Friends, Lovers, or Nothing

Chapter One - No Such Thing

"And here is your set of keys Ms. Ashby! You're on floor three, apartment number G10. Do you have any questions for me before you get yourself settled in?"

The older man who I would get to know as the property manager here at my new apartment complex, Mr. Wilson, gave me a bright smile. It was the kind of smile that almost came across as creepy but I don't think anything could have soured my mood at this moment.

I was finally going to live my life according to myself. No more foster parents, no more being the sad girl who everyone secretly pitied at school. Just a new city and a fresh start. And moving into my apartment was the first step towards the new and improved life that I planned on living here at Northeastern University.

Grabbing the keys from his outstretched hands, I returned his smile, shaking my head, "No, I think I should be all set! Oh, do you know if my roommate is moved in yet?"

"I believe they arrived yesterday, should be all moved in already. If that's all then I'll let you go on and get yourself moved in too." He stuck out his hand, and I placed my petite one into his, giving him a firm shake.

"Thanks, again!" I wave him off and bend down to grab the large suitcase and backpack I had brought with me, both carrying every single one of my belongings. That's the thing about growing up in the foster care system; you don't tend to gather up a whole lot of belongings. I had a basic wardrobe, an old MacBook that I had bought for myself after saving up for an entire year, and the books and pencils I had purchased before taking the bus from my small town in Upstate New York here to Boston just today. Classes start tomorrow and I knew I would want to focus on getting settled in tonight, not shopping for last minute school supplies.

Walking across the parking lot from the leasing office to building G where I would be residing for the next year, I couldn't help but wonder what Ace was up to. Ace was the only other person I knew who would also be attending Northeastern this fall, and even so, I didn't even know what he looked like.

Ace and I had met online a few months back when I discovered an app for Northeastern students designed for newcomers to connect with upperclassmen. But considering it matched up Ace and myself on the first try, two incoming freshmen, I'm not too sure how effective the app really is.

Ever since that day back in May, Ace and I would find ourselves staying up and messaging each other during the late summer nights. There was something about Ace that made him so easy to talk to. Maybe it was the playful tone he had used with me since night one when he asked me which iconic boy band I self-identified with the most.

Mine was One Direction, his was NSYNC.

Or maybe it was the fact that he knew absolutely nothing of my past. And I planned to keep it that way. Never in my life had I met a boy quite like Ace and I would hate to ruin what we have by unloading all of my baggage onto him. I can just imagine how he would react to receiving a message like this.

Hey Ace, I totally forgot to mention this to you earlier but did you know that after my fathers passing when I was eight my mother fell into a downward spiral and overdosed right in my living room, leaving me with zero family and pushed into the foster care system? Oh and also my name isn't Bee, its Blake haha sorry for keeping all that from you, I hope we're still good! :)

Yeah, right. I think I'll stick to talking about dreamy boy bands and whatever else Ace has on his mind that day.

I glance up at the brick building in front of me marked with a large G. Rolling my suitcase behind me, I make my way up the three front steps and enter the numerical code that Mr. Wilson had supplied me with that opens the door to my building.