Mind Over Matter

Chapter 2

The room stood imposingly in front of me, observing my every movement. Man, I never thought WALLS could possibly be intimidating, but so far out of my comfort zone, everything was.

Two beds were each facing the right-side wall, but could not be more different. The one closer to the window was plain, empty, and bare; ready to be filled. The other was cluttered with colorful clothes over an intricately designed- and equally colorful- comforter. Along the bed frame hung white Christmas lights, which added a youthful glow to the area. Whoever created this elaborate arrangement also decided to hang "inspirational" posters along all the walls- including mine. You know, the kind you see in teachers' classrooms and read when you don't feel like listening to the lecture anymore. Though slightly irritated, I brushed it off to the back of my mind so I could deal with the impending situation attentively.

A unison of giggles erupted from behind a door, which startled me slightly, and I crept closer to investigate. Five girls were huddled in our closet, but an awkward separation gave away that they weren't exactly all friends.
"And where did you get THIS one?" asked a condescending voice, muffled in laughter. A sweet, high-pitched voice responded.
"My mother got me that one from a thrift shop in London! It's one of my favorites," the girl responded, proudly displaying a hideous green sweater on a hanger. She looked at it with such admiration, enveloped in a sweet respect that sheltered her from the judgmental beings surrounding her. But did she not hear the laughter?

Suddenly, my eyes connected with one of the giggling girls, and her face hardened like stone. The others turned in unison, and it became apparent that my presence was not welcome.
"Were you, like, spying on us?" one said, stuttering with laughter. I tried to invent an excuse, but she was right- I WAS spying. They walked one by one out of the closet, making me regret ever walking in.

"Well- umm, Luna is it? It was great chatting with you and looking through your, ahem...lovely clothes, but it seems that we have a new arrival, so I'll leave you two to... get acquainted," said the tallest and most prominent of the four.

She gave a half-sweet, half-menacing grin and led the others out of the room. Luna gave an excited and genuine farewell, still oblivious to the mendaciousness around her. The door came to a rattling shut, leaving me with who I assumed was the creator of this quirky masterpiece.

"Hi there! I'm Luna! Welcome to beeeeautiful room C-4," she exclaimed with an inviting smile.

"Uhh, hi. I'm Sage," I responded.

Up close, I noticed her lovely, tidy curls. I wonder how she got them like that- I can never seem to get my curls under control. I took a closer examination of the closet and was stunned by the extravagance of Luna's apparel. Wild colors, animal prints, feathers; every fashion statement imaginable. She has an extraordinary style about her, that's for sure.
After thirty minutes of routine small talk, we finally started acknowledging more personal topics and exchanged class schedules and phone numbers. Eventually, we got lost in conversation and I became immersed in Luna's unique atmosphere. What first appeared to be childish and ostentatious now felt original and inventive, and her accepting nature eased my nerves more I ever could on my own.

Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all. But then again, whatever lays beyond my dorm is completely uncharted territory, and my ship is tragically unprepared.