two doors down (e.d.)

chapter one

riley~

college is so nerve racking.

i learned this right as i stepped foot in the building of my dorm.

"honey," my mom comforts, seeing the anxiety plastered on my face, "it's going to be okay. your brother's here!"

she's right.

my older brother (only by a year), wyatt, also attends this university and lives in this dorm building.

"i know," i mutter, biting my nail, "but it's still a new feeling for me, you know?"

"oh i totally get it," my mom gushes, "my first year of college i..."

i love my mom. very much. but she tends to talk about her party days a little too often.

i do my best to make conversation- trying not to sound too uninterested- as i make my way to my room on the sixth floor.

number 602. where i'll be staying for this whole year.

great.

i scramble to unlock the door with the key i was given, and walk in, only to find it empty.

"your roommate- what's her name?- must not be here yet." my mom shrugs, dropping the few extra bags that wouldn't fit in the cart to the ground.

"elanor," i answer, "her names elanor."

"right. well, at least you get first dibs on a side of the room."

the room wasn't huge, but i've seen smaller.

"the left," i decide, "i'll take the left."

nothing in my life seems to go right so i usually end up going left.

i take my pillow and bedsheets out of the tub on the cart and launch them up to the loft bed.

my chestnut hair falls in my face as i bend down to pick up the books i dropped.

"might need those." my mom laughs, helping me collect my legal studies text books.

"thanks."

i set up my bed- it being harder than expected.

i had to sit up there strategically as my mom threw things up for me to struggle to get on the bed.

"well it's done," i wipe my hands and stare at the wack job i just put on my bed.

"it's good enough," my mom shrugs

i brought the tv and the mini fridge, so my mom helps me plug that into a safe outlet.

by the time we're folding clothes, the door swings open and in stumbles a short, blonde girl.

"hi!" she yells enthusiastically, "i'm elanor."

i've never seen her in person or even her instagram, so i'm glad she looks normal.

"hiii!" i exclaim, trying to match her enthusiasm, "it's so nice to meet you. i'm riley."

she leans in for a hug, and i return it.

"i'm linda," my mom smiles and holds out her hand.

elanor shakes it and her eyes scan the room.

"wow i'm behind," she laughs, "i didn't drive fast enough. also this thing was a pain to lug up and out of the elevator." she pats the metal cart behind her.

"is your mom or dad here to help?" my mom questions, craning her neck to look out to the hallway.

"oh no," she says quickly, "i don't really talk to my parents anymore. i'm on a full ride scholarship right now."

"then let me help," i offer, taking a bag off of the cart.

"and me as well." my mom says.

we help elanor unload her stuff as she tells us the entire time "thank you so much!" and "you really don't have to help."

we finish and we all step back to see the finished piece.

"nice." elanor smiles and nods her head approvingly.

"it'll do," i shrug

i can tell shes going to be the optimist in the friendship.

she seems nice. normal.

that's all i asked for when i was applying for a roommate.

"i think i'm going to hit the hay," elanor yawns, "it's kind of late."

"it's 6:30," my mom checks her watch and laughs

"i'm not a night owl that's for sure."

we're very opposite, but i think that's what will make this work.

"should we go see how wyatt's doing?" i ask to my mom.

"probably." she shrugs.

he said his dorm was room 609, so really not that far at all from mine. just a hallway over.

we start walking in the direction, when two boys burst out of the door in front of us.

"woah," i stumble back

"sorry," i look up and see my older brother.

"look what the cat dragged in," i smile, "why are you in this dorm?"

"oh," he says, "this is my friend ethan's dorm." he points behind him and a tall and very handsome guy peeks out.

"yeah i know ethan." and i mean it. he doesn't know me, but he'd occasionally come around the house every now and then.

"sup," he nods in my direction.

i turn my attention back to my brother.

"this is my little sister, riley." wyatt motions to me.

"i thought i recognized you." ethan remarks.

he recognized me?

"yeah," i smile nervously and silently curse myself for it.

"well," wyatt breaks the tension, "we're heading out to dinner. my room is all ready to go."

my mom says her goodbyes to him and he promises he'll visit in a few weeks.

as we walk away, i look at the room number.

604.