First Impressions

Chapter Two

°Six months earlier°
Rhea's POV

So here I was standing in front of the main entrance of the tall wide building that read 'Hill Valley Academy' in bold. This is the kind of college every student with huge dreams longs to get into. It has got its reputation very high, as far as I am sure about my facts and sources not to mention that I have been googling this college since a week and surfing on the academy's official site.
It looks so modest by its infrastructure and according to google images there's this lush green park that adds a spark to the beauty of the college.

And now as I stand right in front of the massive building I must tell you that this thing looks exactly like those images on the web, like accurately exact! The park is as green as I had seen in those pictures. The roads inside the campus being wide and clean.
I am walking inside the campus towards the centre building where the office is. I need to get certain papers signed in the office before getting into the college lectures or else I won't be allowed to enter my classes on the first day.

I had earlier wished that I could have come to Mumbai a little earlier (few days back) so that while my uncle came here for the admission processes I could accompany him as well since it was me who was going to study here but now I am happy that I came late because had I visited this place before today, I wouldn't have been admiring its beauty on my first day here.

Anyways. That is not something important to think about at this precious point of time. What I should be worried about right now is whether I ll fit in among the others who have been studying here since childhood and here I am, a newbie that too at the middle of the semester. Hope things go all well.

As I tread towards the building an icy feeling creeps over me and I find myself pulling my shrug closer to my lean body.
Of course I am bound to get nervous since this is my first day here.
I find groups of teenagers standing in circles hither and thither,nerdy girls with those round black glasses, guys that may go by your definition of 'hotness' and 'swag', girls screeching with high pitched voices seeking attention from those guys, guys and girls laughing madly over some stupid thing. Well this is the scene of apparently all colleges these days.

Passing through them I feel very lonely and much of an outsider.

As I open the door to enter the office the woman sitting on the chair glares through her bone rimmed spectacles raising her eyebrows.
'May I come in ma'am?'
'yes' Her voice is deep and holds some sort of authority.

I enter inside and suddenly my stupid little phone starts ringing. I look at the woman with those bone rimmed spectacles and find her staring at me in disbelief.
I huddle and take it out of my pocket and switch it off.Too late Rhea. How dumb of you to not have kept it on silent.
That was embarassing. Well I hope my impression doesn't get spoiled.
'I am Sorry madam.'
'Your name?'
'Rhea. Rhea Verma, mid-term student'
'Oh..Rhea Verma..' She repronounces my name stretching the 'Reeeeyaa'.
She searches through the computer screen in front of her.

'Your batch is M2, We have our notice board at the ground floor of Block A. Your lectures have been Scheduled. Go check it out. And all the best'

'Thanks' I smile and head out of the office.
As soon as I go out of the building my eyes search for Block A and I find it instantly.
I am hurriedly walking towards the building with nervousness creeping up my face when suddenly I trip over something on the ground.I stagger and am on the verge of falling down and I would have fallen down had it not been for the girl who held my hand tight preventing me from tripping over.

'Watch your step girl.' I hear her faint, sweet voice.
I balance myself and turn to look at the owner of the sweet voice.
I see a pretty girl few inches shorter than me looking at me with her brown eyes. I smile back at her.
'I am sorry'
'Sorry? You don't need to be' she laughs.
I don't know what to reply to that.
So I simply ask her 'Can you show me the way to Block A? This is my first day here'
'Oh So you are a new student here? Which batch are you from?'
'M2'
'Woah that's amazing.Come with me even I from M2 and by the way I am Neha and you?' She chirps cheerily, her brown eyes sparking.
'Rhea.'
'Nice meeting you Rhea'
After we have had our first short introduction session she points to the building in front. 'This is Block A'
We enter the building and check our lectures for the day.