They Don't Know About Us (BWWM)

Chapter 1

There wasn't a moment when Granite University wasn't bustling with some sort of student life or campus activities. The swell of various voices surrounded Ava on all sides as she walked out of the liberal arts building and along the concrete path toward the McCain Hall dorms. Despite being in the first semester of her freshman year, Ava had nearly the entire campus already mapped out and explored. The university was her first taste of freedom after finally leaving her hometown and rigid household, and she was determined to enjoy every single inch of campus. She already felt like she found her new home, and she would have to be physically dragged off of it if her parents wanted her back home.

After swiping her student ID in the card reader on the front door of the large dorm building, Ava walked inside of the open lobby, her eyes glancing over a few other freshmen that were studying in the lounge to her left. She headed straight and hit the up button on the elevator, shifting her black backpack higher up on her shoulders as she waited for the elevator doors to open. She still felt excited going into her dorm room because she had made it all her own. She could hang up the posters she wanted to without getting ridicule from her parents. She could hang up photos of her and her new friends. She could do anything she wanted without worrying about her parents' sharp eyes.

Once Ava made it to her dorm room and unlocked the door with her card, she walked in to immediately be greeted by Jackie, her roommate, and Stephanie, another freshman that she and Jackie had befriended during orientation. "Hey, guys," she greeted them brightly as she slipped her backpack off and placed it near her bed. Jackie and Stephanie had been lifesavers for her ever since she arrived on campus. Ava had no sense of independence because her parents handled everything for her, so Jackie and Stephanie helped her organize her class schedule, sign up for a meal plan, and find her textbooks. Without them, she would've panicked even more and probably ran back home to the overly protective clutches of her parents.

"How was class?" Jackie asked her as she refilled her water bottle from their water pitcher in the small dorm fridge, sweat adorning the crown of her head.

Ava guessed that she had just come back from her cardio class that she always took during the week, noting the tank top and leggings that she wore. "Good! I'm starving though," Ava sighed out, her fingers slightly twisting one of her long braids as she pondered on going to the dining hall now or not. She heard Stephanie laugh, prompting her eyes up to see her friend on the phone with who Ava guessed was her boyfriend, Darren. The couple was inseparable, and Ava thought they came from well off families because they always dressed in designer brands and always ate off of campus, but they both grew up in rough conditions.

Stephanie worked hard in high school and earned a full academic ride, while Darren started a side business, which Ava learned the details of fairly soon. In their circle, Darren was very open about the type of products he sold under the table, and Stephanie dealt on the side to help him out. Ava was too nervous to venture into that world, but she understood doing what they had to do to get out of their bad neighborhood. They were always nice to her, and she was glad they were safe and in better conditions now.

Even though Ava knew she hadn't done anything wrong, she knew that if her parents saw who she hung out with and the events she attended, which were just small frat parties and very late nights at a local diner, they would freak out. Despite her never doing anything wrong and not getting in trouble, her parents still didn't trust her. They were strict on her two younger siblings, Kia and Jaden, but they were far harsher on her for some reason. It was one of the many reasons why she had worked so hard to get good grades and test scores so that she could escape to college. Now, she felt far happier because she could explore the world around her more, which, in turn, helped her start to figure out herself. She hardly even knew what she liked, leading her to be undeclared for now until she figured out what she was actually passionate about. Of course, she told her parents that she was deciding between doing pre-med or pre-law just to make them happy and like it was worth it for her to go to college, but she didn't think she would really like those.