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GENEVIEVE MILLS gripped the strap of her bag, her heart racing as she stepped off the train at Penn Station. The pulse of New York City hit her instantly — people rushing by in every direction, the distant hum of traffic, and the loud honks of taxis. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, before pulling out her phone to check the campus map for Blackmore University.
This was it. Her fresh start.
When arriving at the entrance of Blackmore, she smiled. The campus was just as it looked in the brochures — historic brick buildings situated between the towering skyscrapers of the city. Students moved around, chatting in groups or hurrying to class, but everything felt new.
Pulling her luggage behind her, she crossed the quad, eyes scanning for her dorm building. She spotted the glass doors of Morgan Hall and made her way over, eager to settle in. Just as she reached the steps, her phone buzzed. It was her mom, probably checking in on how she was doing. Genevieve swiped to ignore it for now—she wanted to soak in her surroundings without any distractions.
As she fumbled for her key card, a voice cut through the din of the campus.
"First day?"
Genevieve turned, her eyes landing on a boy leaning against a nearby bench. He was tall, with curly dark hair and a sharp jawline. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of a worn leather jacket, and his dark eyes focused on her with curiosity.
"Yeah," she replied with a smile. "Is it that obvious?"
The boy smirked, his gaze moving down to her luggage before returning to her. "A little."
Genevieve blushed, adjusting the strap of her bag, waiting for him to say more, but he remained quiet.
"I'm Genevieve Mills," she added. "Freshman."
"Ethan Landry," he replied softly. "I'm a sophomore."
"Nice to meet you," Genevieve said. "Are you in this dorm, too?"
"Yeah, I'm just on the other side," he explained, motioning to the pathway leading to the other side of the building.
"Oh, cool!"
Ethan shifted awkwardly. "If you, um, need help finding anything, I could show you around. Blackmore's a big place. It can get a little overwhelming."
"That's really sweet of you," Genevieve replied. "I might take you up on that."
"Okay. I'll...I'll see you around, then."
With that, Ethan gave her a nod and strolled off, disappearing into the crowd of students. Shaking off the strange encounter, Gen swiped her card and headed into Morgan Hall.
The building was modern and clean, with large windows that let in natural light. She found her room on the second floor and unlocked the door, stepping into the small but cozy space that would be her home for the next year.
As she unpacked, her phone buzzed again. This time, she answered.
"Hi, Mom."
"Genevieve! I've been worried. Did you get there okay? How's the campus? Do you like your room?"
She smiled at her mom's familiar rapid-fire questions. "Yes, yes, and yes. Everything's great so far. I've only been here an hour."
"That's wonderful, honey. Just be careful, okay? New York is exciting, but it's also dangerous."
Genevieve rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine, Mom. I promise. I'll call you later once I'm all settled in."
After hanging up, she sighed and flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. This was her fresh start. No more high school drama. No more old gossip. Just a new life, and a new city.
