colours

Grades Come First

"Ok I think that's the last of it" I said folding up my sweater and putting it into my draw.

Alicia and I have been unpacking all morning. Well... I've been unpacking. Alicia has been WATCHING me unpack all morning. I looked at the room around me and I felt a weird sense of pride. I'm actually here. I'm in Harvard. I wonder how much more beautiful it will be when it's in colour.

"You need to get more clothes Char" Alicia laughed opening my draw and seeing how many clothes I owned.

"These are all the clothes I own that fit me. I have nothing else. Literally" I laughed.

"So what are you gonna wear tomorrow?" She asked me looking through her clothes.

"Um I don't know... Does it really matter?" I asked.

She gasped dramatically and put her hand on her chest. Oh no, I'm about to get another fashion lecture.

"Does it matter?! Of course it does! Our clothes reflect what kind of people we are! If we wear nice clothes people will like us! Our clothes are the only things that can get people to like us!" She rambled on.

"What about our personalities?" I asked holding back a laugh.

"Yeah those to too" she brushed it off casually.

"Ok ok.... What about this?" I said taking out some black jeans and a grey tank top.

Isabela erupted with laughter, making me feel confused.

"What's so funny?"

"Charlotte... You just pulled out bright purple jeans and an orange tank top" she explained still laughing.

"You do realise that I don't actually know what those colours look like, right?" I asked sarcastically.

"Let's just say it doesn't look good. Here I'll help you" she said going through my clothes again.

We were looking through my clothes when Alicia began to speak.

"Ya know, once you meet your soulmate you won't need my help with clothes anymore" she said pretending to get emotional

"Well you don't have to worry about that just yet. I don't plan on meeting my soulmate any time soon"

"Charlotte. You have to meet him at some point"

"Yeah but I don't have to meet him now. We're in university, Alicia. We're not little kids anymore. Right now my grades are what matter. School first, soulmate second"

"That's what you said in high school"

"And I'm saying it now too"

I've always been that way. Prioritizing school over everything else. I still remember all those nights Alicia would want me to go to one of those stupid parties with illegal booze that turns normal school girls into teen moms and prostitutes. I would always say no because I wanted to study. I know I was a geek but it's the way I grew up

When I was younger I was an idiot. I didn't see the cruelties or injustices of the world. To me the world was rainbows, sunshine and puppies. That's the way my grandma allowed me to be because that's the way she still sees the world. Her entire life has been happy endings. She's never really seen flop mates or anything like that. She always had faith in the universe. That's what she taught me and that was fine because I was 5. As I grew older I had to change my way of living.

My mom taught me differently. She always believed in independence. It's not that she didn't have faith in the universe. She always said to me that the universe knows what it's doing. But that wasn't all she believed. She believed that soulmates, while important, were not the key to finding happiness. She worked so hard to make herself successful. My mom is probably the reason I didn't obsess over finding my soulmate. Her passion for self empowerment was passed onto me. She taught me how to be independent.

"Charlotte you won't have a flop mate. There's someone out there for you"

I was about to say something when I heard a knock on the door. A wave of relief washed over me. Now I won't have to look at clothes for the next 3 hours. I went over and opened the door. I saw Jasper and some random guy.

He's kinda cute. I guess.

The guy, not Jasper.

"Hey Jasp. Come in" I said standing aside.

"Thanks. Charlotte, Alicia, this is Henry. He's my new roommate and he doesn't have any friends yet" Jasper explained pointing to the guy next to him.

"Hey" he said casually

"Hi"

"Nice to meet you!" Alicia said enthusiastically.

"Just so you know, I do have friends but most of them didn't come to Harvard. I'm not a loser" he said and I laughed a little at the last sentence.

"Most of them? So you do have a few friends?" I asked.

"Only one. Bianca is in her dorm unpacking" he answered.

"Really? We've been here since 10 in the morning. It's 5 now" Jasper said surprised

"No I get it. Unpacking can take ages. Especially if you have a lazy roommate who doesn't help" I said turning to Alicia and playfully glaring at her.

"Love you!" She grinned at me.

"Whatever" I said turning back to Henry and Jasper.

"So what do you guys wanna do?" Jasper asked.

"We could go get some coffee. I heard
  about a great coffee shop near campus" Henry suggested.

"Coffee sounds great. All this unpacking has made me exhausted. I need something to wake me up again" I agreed with Henry.

"Coffee it is!"
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What do you think???
What should happen next???
Shohini😇💖