Freshman Year

1

"It's good to finally meet you." JJ said to her new roommate, Penelope. The pair had been talking for over two months, ever since they learned they would be living with each other. "You too. This is going to be so much fun!" Penelope replied.

JJ smiled and walked around the dorm. There were two separate bedrooms, a vanity, bathroom and a small living area. She walked into her bedroom, looking at the crème-colored walls, imagining how she would be decorating.

Looking at the boxes she had, she started unpacking, hanging the shirts that were already on hangers, removing the trash bag she had covered them with. After rearranging the room a little bit, she started unpacking her bedding, throwing the extra sheets into a drawer.

Her desk, once plain and boring, became perfectly organized, every pencil finding a perfect spot. As she added things to her wall, Penelope knocked at the door. "Hey. I was going to go get dinner. Wanna join?" She asked, avoiding the mountain of boxes she had in her room. JJ nodded, smiling at her roommate. "That sound fun. I would love to." She said, putting the wall decorations down.

The pair split up into different food lines, JJ going for pasta, Penelope aiming for pizza. JJ, grabbing the parmesan and napkins, put all her things down at a table before going to get a drink.

When she came back, Penelope was sitting with a boy at the table. "JJ, this is Spencer. He is a Criminology and Psychology major. I met him in the pizza line." JJ smiled at him before saying hi.

"Are you in Crim132?" Spencer nodded. "Cool, me too. We can sit together in class if that's alright with you." She said, moving the pasta around on her plate. "Alright. Studies show that a majority of the stress that comes on the first day of school is from finding the perfect seat."

Penelope and JJ stared at him, faces blank. "Are you a genius?" Penelope asked, JJ laughing at the question. "There isn't actually a definition for genius. I do have an IQ of 180 which many have classified as above average smarts." Spencer said, looking between the two of them.

"So that's a yes." JJ smiles, continuing to move the pasta around on her plate.

~~~

"Emily, start unpacking. I don't want to be here all day." Elizabeth said, looking at Emily. Emily rolled her eyes and started to throw her clothes into the dresser. Elizabeth went in behind her, folding the clothes she threw.

"I have a few deliveries coming in, food, drinks and some things you may need for classes." She said, helping Emily put sheets on her bed. "Cool. Thanks. I don't think I'll need much for classes. I have the laptop and I'm assuming they'll be pretty simple." Emily smiled to herself.

While she hated to admit it, she was the smartest at her school. She hid the perfect grades, test scores and perfect GPA behind partying, choosing to cover it all up for something more fun. In her mind, if people know how smart you are, they will use it to hurt you.

"I think that's all. Do you need any help with anything before I go?" Elizabeth asked, looking around her daughter's new dorm. She had helped Emily get a single room, allowing her to have her own space. "I think that's it." Emily smiled.

"Okay. I'll let you know about the packages and let me know what else you need. Take your time with finding a job, I can help you with what you need." Elizabeth smiled at her daughter before walking to the door. "Okay. I love you."

Emily gave her a hug, lasting a bit longer than she expected but letting it take its time. After her mom left, she sat on her chair. They didn't always have the best relationship, but it has been getting better.

Emily was always a trouble kid. Having to sit and act all proper around her friends and coworkers caused her to have breakdowns, normally at her mother. After Rome, they had grown closer, Elizabeth was there with Mathew to hold her hand the whole time.

She had always been supportive of Emily, and they both knew if they ever needed anything they could always call. Emily made microwave pasta, not wanting to go to the dining hall alone. She loved the idea of a single room, having her own space, but she wished she had a roommate. Someone to have around, even if they weren't close. Texting her mom goodnight, Emily sat back onto her bed and fell asleep.

~~~

JJ woke up at 8, alarm blaring in her ear. She always ran in the morning, and with her first class being at 11 am, this is her sleeping in. She got ready, throwing her hair in a ponytail before heading out the door.

The perimeter of the school was almost a mile so her goal was to loop it at least three times. She let the cool morning air hit her skin, relaxing her muscles. The only thing she wanted to do was forget the past couple months, the things that made her world come crashing down.

~~~

Emily reached her hand over to her side table, hitting the button on her phone, turning off her alarm. She had an hour before class, forcing her to get up. While her bed was warm, comfortable and nice, she rolled off the bed, throwing on the first thing she saw before getting ready.

Deciding to go to the dining hall, she grabbed her keys, locked her door and left. The choices were slim, deciding on a bowl of cereal, she sat at a table, scrolling through her phone. Her first class started soon, prompting her to leave after putting away her dishes.

Her first class, Forensic Biology was practically full when she got there, causing her to sit next to a girl at the lab station. When class started, Emily noticed her professor made so many mistakes. The girl next to her caught on too.

Emily heard her whisper in Spanish under her breath. It sounded like "I swear to God if you say another dumb thing." Emily choked on her water, causing the girl to look at her. 

Emily looked at her and smiled. "That was really funny." She replied in Spanish. The girl smiled and introduced herself. Elle. Her name is Elle. Emily smiled back, happy she finally met a friend