We pulled into a parking lot and parked in one of the ‘Staff Only’ spaces. Neither of us spoke as I gathered my things awkwardly into my arms.
“So…” I trailed off, shifting my weight.
“I’ve asked Lauren, one of our girls, to show you around a bit.” She said handing me a manila folder. “Here is your schedule and key and some things about the school.”
I glanced to the schools and noticed a blonde girl walking up. She had her hair up and a very high ponytail and she looked like an all American type.
‘She could be fun to corrupt.’ I thought to myself.
“Hi Dr, J!” The girl bounced over to us. Dr.? “ I’m Lauren,” She said smiling at me.
“Hey.” I responded. Eyeing the blonde pep bomb in front of me, I’m never giving this girl caffeine.
“Well, Blaze, I leave you in capable hands. If you need anything you have my cell phone number and my office is just over here.” Helen said, indicating the large building across the parking lot.
“Thanks, Helen.” I replied, pasting on a fake smile.
She nodded and walked off towards the building she’d pointed to earlier.
Lauren grabbed one of my suitcases, ignoring my objections, and began to walk in the opposite direction Helen had gone, obviously expecting me to follow.
“Do you play?” She asked checking out my guitar case that I had painted last summer.
“Nah I just like to carry it around.” I responded, shooting her a smile so she’d know I was joking. She led me to one of the buildings we walked inside.
“So this is where the girls stay, all five of us.” She laughed. “Well six now that you’re here.”
“We get the whole place for just six girls?”
“Oh gosh no, we don’t even get our own floor.” She said pushing the elevator button. “The rest of the rooms are filled with guys.”
She said guys like some people would say dirt or rats. Surprising, I assumed she be all over them. I shrugged it off while we rode the elevator to the fifth floor.
“Your room is next to mine,” she said knocking on a door with a white board on it that said‘DO NOT ENTER: BIOMETRIC HAZARD’ in messy scrawl.
“Come in.” A girls voice called from behind the door.
Lauren didn’t hesitate and pushed me right into the room. The door only opened so far before getting blocked by something littering the floor.
I turned to see Lauren send me a small wave and rush down the hallway, giggling to herself. I rolled my eyes, grabbed the bag she’d been carrying and brought it into the room.
I glanced around and the first thing I noticed was the lack of clear floor space. All over the room things were lying about, books, pens, clothes, you name it.
It felt like home.
“You aren’t one of those super OCD clean freaks are you?” A voice asked from across the room.
