California and You

Chapter One

Living in California for the past year has been a blast. Claire and I really liked our little condo we rented out in Santa Maria. I really liked working at the animal shelter a couple blocks away and Claire enjoyed her job at Iglu Palace, the ice cream parlor on the beach. She even found a cute lifeguard to take her out and get her better acquainted with the foreign State. And a week ago our two best friends, Kayla and Kat, flew out to get settled in the dorm room the four of us will be sharing this year. So goodbye Santa Maria and taking it easy and hello college and taking required courses. But I'm not complaining. I'm actually very excited to start a new routine. I'm where I've always wanted to be and I don't want it to become boring here too. So now, four pairs of feet, one in strappy wedges, one in squeaky flip flops, another in a pair of navy Bobs, and the last pair in converse that were once white- are walking up the last flight of stairs leading to the second floor: the floor our dorm room is on.

"I think it will be cool," Kayla says.

I'm brought back from my daze and train my ears back in on the conversation. "What will be?"

"Sharing a suite dorm with them," Kat explains. "Were you not listening? Claire just read off the names of our roommates."

I blink. "Sorry. No, I wasn't. Who are they?"

Claire rolls her eyes but reads off the names again:

"Caniff, Taylor

Dallas, Cameron

Espinosa, Matthew

Grier, Benjamin Hayes

Grier, Hamilton Nash

Mendes, Shawn"

I squint my eyes as we make a left turn into the next hall. "Okay..." I start confused at what the big deal is. "Why is it cool tha-"

"Callie," Claire stops in front of me and bends down to my height so she can look me in the eyes with her blue ones. "Did those sound like girl names to you?"

I thought a second but it was difficult to think when she is looking at me like this. But I understood what the fuss was all about now. Our roommates are guys.

"So... we're sharing a dorm with guy-"

"Yes!" She throws her hands in the air and stands back up straight.

"I knew that before." I say irritated. I'm not an idiot. "I just didn't realize it was a huge ordeal."

"Have you ever shared a dorm with boys before?" Kayla asks as we pick back up walking down the almost vacant hall. I'm glad we decided to move in a week before classes began.

"Well, no. But I've lived in a house with three brothers."

"Doesn't count," Kayla responds at the same time Kat says, "It's right here," to an chipping painted emerald green door at our right.

"I'm glad you had the map because I thought it was still down a little further." I sit my suitcase down on in front of the slab of steel.

"We knew not to let you give directions because you suck at not getting lost." Kayla laughs with me.

Then it's quiet and neither of us make a move to open the door.

After a few more seconds Kat says, "Umm... is anyone going to open the door or are we just going to keep standing outside awkwardly?"

I take this as my push to bring my fist up and knock.

I give the steel four loud taps before i step back and wait. After a minute the girls and I look at each other with the same question on our faces: Should we just go in? It said.