Chapter 3:
Nyla
Nyla slumped in the backseat of her Uber, the fatigue from the two-hour flight and jet lag weighing her down. She checked her Apple Watch, frustration bubbling up as she realized the driver had been nearly 30 minutes late to pick her up from the airport. With the school an hour away and traffic crawling, she took a deep breath to stay calm. At least orientation didn't start until one, giving her some time to settle into her temporary dorm. She gazed out the window, wishing Zara had booked the same orientation date. Having a familiar face would've made this whole experience less daunting.
Pulling up to the dorms, Nyla couldn't help but drop the attitude she once had. The pictures online didn't do the campus justice. The buildings were rich with history, and plaques and historical signs marked every block.
Nyla tipped her driver after he pulled her suitcase from the trunk and drove off.
To say Nyla wasn't ecstatic would be a lie. The dorms chosen for new student orientation were the ones she would be staying in all year. Since she applied for housing early, the dorm had already picked her roommate. It was a bummer for her and Zara because they had wanted to room together, but it all worked out because her mom told her, "If you want to stay best friends, then don't live together."
Nyla stood in front of the dorm building, taking it all in. The air was filled with the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers. Students and their families were bustling about, carrying suitcases and chatting excitedly. She felt a mix of nerves and excitement bubbling up. This was it—the start of her college journey, filled with new opportunities and experiences.
Walking up to the reception desk, she was greeted by an older Black lady with a warm smile.
"Hi, I'm here for freshman orientation," Nyla said.
"Hello, yes. We're going to have you wait in this area," she said, pointing to a large conference room.
"They should be giving out keys soon."
"Okay, thank you," Nyla replied.
She found a seat next to another freshman and pulled out her phone, trying to shake off the lingering fatigue from her jet lag and focus on the excitement ahead. According to the email, keys and campus maps would be distributed in the morning, and they would meet in the auditorium in the early afternoon. A few other freshmen were already waiting for their room keys. Nyla settled into her seat, eager to start this new chapter.
Raja
This was the last place Raja wanted to be right now. She had already missed her alarm and woke up late, only to face an hour and a half drive to the school, made worse by bumper-to-bumper traffic. As she navigated through the gridlock, she had half a mind to say, "Fuck it," and reschedule, but she'd already taken the days off work and had clients booked for the week. Her schedule was too tight to afford another delay.
In her rush, all she could do was grab her keys, drop her stuff in her room, and head straight to the auditorium. Now, during a break at the student center, everyone was grabbing lunch from the various food spots. They had just finished the first part of the orientation in the packed, stuffy auditorium. Raja couldn't lie; from what she had seen so far, the campus was pretty cool. The group leaders had shown them around, pointing out dining halls and college buildings to get them familiar with the place.
Next, they were supposed to go to the computer lab to register for classes. As she waited, scrolling through X on her phone, she heard her name being called from behind.
