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Daedae Watkins-Graham | 19
I settled into my new dorm room at Memphis, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. College was a new chapter for me, and while I missed my parents, who had just headed back to Atlanta, I was ready for the independence that came with it. My dorm was fully set up, but I still had the whole room to myself, at least for now. It felt strange having so much space, but I wasn't complaining. I could do whatever I wanted without worrying about someone else's schedule or preferences.
Trey, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. He was stuck with a roommate from day one. Trey was just a few doors down, but tonight, we decided to link up online instead of in person. I fired up the PlayStation and sent him an invite to play Call of Duty.
With the game loaded, I put on my headset and connected with Trey. We were deep into a match, navigating the chaos of explosions and gunfire. My eyes were glued to the screen, hands moving quickly on the controller as I maneuvered through the digital battlefield.
"Nigga he's right there!" I shouted into the mic, my voice loud. I watched Trey's character move in the wrong direction, completely missing the enemy. A split second later, Trey's character was taken out. I kissed my teeth in annoyance, shaking my head at this nigga.
"Your fucking trash, yo," I said, half-joking but still annoyed. Trey let out a laugh on the other end, trying to brush off the loss.
"Man, chill, it's just a game," he replied, but I could tell he was a little salty about it too.
I leaned back in my chair, the adrenaline from the match still buzzing through me.
We queued up for the next match, I glanced around my room, taking in the quietness.
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"Alright, let's get this next one," I said, focusing back on the screen. Trey mumbled something in agreement, and we were off, diving back into the game.
Into the next match, Trey's voice crackled through the mic, breaking the silence. "Yooo, you hear about them having another party tonight?" he asked, clearly more interested in the party scene than the game we were playing.
