Live Fast, Die Young

"Everything's Fine," She said- you know- like a Liar

College is meant to be the time of new beginnings. It's supposed to be one of the most exciting times of your life. For Lizzie, however, the idea of college was the most horrifying thing imaginable. The new sense of responsibility was ridiculously overwhelming and the idea of socializing with strangers and joining various different clubs alarmed her. Her life, up until this point, consisted of her parents breathing down her neck, constantly giving her something to do and- well that was basically it.

Hey Lizzie, do your homework. Come on Lizzie, you need to study more. You're old enough now Lizzie, it's time to get a job.

On and on the list went. It seemed that her parents had managed to dictate every moment of her life and that she had never really had the chance to make a decision on her own. Which is why, on her first day of college, she felt the need to break down in tears when another student asked if she needed any help finding her dorm. Of course she needed help. Eighteen years of her life and she had never done anything without a specific set of instructions laid out in front of her. Now she had been shoved into the real world. And it hurt like hell.

It was like playing through the tutorial of a game, skipping all the easy levels, and immediately jumping into boss battle. Except this wasn't a video game, it was real life, which freaking sucks.

"Are you okay? Did you hear me?" The person in front of her asks again while waving their hand in front of her face.

"Yes," Lizzie managed to squeak out. She quickly squeezed her eyes closed as the blood rushed to her face. Okay, that sounded really wimpy. Christ, Lizzie. Get your shit together.

She cleared her throat. "Actually, do you think you could help me find dorm room C?"

"C?" The other girl asked letting out a giggle. "Dorm C is on the south side of campus?"

"South side?" There were multiple sides of this campus? Well fuck.

"Yep. Right now we're on the north side, South side is like, so far." Yeah great okay. That was really freaking specific, she thought to herself cynically. She clutched the handle of her suitcase tighter, her nails making crescent indents into her palms. Before storming in the general direction the other girl gestured to, she forced out a curt thank you and practically snapped her neck with her rigorous head nodding.

She set off, praying to any and all deities that she would find her dorm quickly.

She didn't. Although she had finally made her way to the South side of campus, she still had yet to find her dorm. In fact, she was pretty sure she had circled this same area at least four times and the sun was already starting to set. The last time she had managed to get a meal was at seven earlier that day. Her parents had insisted she not drive on an empty stomach. Well it was empty now so what was the point of all that fussing, huh?

And to think, she had been excited this morning by the prospect of new found freedom. She wanted to kick herself for her stupidity but eventually decided that wouldn't do anything to help her current situation. Plus, she was almost one hundred percent certain that her knee was still bruised from when she fell a little over thirty minutes ago.

With a final sense of defeat, Lizzie decided that enough was enough and planted herself on the sidewalk. She knew that she could always ask someone, it wasn't as if the campus was abandoned, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to talk to anyone.

Oh gods college sucks.

She huffed to herself and wiped at the back of her neck where sweat had collected and her tangled hair began to stick. Slowly her eyelids were drooping and her head became heavier.

-

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-

"Do you think she's okay?" Mia asked as she stared pityingly at the other girl on the sidewalk. She winced just thinking about how sore the girl would be from sleeping in that upright position.

"I'm sure she's fine." A voice says off to the side. Mia takes her eyes off of the girl in front of her to arch an eyebrow at George, the idiot who had spoken. Before she can explain, none too kindly, why someone who is laying on the sidewalk wouldn't be fine, her friend, Grace beats her to it.

"Fine!? She's unconscious and leaning up against the side of a building. Look she has a suitcase and backpack with her. Poor thing probably couldn't find where she was supposed to go"

"Oh calm down Grace," George replied, his words followed by a loud snort, "There's no reason to turn into a momster."

Grace's face darkened into an unattractive shade of red, "Just because I'm not desensitized to the feelings of others doesn't mean you should be calling me names."

"I don't exactly need a reason to call you names." In that moment, Mia knew that if she didn't tell the two of them to shut up soon, they would cause a scene and more than likely wake up the sleeping mystery girl.

"I think the both of you need to take a serious dosage of chill. I don't want to be in the middle of something on our first day back." She demanded loudly, attempting to speak over the two angry people in front of her. They of course, being the Fitz twins, were less than receptive. Their shouts only seemed to get louder and other people began to stare at them.

She noticed the sleeping girl begin to shift from where she had been situated. With a sigh and a final glance at her fighting friends, Mia made her way over to crouch in front of the other girl.

"Hey there, Sunshine." she says, attempting a smile which even she knows looks forced.

The girl in question colors when she realizes Mia is speaking to her. It takes a few moments for her to process that she's just been asked a question and that she is expected to respond. She opens her mouth to say something, anything. When she does, however, a scratchy croaking noise makes its way out of her throat.

Mia laughs before she asks, "What are you doing sleeping out here anyways?"

"I-" she pauses to clear her throat, "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was looking for my dorm but I couldn't really find it." she trailed off. Suddenly, she became a bit more aware of her situation. She was sitting slouched on a college campus with her hair sticking up in all directions and her clothes a rumpled mess. The other girl probably thought she was a weird hobo possibly an alcoholic or maybe even a druggie. Maybe even an alcoholic hobo druggie. Lizzie worked to stand up but found that her left leg had decided to take some time off so she promptly toppled back down. 

Oh gods was this embarrassing.