I've fallen back asleep after the excitement of finding out who my roommate was, and after relating everything practically word for word to my parents. Although I at first didn't appreciated Mount Fuzzy, I have to say sleeping on a pile of soft, plush, furry pillows isn't much to complain about. I wake up just as we're pulling onto the University of Michigan's campus,
"Good timing kiddo, we're here!" My dad practically squeals and even though I grin, my stomach is full of butterflies. Scratch that, my stomach is full of emus, and I think I might cry. Maybe I shouldn't go to college, I'm going to fail all my classes, have no friends, Lauren will hate me, my teachers will be so disappointed and my parents will disown me. And then, like a magic switch we turn a corner and I see the dozens of other families making their goodbyes, and what seems like about at least a hundred students who also look very giddy, but slightly green, and the emus have gone extinct. Sure, my heart's still beating so fast I think it might just pop out of my chest at any moment, but I am going to be fine. I'm going to be amazing. I'm going to be-
"You brought tampons, right?"
I'm broken out of my inner motivational monologue by my mom's question.
"Yes I did, and thanks for the delicate phrasing."
She rolls her eyes as we all get out of the car and stretch. I don't have that much stuff, just clothes and some books and movies and then school stuff so I'm fine to carry my bags by myself.
"Alrighty then. I guess this is goodbye for now, tiger."
"We love you so much and we're so proud of you. And it's so totally fine if you want to switch your majors at any point to nursing or medicine or law or-"
"Mom! I'm not gonna do that!"
"Ok, ok. I know." She sighs, not in a sad way, just in a look-at-my-baby-all-grown-up way.
The three of us hug tightly and I think we all tear up.
"Ok, I better get going. And so had you, you guys won't be back before like 2am now."
"Oh sweetheart we're not going straight home, there's a motel we passed by when you were asleep, about an hour or 2 away. So we'll stay there."
"Good, it's bad to drive on low sleep."
"Well I didn't say we'd be sleeping there."
"Then what else are you gonna- OH GOD!" I shriek and my parents cackle with laughter.
"And with that we're off. But seriously, we love you so much. Tell Lauren we love her too! Bye!"
My parents pull away and I sign in and make my way to my dorm room. When I get there, there's already someone in there putting their stuff away. I nervously go in and knock to alert them of my presence.
"Hi, are you Lauren? I'm y/n." I smile at her and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when she beams back.
"Yep I'm Lauren! Call me Lo! Or Lolo! Or Lololo! Maybe not that last one."
Since relaxing out of my scared state I actually take her and the room in. Lauren is almost exactly my height, her build is a little different though: she's more buff and doesn't look like she would ever lose in a fight. It's funny how we're the same height but have totally different bodies, I have only 5' of height but an illusion of long legs accompanied by small everything else so it doesn't look too out of proportion. Although I can look a bit like a doll. Or like a loft breeze could blow me away. I'm mean I've still got boobs but like-
"Are you ok? You're kind of just standing there, like a zombie?" Lauren asks cautiously and I curse myself for making her think I'm clinically insane within five minutes of meeting her.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, just internally monologuing."
She laughs and I feel my face get hot,
"I do that all the time! And then you either feel great or so pretentious. Or when you're going on a run or something and there's someone else and you're like a sports commentator like 'And Ms Lopez passes the women in the red sweatpants and dodged round the man with the yellow tank top to take the first spot!'" She blushes bright red as soon as she's done,
"Yes! Or even at the grocer's and you have to avoid people or in the mall or anywhere with other humans."
We both grin at each other before hugging.
"OH MY GOD WE ARE GONNA BE SUCH GOOD BEST FRIENDS" Lauren yells and I laugh. That was surprisingly easy. We chat about musicals and college as I unpack my stuff and lay out everything. Lauren's a junior here but her roommate (who she hated and who hated her) had moved off campus.
"So, y/n. Pretty much the only topic we haven't covered yet..." She paused for dramatic effect and dived onto my bed, smirking up at me. "Relationships! Are you single?"
I roll my eyes playfully at her,
"Yes, a thousand times yes." We both giggle and she sits up.
"Perfect. Now I can be your wing-girl! I can find you the perfect man- or woman!"
"I dunno, Lo. It's my first year at college, I don't know if I'll have the time to find a boyfriend."
"I'm sure if it's meant to happen it'll happen, I'll just give you a push here and there. If you meet a guy doing something already, like in a class, that's much easier too! Have you thought about joining any clubs or groups?"
Huh. I hadn't yet, I hadn't even gone over the list (to be fair there were like 100 on the list, from A Cappella groups to Knitting Club to Air Conditioner Appreciation Society).
"Not really, are you part of any clubs?"
Lauren gasped and grabbed me.
"My friends, Brian, Nick and Matt are writing this comedy slash musical slash play slash parody of Harry Potter. Auditions are in like 3 months 'cause they're still writing it, but you should definitely audition."
"That does sound right up my alley, I'm just not sure I've got the talent."
Real Talk Time: I know I put singing as a hobby, and I am in the performance arts course which covers musical theatre and singing, but I've never but confident singing. Growing up, I always loved it, but everyone from my "friends" to teachers told me I just wasn't good. Or more accurately, they told me I was terrible. I got a job and got singing lessons from when I was 14, but it didn't help shake away the feeling that I truly wasn't talented and everyone was just being nice, or pitied me. Lauren looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite figure out, and before I could ask what she was thinking she had squealed.
"Thinking of my friends reminds me, you have to meet them. We actually arranged to hang out at this great cafe in like," Lauren pauses to check the time, "Oh shit, in like 20 minutes. Wanna come?"
I nod my head tentatively,
"Yeah, but I don't want to just be your kid freshman roommate who you have to babysit."
"Oh please, y/n/n, we're already best friends, and I know if I love you, they will love you even more. Well, not really coz you're my best friend, but they can try." I burst out laughing at her and she tosses my pillow at my head.
"Just get ready." She smiles and I nod.
"Help me pick out what to wear?"
Lauren lets out an ungodly sound and screams, she falls of the bed and runs at the wardrobe.
"Jesus Christ..." I mutter, amused, as she murmurs to herself, digging through my clothes. Eventually she decides on a short, red and white floral wrap around dress and settles with me wearing my docs. Lauren wears a pair of black skinny jeans, vans and gasps again when she spots a particularly cute top of mine. I nod and grin at her as she shyly asks if she can borrow it.
"Of course, it's so lucky we're like the same height, eh?"
"A) yes it's so lucky, we get to share clothes now yay! And b) i totally forgot you're Canadian. What's it all aboot, eh."
"That's the first time I've eh'd today leave me alone!"
We both laugh and head out to the cafe.
YOU ARE READING
Dikrats and The College Experience™
FanfictionA story of a girl (y/n) and her college besties (The Starkids). I want to get as much feedback and ideas from readers as possible and will frequently be asking you guys where you want the story to go :)))
