Forest City Chapters 1 & 2

Chapter 1

You will never be this age again so do what makes you happy, they say. But what if nothing makes you happy? What if you don't have any dreams or goals that you are holding yourself back from? What if you are content with nothing?

I sit on the floor, staring at the once-empty wall now covered with my posters and photos from home. The idea of college has always been placed on such a high pedestal. Crazy parties, fascinating classes, and a campus that's straight out of a movie. It's where you meet your best friends, It's where you fall in love. When I was little, I imagined college to be the prime of my life. Now that I'm here, I feel emotionally and physically ill. I'm finally entering what are supposed to be the best years of my life, and all I want to do is go home and watch TV with my grandparents.

Am I really that much of a loser? There must be something wrong with me. My roommates are glowing with excitement, and all I can do is try to match their energy to the best of my abilities. Despite how draining it feels.

"Veda, are you ready?" I hear a voice call, breaking my trance. I see Cassidy, Monica, and Blyth through my open door. They are standing in front of the giant mirror located in the center of our suit, curling their hair and painting their faces with makeup. They are playing modern country music that I've never heard before on a portable speaker. Nobody I knew from home ever listened to country.

"Almost. I just need to change," I respond, forcing my voice to be light.

After closing my door, I walk to my closet. We are supposed to go to the common room on our floor to meet our new neighbors. Only minimal effort is required, so I throw on a black sweatshirt and grey sweatpants. Staring at the flimsy floor-length mirror my grandma and I bought from Target, I tie my long black hair into a bun and apply some mascara. I'm not trying to impress anyone, but I know I'll feel more confident if I put in at least a little effort. As I open my door back up, giggles and shrieks fill my ears. A part of me really loves their excitement. Having a different attitude doesn't mean I'm judging them, I tell myself.

"Veda honey! You look so cute!" Blyth says sweetly from the floor where she's tying her shoes. I feel like she's lying, but I give her a small smile.

"We should go, everyone else is probably already there," She continues.

"We better not be living with any creeps," Cassidy interjects, scrunching her freckled nose.

"I think we need a couple of creeps. To keep things interesting," I respond, looking at them mischievously.

"You're the creep," Monica laughs, to which I shrug my shoulder apologetically, and the giggling starts up again. She's joking, but there is certainly some truth to what she said.

When we walk into the common room, everyone is sitting on leather chairs and couches, talking loudly and eating snacks. Seeing the food makes me nauseous. They happily greet us and make room so we can sit down. I scan the room as my roommates join in the conversation. A tall red-headed guy in a green t-shirt is sitting by a girl with short blond hair that has a gold nose ring. A couple of people are wearing Forest City University band sweatshirts, and there's a pale guy with a buzz cut drinking a can of root beer. They seem nice, but I feel isolated from the conversation. Everyone's talking, but I don't have anything to say. It's hard to make an impression on a group of extroverts as an introvert. I begin to worry that my shyness is making me seem like a bitch when the redhead, who I now know as Lucas, calls to two guys walking by the glass walls surrounding the room.

They come in cautiously, but they don't seem nervous. The one with dark eyes and sandy hair sits in the empty spot by me. The other stumbles across the room to sit by Lucas.