Tattoo Your Name On Me

2. Room 123

Farrah

"Oh, you are just going to love it here!" my mother sang as she grabbed my shoulders and gave them a little shake. Her hazel eyes shown with excitement and pride, and her brown bob length hair swished around as she danced in place. She reminded me of a little kid, bouncing around, unable to contain their excitement. In her case, me going to UTB was her source of excitement. It was the place she and my father went to college, and it was the place that they met and fell in love, so I can see why she'd be excited right now.

I gave her a smile and lightly shook her hands off. "Yeah, this place is pretty cool. It was easy to finish my registration, it's clean, and easier to navigate than I remember."

"Oh, honey, it just gets better the longer you're here. They offer great classes, the tuition's cheap, and the teachers are great!" Dad gushed, once again. I swear he's told me this exact statement at least six times since we arrived on campus a few hours ago.

"I know, Dad," I said with forced enthusiasm. "I'm ready to find my dorm and move in."

UTB, or the University of Tampa Bay, is a massive school with red brick buildings and bright green roofing. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined many of the buildings, and each of them has a boxy modern architecture that contrasts the old brick style. Inside, they combined flat grey walls with homey furniture and pops of color to give a casual look.

"Yes! Let's meet your roommate," Mom enthused as we made our way over to my dorm building. The final stop on our tour this morning was the dorm buildings so I could unpack and settle in.

"Let's go in and see what your dorm looks like, then we'll meet your roommate. And afterward, we'll start unloading your stuff," Dad said as he headed over to the door to the building. "And then we'll get out of your hair."

I chuckled as I stuck my dorm key in the card reader on the door. I pulled the door open and a long stretch of hallway greeted us, along with a few other girls standing in said hallway, chatting. I held the door open and my parents entered, both of them looking around in such amazement you'd wonder if they'd ever seen a hallway before.

I headed in the door myself, and just as I was about to close it behind me, I heard someone yell, "Wait! Don't close the door, please!"

I turned around to see a girl with magenta hair trotting towards me with a cardboard box that was almost as big as her.

I walked back out the door and pulled it all the way open for the girl. She gave me a grateful smile and said breathlessly, "Thanks. I was wondering how I would open that door with this thing."

She rearranged the box in her hands, and I gave her a smile back. "No, worries."

She went through the door with her box, and I went inside behind her. Boxgirl joined the group of girls in the hallway, and they all disappeared into one of the dorms.

"That was nice," my mother commented, pleased with my door holding manners.

I thought about making a retort, but I decided to keep my mouth shut.

I looked around at the hallway, and compared to the modern design of the rest of the school, the dorm buildings were much more bright and fun. The walls are a light peachy color, and corkboards hung on the walls advertising school events, clubs, and sporting events, which made the hallway feel more personalized.

"Here we are, room 123," I said as we reached the room.

Mom peered at the number, then back at my dorm key, making sure we were at the right room. Making sure I didn't somehow screw up the number on the short walk here...