College Kids And Champagne

Bubble Gum And Roommates

Nikki's POV

"That'll be twenty four seventy five," the taxi driver told me as we came to a stop just outside my future. My fingers were sweaty with anticipation as I pulled the crumpled bills out of the pocket of my too-tight denim cutoffs. I counted out twenty five dollars and flung them impatiently at the driver.

"Keep the change," I told him as I pushed the door open. My legs stuck to the leather seats as I climbed out of the taxi and into the Los Angeles sunshine. The air was dry and beautiful as I gathered my luggage; a massive rolling suitcase, my satchel, and a plain black tote. I struggled onto the sidewalk as the taxi sped away - and stared.

Before me were the gates of my future, wrought iron and beautiful, bearing the letters, UCLA. I had finally arrived. Years and years of exams, and volunteer work, and struggling had led me here, had led me out of Glenview. Finally, my future had arrived, and it was beautiful.

Alone but unafraid, I walked through those gates. I joined the flood of freshman, most of them accompanied by parents, as we made our inside the school. We were greeted by cheerleaders in gold and blue. They sang and waved pompoms while the school mascot; the Bruins Bear, danced in time. I smiled at all of it, unable to contain the ecstatic joy vibrating through my veins.

I made my way across the campus, staring like a tourist. I had seen the campus once before, during summer orientation, but this was different. This was real. There were students everywhere, new and returning, all melting together under the late summer sun. The buildings, some old with elegant spires like churches, others new with all glass windows, loomed high, slicing into the clear blue sky.

A part of me wished Jacen was there, to see my new life. But no, I reminded myself, I needed to do this on my own. I didn't need Jacen, or anyone else, to hold my hand. I had to prove myself - prove that I was capable of living on my own, thousands of miles from home and Glenview. Jacen would see the campus soon enough, I told myself, but today was my day.

I struggled across the campus - my joy made me light, but my bags weighed me down. Most people had their parents with them, if only to help them unpack. But my family couldn't afford to fly all the way out to LA, and besides, I didn't want them to. I didn't need them to hold my hand either. This was my new life, not theirs. 

"Hey, you need some help with that?" said a boy, having coming over from where some guys were kicking a soccer ball on the grass. He was a rather cute boy - definitely Asian, though I couldn't have said what kind - with shaggy dark hair and soft brown eyes.

"Oh yes - please," I said, handing him my duffle bag. With one less thing to weigh me down, I was floating again. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said, putting the bag over one shoulder and holding out a hand to me. "I'm Henry."

I smiled at his extended hand, and shook it. "Nikki," I told him. He really was cute. He had an elfin smile, and manners, which was always a plus. My favorite thing about him though had to be the fact that he hadn't recognized me, and if he did, he hadn't said anything; which was even better.

"So, where are you staying?" he asked as we began walking. Like me, he wore sneakers, but his shorts were basketball shorts, like someone accustomed to playing sports on the go.

"Hedrick Hall," I told him. I already knew where it was, having visited it during freshman orientation back in July. I had done my best to memorize the layout of the whole campus, in the hopes that I could avoid getting lost on the first day.

"Me too," he said, that elfin smile returning to his face. "I moved in yesterday actually. My family lives over in San Diego so it wasn't much of a drive. Where are you from?"