Ketterdam University

{one}

            "Do people normally get this restless over something like this?"

"Just breathe; you're going to be fine."

"Have you ever done this before? I only take advice from someone with experience, you know."

"Have I met another human being before? Why yes, Jesper, yes I have." Jesper could practically see Nina's stance over the phone, her hands on her hips, her lips flat with defiance.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "You know what I mean. Is Inej there? I need her wisdom."

"Do you not trust me? How dare." But he could already hear Nina passing her phone.

Inej's voice came through clear and definite. "Stop being a baby."

"Hello to you too, Inej darling," Jesper said.

He could hear her sigh. "Just breathe; you're going to be fine."

Jesper let out a long exhale. "Thank you, I needed that."

He heard Nina's exasperated voice in the background. "That's exactly what I said!"

"It sounds better when I say it," said Inej with a smile in her voice.

"She's right," said a new voice.

"Matthias? Am I on speaker phone? Are you all hanging out without me?"

"We thought you could use the moral support," Matthias said.

Jesper methodically taped his thumb against the steering wheel, an uneasy feeling stirring in his gut. "You guys, I'm really nervous."

Nina cooed sympathetically. "Jesper, everything is going to be okay. Kaz wouldn't sabotage you with an insufferable flatmate."

"Yes, he absolutely would," Jesper said, feeling the heat in his cheeks at the mention of Kaz's name.

"Maybe," Nina admitted. "But I hear the flatmate is really cute."

Jesper coughed. "That doesn't matter."

"It does, and you know it."

"Kaz told you he was cute?"

"Christ, no, Jes. He sent me a picture from Instagram, but only because I asked for one."

"Where are you?" Inej asked him.

"I'm on my way to the flat as we speak," Jesper said.

"Just be yourself...except hold off on the flirting until you warm up to each other, alright?" Nina advised.

Jesper scoffed indignantly, "Please, Nina. I have standards."

 "You will hit on anything with a pulse," Nina countered. 

Inej chimed in. "I've seen him talk up a mannequin before."

He could hear Nina and Matthias's laughter in the background. "Okay, first of all, that mannequin had a very lifelike face, and secondly, I'm gonna have to go, I'm pulling into the parking lot."

Nina made a loud disappointed noise. "Okay, babe, give us a play-by-play on how it goes."

Jesper grinned, "I will. Love you all, bye."

He hung up with a warm feeling in his chest, thankful for the small, but a trustworthy group of friends.

The apartment complex looked plain from the outside, but Jesper already knew the inside was much more interesting. 304 was the number he had scrawled on a piece of paper, the number of his new apartment, his new life. He parked as close as he could to the building and walked up the concrete stairs that led up to his floor, feeling a flutter in his stomach. His eyes flitted over the numbered plaques outside of each door, his heart skipping a short beat when his eyes landed on the most familiar number combination.