College Life Season One

Orientation

The sun was hot as hell. The car was hot as hell. Everything was hell. Nothing about this was fun. His body could only go so far deep into the car seat without causing any damage, which he wouldn't want a repeat of last time.

He grips the box in his hands. The sleeves of his long sleeve shirt are over his hands. He looks out the window, a tear slowly forming in his eye.

"TK!" His father yelled, slightly softer than usual. The tone of his voice was still scary, although he learned not to trust his elders, especially this one. Maybe if he learns to loosen his tie and wear something other than suits. "Lighten up, you're a man now."

TK lowered his head and remains quite. He lets his tear roll down his face. His mother notices.

"Sweetie," The calm and soothing voice of his mother made him feel slightly better. Her body composition helped out. Her pastel dress flows from the wind entering the open window. She rubs her necklace. "Don't feel down. You only start college once."

"Unless you're Dustin." His father interjected. TK's mother slightly judges him, but his father quickly gleams at her, making her look down. His father turned to the road. "Look, son. Don't come crying like a little bitch to us after the first week. Man up and deal with it. Your a Jones. Jones men never show weakness. Wiped that goddamn thing off your face."

TK looks down and continues to have the tears roll down. He looks inside the box he's holding and see the edge of a picture frame poking out. He slightly nudges it in between the blanket and softly pats the top of the blanket.

Later on, the Jones family arrives at the entrance of Barlow University. Students with their parents are swarming the campus like bees. Trying to find classes, dorms, and any other typical college shit people do.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones exit their car and attempt to get the luggage from the back. Mrs. Jones tries to grab a suitcase, but her husband pushes her to the side and gets it himself. He hands her the kitchen box.

TK gets out and grind the box harder, pulling it towards him as much as he could. He felt a not so gently touch on his shoulder.

He looked over and saw his dad by his side. "Boy, you know where your dorm is?"

TK nods. Mr. Jones grips his son's shoulder harder. "Answer me when I'm talking to you."

TK slowly opens his mouth. It shakes. He voice was soft and hardly audible. "Yes."

"What? Answer correctly."

"Yes, sir."

He pushes TK a little too hard. "Now take us there."

The family of three start walking towards the other side of the campus. TK looks around and notices all the other parents. They're the ones crying. The students are the ones trying to push them away. There were even a few hugs exchanged.

The family turns the corner into a long hallway and sees even more people. The move aside one second to allow a student to exit with one of the dorms luggage carts. Mrs. Jones smiles at the student while Mr. Jones grunts.

The hallway itself was designed, poorly, but it was something. Seemed like some kindergarteners project. Rainbows cover the walls, along with a few peace signs and some poster that say "love is love". TK looks at the name tags on the doors, which are shaped like equal signs.

Mr. Jones grunts even harder. "Don't know why they would allow this here."

"It's 2019." Mrs. Jones says will waving to the parents. Her other hand was quickly grabbed by her husband, with a tighter grip than what she was used to.