ones, then moved on. He was immediately put on my black list.

"Hey what's your name?!" Luca greeted me suavely.

"Jackie."

"Well I'm Luca Jensen."

"That's nice," I turned and started walking away, looking for anyone else I could talk to.

"Where you going?"

I was a little tipsy, so not feeling very diplomatic.

"Anywhere but here," I replied.

"Woah, harsh," he said like he was offended, but quickly moved on to someone else.

I moved through the crowd trying to get up the courage to talk to someone. A couple of girls looked at me over their drink and giggled. I kept walking. There was a couple of nerdy boys standing at a bar table with beers. I smiled at them and they smiled back. I thought they looked friendly enough so I approached them.

"Hey, you guys having fun?" I asked casually.

"Yeah," said one of the guys shyly.

"What do you guys do?"

"Engineering."

"Oh really!? Me too!" Silence. "What do you think you'll pick for second year?"

"Robotics," said one guy.

"Or Electrical," said the other.

No reciprocal question.

Oh-Kay.

"Well nice meeting you guys, I'll probably see you around." I said as I made my way to the bar. I really needed another drink. There was two male staff behind the bar. I stood back and waited until the cute one was free then stepped forward.

"What are you after?" the cute bartender asked. He looked like a male version of my friend June, tall with model good-looks. He was a beautiful mix of Asian and European features with straight, neat jet-black hair and features that reminded me of an anime character.

"Ummm, could I just get a Vodka, lime and soda please?"

"Sure."

He started pouring the vodka, adding some soda water and a squeeze of lime.

"So is this the absolute worst week for a bartender to have to work? You must dread O-Week!" I asked, attempting to start a conversation.

"It's not that bad. I get to meet all the new pretty girls on Campus." He gave me a crooked sexy smile.