𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬

07

𝟑 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

Outside the dorm building, a mix of excitement and nerves hit me. My mom wraps her arm around my shoulder and sighs, "I guess we'll see you at Thanksgiving." Her eyes are all teary. "Oh, Mom," I say, hugging her tight. She smells like home, and I know I'll miss that. Even though I try to hold it in, a tear slips out, and I let out a small sob. "Oh, sweetheart," she whispers, hugging me even tighter. My sister and dad join in, turning it into a big family hug.

After we finally let go, I say my goodbyes and head to the dorm buildings with my bags. I look back one last time and see my family smiling and waving. I wave back and walk inside. There's a friendly lady with gray hair and glasses at the desk. "Name?" she asks. "Alina Lewis," I say. She types on her computer and hands me a keycard. "Room 285," she says. "Thanks," I reply.

Luckily, Dixi is my roommate, and Kimberly and Summer will be here soon too, both rooming together. I take the elevator to the second floor, with some soft music playing in the background. When I get to my room, I swipe the keycard, and the door opens. The room's pretty small, with a tiny bathroom and two beds about five feet apart. I drop my bags and sit on one of the beds. The window in the middle shows a view of campus life – girls chatting on benches and guys playing football.

I text my mom to let her know I made it to the dorm, just like she asked. Then, I put my phone on the nightstand and start unpacking, feeling a mix of sadness and excitement for what's to come.

Suddenly, the door swings open, revealing Dixi with a big grin on her face. "What's up, bitch!" she exclaims, dropping her bags to the floor as she rushes over to hug me. I giggle and hug her back. "Just unpacking," I say with a smile.

"Damn, this room's tiny," Dixi remarks, looking around.

I laugh, nodding in agreement. "It is, isn't it? I feel like I have claustrophobia."

Dixi flops onto the other bed, and we start chatting away, catching up on everything we've missed over the summer. After about ten minutes of nonstop conversation, Dixi suddenly declares, "I'm starving! Let's go to Jayde's Diner."

Before I can protest, she grabs my hand and drags me out the door. We step outside, greeted by a fresh, cool breeze. Fall is approaching faster than ever, and the crisp air feels refreshing. The leaves are just starting to turn, hinting at the vibrant colors that will soon take over the campus.

Both hopping into my white Ford Fiesta, I take the wheel while Dixie settles into the passenger seat. We crank up Olivia Rodrigo's latest hits, the music filling the car with an energetic vibe. As we drive towards the diner, I turn down the music slightly. "Did Summer and Kimberly make it here fine?" I ask Dixi.

Her head pops up from her phone. "Yeah, they did. They're meeting us at the diner."

"That's great! I'm so excited to see them!" I say, flipping on the turn signal. I turn the music back up, but Dixi quickly turns it back down. I give her a puzzled look. "Have you seen Teddy here yet?"