Escape | Updated Weekly

1

I was filled with excitement as I stood outside my university looking up at it. I almost couldn't believe I'd made it this far. It had been months of me studying hard just to stand here on my first day, and I needed a moment to take it all in. The sounds of busy students rushing to their classes surrounded me and I felt comforted.

A familiar voice called my name. "Eve!" I turned and saw my best friend ,Tom, squeezing through the gaps of the crowd to reach me. When he finally approached me he pulled me into a cheery hug. "I can't believe it's here," he said with excitement. We walked up the steps and entered the building together. "Did you sort your housing out yet?" he asked, examining his time table sheet trying to figure out where his class was. "I've got a placement but it was very last minute. God knows what it's gonna be like". Tom looked up from his timetable just long enough to roll his eyes at me. "You've gotta give it a chance" he replied "If not then you can stay with me". I stopped walking, tucking in to one side to stay out of everyone's way and Tom followed. "I don't wanna live with you and bunch of other band boys" I teased "I'd never get any sleep let alone studying time". Tom grinned back "Well the offer is there". He looked around as if only noticing they'd stopped "Aren't you going to class?" he asked. I pointed at the sign we were standing next to.

'Creative Writing'

Tom's eyes widened "Of course you find your class first. I'd better go" he gave me another quick hug and went jogging leaving me on my own. A part of me wished that we had done the same major so I wouldn't be alone but I had to settle for just being at the same uni. Tom was my comfort person. We grew up living in the same neighbourhood all our lives and did pretty much everything together. The only time we'd really been apart is when Tom found his love for music and went off to summer camp. The class room door opened and the teacher let the students inside the room. I had been so deep in her thoughts I hadn't realised my fellow classmates had shown up and were introducing themselves already. I sat myself at the back of the room and got out my notebook to take notes, all of my worries lifting from me now that I could relax a little bit.

The class started with the usual introductions of teachers and students. This is how it'd probably be for the next week until everyone had settled in for a bit. Once the awkward part was over we were asked to read an extract from our portfolios that we had submitted to be on the course. It was the teachers way of getting the students to stand up and show why they shined and got a placement on this course. The teacher decided that it'd be fitting to have the students discuss character development for their very first lesson. They were told to pair up with the person next to them and learn things about each other. Then they had to write a short extract based on that person. I was nervous. Writing about the person that was next to you felt really personal.

The girl I was sitting with turned to me and smiled. She didn't seem nervous whatsoever. I realised I was over thinking too much. If I really wanted to prove I should be here then I had to pull my finger out and just get on with it. "I'm Chloe '' introduced the girl and she held out her hand. "Eve"  I took Chloe's hand, shaking it back. "Well, Eve '' said Chloe, opening her notebook. "Tell me about yourself". I didn't know where to start so I told the boring basics. How many siblings I had, why I chose to do creative writing, where I grew up. Chloe rolled her eyes. "That's great" she said but didn't sound convinced. "If I'm actually gonna write about you I need to know real stuff. Do you have a boyfriend? Are you shy? Outgoing? Adventurous, hates nature. Stuff like that'' I was never one to be so open about myself it hadn't occurred to me. "Okay.. Well no boyfriend but I do have a boy best friend who, actually attends here" Chloe's eyes lit up in excitement. "I try to be as outgoing as I can but sometimes I just wanna be at home with a tea and a book. I'm adventurous.. In the sense that I love to go and do things but I won't climb a mountain or anything. I've got nothing against mother nature but all insects need to leave me the hell alone" we both laughed. "Wow. That's really good stuff. See? Now I feel like I really know you". I also got ready to take some notes. "Your turn" I said, ready to scribble down what Chloe was gonna tell me.

Chloe prepped herself. "I have no boyfriend either but I am very interested in this mysterious bestie you have. I'm that loud girl that some people will absolutely hate and find annoying whilst others would really vibe with it. I'm a sports freak, I go to the gym everyday and I happen to love the bugs' '. I quickly jotted it all down. "I'll call you when I have a spider in my room then" I replied and again we laughed. "I see a beautiful friendship forming here Eve '' Chloe said with a smile. I agreed. Chloe definitely seemed like the fun type of person that I could get along with.

The class settled down to write their extracts. I found it easy to write about Chloe. Before I even knew it I had tons of stuff written down when the teacher called out. "That's it for today guys. Tomorrow we'll hear them and give feedback on how to dive into characters". Everyone started packing away. "Give me your phone" Chloe handed out her hand to me. I creased my brow not really sure why she was demanding my phone. She noticed that I was uncertain. "If we're gonna be mates you're gonna need my number". That was a fair point so as instructed I gave her my phone and Chloe quickly typed in her number and then called her own phone. "There. Now call me if you hear of any great parties" she handed the phone back. "I gotta go. It's gym time" and with that she hurried off. She really wasn't kidding when she called herself a gym freak.

I had some free time and so decided to go and find what accommodation I had. I had left it so last minute that I hadn't even had a proper chance to move in yet. So I went to the admissions desk and gave my name. 

"You haven't moved in yet?" The receptionist was looking down on me in pure judgement. She was an old lady with glasses on the end of her nose. She was astonished that I even managed to get into uni with that level of organisation. "Not even picked up the key!" the woman cried. I didn't know what to say. How do you explain that your Mother tried to stop you from going to uni and therefore hid the acceptance letters and that is why you didn't sort out housing until the very last second? The woman handed over the key to me, I thanked her and got away as quickly as I could. I had to go to my car first where I packed up my whole life from back home. I grabbed my suitcase deciding that'd be enough for now and made my way to the dorms.

The dorms were on campus but they were behind the uni and out of the way. There were at least three blocks filled with about 200 hundred rooms each. My block, naturally, was the furthest away; my room was the third floor up. And of course, there were no stairs. I pulled my suitcase up the stairs and checked my room number. 

105.

 I walked down the hall checking the numbers on their doors. I could hear students in their rooms already. Some had their doors open, some played their music. One was even having a competition with how loudly they can put their music over the top of everyone else's. I continued. 101, 102, 103. Then I finally found it. Room 105. I tried the key but it was really stiff. I had to use my whole weight up against the door just to get it open. When it gave way I took a deep breath and flicked on the light preparing to see what was inside. I instantly groaned to myself. The room was tiny. It had a bed in the corner and a tiny desk at the end. A small wardrobe to the left of me. And that was it. Mould grew on the ceilings and the door didn't shut properly despite barely even being able to open it in the first place.

I sat myself down on the bed and looked around trying to take it all in. Which didn't take too long as there was barely anything to see. Then I realised. There's no bathroom! I quickly got up and flung open my door to poke my head out. Yep. At the end of the hall there was another door labelled 'Bathroom'. Great. Cause I would love to share a bathroom with a bunch of random people. As I was looking out a couple of boys came out of the room next to me. "Yo Dave look who lives next door to me" said one of them. The other ,presumably Dave, slid himself right up against the wall next to my door. "Hey babe," he said. His mate came to the other side. "Wanna come out with us?" he asked. "Definitely not" I replied and slammed the door in their faces. Or at least tried to. I knew I should probably give living in the dorms a chance, like Tom said. I tried to be grateful I was even offered a room. I considered it for a second. Then dialled Tom's number.