Fraternity | lrh

01 - "hello newbie"

00 | Kai

Everything felt bitter sweet, almost too good to be true, my bags were being packed into my fathers jeep and I took a long hard look at the home in which I'd grown up in, made somewhat everlasting memories in.

Now I was leaving for University and wouldn't be back until we'll past Christmas if I could help it.

My mother was putting on her usual façade of loving mother, crying to my father how quickly I'd grown up and how proud of me they were. Despite the fact I'd decided to move onto my campus a month before classes started and still without deciding on a course to take.

I mean I'd narrowed it down and I had three weeks to decide so I didn't worry too much about it at that moment in time.

Thankfully the drive to my new campus was a lot more quiet which allowed me to simply put my headphones on and allow the world to float away around me. Forget that I was leaving my childhood home and my parents behind to try and start a new life for myself, without the pressures of home weighing me down.

I believed I'd drifted off during the first hour of the journey and only woke up as he hit a particularly nasty pothole a few feet away from the campus gates.

It was far bigger than I'd remembered it being when I visited it the first time, I do remember it being just as jaw dropping. Tall buildings and a block of rather fancy looking flats just across the road which is where I'd decided to stay since it was on the doorstep and I couldn't pass down the convenience, especially since my parents were paying for it anyway.

I saw a few potential students dotted about the main entrance with clipboards in hand as they proudly sported the University logo on their t-shirts, and whilst it all felt rather ridiculous I found myself more excited than I'd ever been.

My phone vibrated softly in my pocket and I pulled it out briefly just to check who it was, I was surprised to find an email from the University that gave me a step by step guide on where to go and who to talk to when I arrived. I thought it rather thoughtful of them.

Once we'd found a spot, not due to lack of trying but it was simply packed in the car park and they'd had to wait for parents to leave to get a spot.

My dad began shovelling my suitcase out of the boot of the car as my mom and I made our way to the girl sat at a desk in front of the big doors. Her head snapped up as we approached and I saw the way her face morphed from annoyed to overwhelmingly happy as she plastered quite possibly the preppiest smile on her face that I'd ever seen.

"Hey newbie, I'm Melissa, how can I help you?" The chirpy tone was entirely too much and I found it hard not to grimace at her very forced attempt and being nice and welcoming especially before 11am,

"Okay," I shook my head gently willing myself not to laugh at that moment and ignored the disapproving nudge my mother gave me with her elbow, I rolled my eyes discreetly in response because god-forbid she see that, "I was just wondering where I go to get my room number and key?"

I noticed my father strolling past, pulling a trolly along with him to help with the boxes and suitcases I'd supposed.

"Straight through these big double doors," there was a condescending tone in her voice that began to made me annoyed, as though she'd assumed I were stupid, I ignored it, "There's a big desk, give them your name and they give you the number and key as simple as that."