stargazer // lawlorff

ONE

(Sam's POV)

I knew that moving to a new town was going to be hard for me, especially since I was leaving all my friends behind and starting anew. It took longer than expected for me to succumb to the reality that was my high school friends not really still being my friends, and the utterly terrifying concept of adulthood peering over my shoulder like a ghost, haunting every thought I had.

As hard as I was trying to be optimistic, I knew that deep down I never could escape the fear that I might make it through all four years of college without making a single friend along the way. I didn't particularly wish this upon myself, but it was inevitable nonetheless. I was shit at making friends and had a consistency to bumble out every awkward thought that comes to my mind incoherently scaring off everyone I met.

So, that being said, it's no surprise that the first person I met in Los Angeles I indefinitely scared off on first contact. That person being my roommate, to add to the dishevelment in the situation as was prior to my major fuck up.

Dominic Deangelis seemed to be a nice boy, he had round cheeks and a big smile, the sort of friendly one that invites you in, which is probably why I mistakenly let my guard down when speaking to him. When I prematurely visited my dorm room before the dorky kid who was supposed to show me around got to it first, he was placed on one of the twin sized beds, head buried in the screen of his laptop. I knocked on the door to show that my presence should be notified to him, and he pulled hard on the earbud cord he had attatched to his computer in a hurried grasp. He was jumpy at first and then looked up at me, blushing vigorously.

"Uh, hi..." I extended my arm out to him to shake with, "I'm Sam."

He nodded and politely groped my hand and tossed it up and down with a grip that could snap a neck in two easily.

"Dominic Deangelis," he stated, "I'm assuming you're my new roommate?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, well I sure as hell ain't the pizza guy," I joked. I bit my lip nervously and looked down at my feet upon realizing how incredibly dumb I sounded.

Dom nervously laughed and it faded out quickly, he sat back down and muttered, "Right..." to himself.

I sat my bags down on the empty bed, clouded with regret over what my opening line had just been.

I got out my phone from my pocket and absentmindedly started scrolling through Instagram. I was surrounded with a cloud of loneliness upon a specific set of pictures catching my eye. My friends had gone to, from what it looked like, a truly kick-ass party supposedly the night before, and I felt left out. I knew it was impossible for me to have attended, but I still felt this sensation come over me that they had more fun without me in one night than the many years I was by their sides.

Orientation took what seemed like forever, my group's tour guide trying to make some comedic gold and probably a five dollar tip too. They released us back to our dorms and I saw across the hall, Dom laughing with three other guys. One was somewhat short, about the same size as Dom, chubby cheeks and frizzy curls covering his eyes. He appeared to be making obscene gestures referring to a girl standing near them talking to another girl. The others were eating it up, a slightly taller boy clutching onto his shoulder for stability because he was laughing so hard. The taller boy had light brown hair and a swimming championship tshirt on. Another boy was with them too, this one took my breath away, and caused someone to run straight into me because I was so blatantly baffled at his beauty.

"Sorry.." I muttered, still staring at the tall boy with wide eyes and probably an open mouth as well.

His eyes were dark brown but the way he smiled just made them light up like there were constellations trapped inside them. His smile was bright and white and gorgeous, slight dimples poking out his cheeks. He had dark brown hair, almost black.

Suddenly, he turned his head and his eyes were staring right at me. I froze. He smiled and I smiled back before darting down the hall back to my room.

It's official, college is going to be the end of me.