California and You

Chapter Two

I get up with my alarm at 6 A.M. and go for a run halfway around campus before taking an exit through one of the gates. All I could think about was how nice it was to be starting over again, but still being able to love the same things; like runs and cold showers and hot coffee early in the morning. I want a lot of things to change and bring excitement into my life, but I also want to continue loving the things I love.

I also think about my new roommates and all the quirks I've picked up about each of them. Like Taylor's need to be center of attention in any ridiculous way he can get there. And Nash's fatherly authority that somehow gets everyone to settle down. And then there's Hayes' constant giggling at everything around him. And Matt, who adds a word or two onto everyone's sentences. And Jack seems to be the one always getting picked on, but everyone still loves him. And I haven't even met Shawn yet. But what about Cameron? What do I know about him? I know that he's extremely attractive, though I'll never show that I think that again. I know that when the light comes through the window in the lounge room his chocolate eyes show orange in them like flames. I know that he must workout, but I also know that about all the other boys, except maybe Matt and Jack because they both aren't ripped like the others but are still lean. See! I can't even stay focused on Cameron because I know nothing about him.

I tell myself that I only know so little because he arrived later, and then I turn my earbuds up louder so I can stop thinking and just run.

It's already hot outside with little breeze so I'm sweating pretty profusely by the time I force my legs to jump up the steps to my dorm building. If I was still in Santa Maria, I would've taken my jog a few minutes away and to the beach where I would fly down the infinite shore with the wind as my ally. But I'm not in Santa Maria anymore, and I tell myself that's okay because there are new things to discover here.

Nobody is up in the dorm when I walk in just after seven. I grab one of the plastic water bottles that I saw in the fridge last night when I got the milk out for my cereal. I chug the entire thing and then go to put a pot of coffee on but find that there is no coffee pot.

This won't do. When are the movers getting here again?

I go straight to the shower planning to wake the girls up afterwards so we can all walk to the coffee shop I saw on campus earlier this morning.

When I get out, I towel dry my hair and part it to the left side like I always do. I scrunch it a bit to lend a little help to my natural curls.

I then rub my tanning moisturizer lotion on my entire body, and apply a thin line of black eyeliner to my eye lid and a few strokes of mascara to my eyelashes. I rub a little bit of coconut oil to my lips after brushing my teeth and then call it good in the mirror before I walk down the hall to my room in a white towel and change into a pair of Aeropostale rolled up dark blue jean shorts and a burgundy tank top.

I creep into Kayla and Kat's room knowing they will both still be sleeping. I shake them both awake and tell them to get ready.

"What time is it?" Kat grumbles while Kayla just lays there pretending to still be asleep.

"Like 8 o'clock," I pull on her arm. "Now get up because we're going on an adventure."

"I prefer my adventures to begin at noon," Kayla grumbles from her bed across the room.

"Get up or I'll initiate you guys again right now." I cross my arms.

"Fine, I'll get up." Kat throws her legs over the side of her bed. "Just give us some time to get ready."

I smile and walk out the door, closing it behind me. I then go back into my room and jump on Claire's bed.

"Ow." Her phone falls from her hands and onto her face.