C H A N G E

{3}

Books? Check.

Pens? Check.

Laptop? Check.

Pills to keep me sane? Check.

The cold air slaps me in the face as I step out of my heated car, I pull on my coat to shield myself from the cold as I carry my bag. I feel like a kid at their first day at a big new school. Except I'm an adult and my mother didn't just give me a nice kiss goodbye. Instead I'm a twenty-one year old running late to her first college class ever. Speed walking as fast as I can I glance down at a map I looked up online. I have no clue where I am and it is just making my anxiety fly through the roof.

'Inhale, exhale you have got this Riley. You have complete control over your body and emotions just count to ten.' I tell myself quietly continuing to rush through the campus. There are so many buildings so many signs. I start to walk faster and faster looking down at my phone. I'm ten minutes late now.

Oh Fuck! Of course not only am I running late but I have also fallen over being the complete klutz that I am. I look up to see a young women looking down at me. She gives me a sympathetic smile and offers me her hand. I take her hand and get my ass off the cold hard concrete.

"Oh, your knee seems to be bleeding just give me a second I have band aids in my purse, I'm Aspen by the way." She speaks in a rush searching through her black leather purse.

"Thanks, I'm Riley." I say slowly trying not to sound nervous. She pulls out a couple of colourful band aids and a tissue.

"So what are you majoring in Riley?" She asks, distracting me from the pain as she wipes off the excess blood and dirt off my knee.

"Nursing? What about you?"

"Nursing. So let me guess you're late for Professor Strauss's class."

"Yes and I have no clue where I'm going. I didn't get a chance to have a campus tour." I look down to see she has patched up my knee with three band aids, all different colours.

"Thank you so much. Aspen, you are a life saver. Would you be able to direct me Professor's Strauss's class?" I ask in my kindest voice, finally feeling less anxious. Aspen gives me a friendly smile tucking her bright auburn hair behind her ear. She babbles off about the university campus while I attempt to take it all in. She speaks with such enthusiasm, I can imagine that she could make anything sound interesting.

As the double doors of the lecture room swing open, about twenty people turn around at us and stare including the Professor. Professor Strauss has that middle aged man just got divorced and have part custody of his three shithead children look. He looks like the sort of person who is constantly stressed and angry.
"Nice of you two to join our class. I assume one you is Aspen Monty and the other is Riley Jenner." We nod and walk in slowly taking a seat in the front row next to a couple of strangers.

That thirty minutes surprisingly passed by quickly, considering what we were studying. Although the class wasn't that bad, I still can't wait to get out of this classroom though.
"Okay so please finish chapter 3 and the questions on the board. You are all dismissed except our two late comers. Can you stay back for a minute?" We nod and pack up our books quickly walking cautiously towards his desk.
"Girls you cannot show up to classes late all the time, first of all you are missing vital information and second of all you are interrupting the class and lastly you are paying to study here so to get your money's worth I would attend every class on time. You two can leave now." Professor Strauss speaks with complete seriousness then gestures us to leave the room.
"Hey Riley would you like to study with me and a couple of people tonight it's at my house tonight and there will be pizza." Aspen asks leaning against the brick wall outside of the classroom.
"Uh, I don't know. I might just study on my own. Thanks for the offer though." I say quietly holding my textbook close to my chest.
"Well just in case you change your mind here is my number." She scrawls her number on to a sticky note and sticks it to my textbook.
"Anyway I have to meet up with someone. It was nice to meet you Riley, I hope you change your mind." She says before walking off to the carpark, I hope most people around here are as nice as Aspen. Because I could do with some good friends in my life. After everything that has happened all I can wish for is some good friends, a good support network. Even though I want to make friends, I don't think studying with Aspen and her friends is a good idea. What if they recognise me or if I have an anxiety attack. I just don't think I can deal with a study group full of strangers quite yet.

"So how was your first day at school? Did you make any friends? How were your teachers?" Penny speaks through the phone with excitement.
"Penny my first day at university was okay I guess. I made a friend and my professors are alright I guess." I answer all her questions emphasizing that it was my first day of university not kindergarten.
"Tell me about your friend any gossip? Did she recognise you?"
"Her name is Aspen she is very nice, she had no clue who I was which a plus is. But she sort of invited me to a study group tonight and I turned her down."
"Why in the world would you do that Rye. I understand you can get really anxious around new people but she gave you a great opportunity to try make new friends and deal with your anxiety around people better."
"Well I'm just not ready for that." I whisper into the phone.
"Honey, you haven't been ready to do stuff for months now. Its time to get out of your bedroom and meet some people have some fun. You'll regret wasting your younger years when you're older."
"Okay, okay I will go. Besides she said there will be pizza."