Writer

Chapter 1

My parents told me college was important but they didn't tell me it was so important that I had to move so far away. I didn't fight them on the matter and I guess that's where my problem roots from. I didn't speak for myself, at least not for a while. When the air started to shift and the birds stopped chirping, I knew farewells were coming soon. And it was sad. I had so much to say and yet no words seemed to form in my tiny adolescent mouth. "Bye dear." Mom said as she bent down and kissed my tear stained cheek goodbye. "Mom, I don't want to go." My lips felt numb from the amount of time I spent smacking them together. "This will be good for you." She said, as though going to a college with 300 students to a class is what I want, when in reality, I wanted myself in a room full of flowers and birds singing a song only they knew. My dad didn't say anything. He just smiled grimly and gave me a half hug.

Granger college was full of wannabes and misfits wandering the streets searching for somebodies and nobodies.

The place was bustling with activity as I lugged my way up the dull gray steps, to my jail for the next couple years.
"Name." A woman called from the reception area.
"Paisley Mase." I said it more like a question.
"Room number 4E. Third stairwell."
"Thanks."
She didn't say you're welcome.

When I got to my dorm, there was a girl standing parallel to the door.
"Hi." She said, and it wasn't long until she was hugging me.
"Hi." I said awkwardly, my arms pressed against my sides.
"I'm Lily."
She let go of me leisurely, and examined me up and down.

"You must be Paisley. I can tell because you look like your profile picture on Facebook."

"That is right." I ignored her stalker tendencies because everyone has done that at one point in their life. She continued on.

"I like fruit smoothies and running, I tend to watch scary movies instead of comedies, I have two dogs, a yorkie and a dachshund, and I want to be an anchor woman for any New York station that gets more than seven viewers." Her mouthful caught me off guard, but it was one less thing I had to deal with later. Her silence signaled me.

"I like fruits... I like dogs... I like cats, I guess, too. I like some movies. I don't know what I want to do."

We stood there both glaring at each other with blank stares and uncomfortable postures, until she spoke again. "Nice, well, orientation is soon so we better be on our way."

I nodded and followed her blindly into the hall, leaving my bags and security behind.

Everyone was in the cluttered auditorium, and it felt so far from our dorm. My foul mood clung to me like a sticky wet jacket, and I had a hard time listening to the man speaking about his expectations and gratitude towards us.

We were stuck on bleachers, and I squirmed uncomfortably until a person behind me decided my anxiety was the least of their worries. "Knock it off already." A guy hissed and shoved me lightly with his foot. I gasped, looked over, and immediately looked away. A big guy like him shouldn't be messed with.

"Hey, knock it off yourself, Butch. She's just nervous." The voice came out deep and soft, but not deep enough like the voice of a radio show host.

Without turning around, I listened as Butch mumbled something to the guy.

"My head still hurts from last night, and all her fidgeting is gonna make me vomit. So would you rather me vomit on her or tell her to knock it off?"

The deep (but not too deep) voice chuckled, and I heard a smack. "Chill out."

Lily turned around when I didn't, and her eyes got big. She didn't say anything, but her awkward smile told me that whatever I wasn't looking at was certainly a sight to see.