Starting Over (ITILMBBF Sequel)

First Day

Why I chose to take an eight am felt beyond me as I dragged myself to campus that first Monday morning. My weekend had been spent trying to avoid Chace as best I could while never leaving the apartment. Through the walls I could hear the neighbors rushing out to parties and having a good time, but I couldn't bring myself to leave my bedroom aside from the quick trip to the kitchen or bathroom. On occasion I'd even sent out Aaron to do my bidding so I wouldn't run into my ex. Through he promptly reminded me that he wouldn't always be around to answer the door for the Chinese takeout.

Still, I prevailed through the hellish weekend and was met with a breath of fresh air when I didn't run into Chace on my way to class. From the moment I set foot outside my house I was determined to keep myself in high spirits. My first day outfit was cute, my wavy hair was behaving, and I had the perfect stationary for all three of my classes today. I was the picturesque freshman as I trotted through campus trying to find the science building. Although Adam had graciously warned Aaron and I not to wear our lanyards so as to avoid actually being called freshmen.

I had managed to keep my mood up for a total of thirty minutes that morning before I was greeted to a nasty sight. Jackie sat in the center of my Biology 100 class with her hair done in perfect blonde waves. Suddenly feeling very self-conscious of my abilities with a curling iron, I bit my lip and began fusing with my own hair, trying to pat the frizz away. I didn't think people came to classes dressed nicely. Sure, I'd made the effort to look cute, but Jackie was sat with a Gucci belt around her waist and a mini skirt that showed off her tan legs. My hand unconsciously tugged at my shorts, trying and failing to appear more presentable. Did she wake up at the ass crack of dawn to get dressed? This was an eight am for heaven's sake! I thought it was supposed to be the college student's natural enemy.

I took the farthest seat from Jackie I could find, in the front left corner and immediately opened my notebook. It felt like all eyes were on me as I shifted in my seat and began to doodle. It was a nervous habit I'd acquired when I was uncomfortable. In high school I never sat alone. There was always Aaron or Adam or one of their million friends. I wasn't used to flying solo.

So it was much to my relief when a petite girl slid into the seat next to me. Call it dorky, but the prospect of having my first real college friend had me excited. My mom had told me about how she'd become fast friends with a girl in her freshman classes and they'd spent the next four years by each other's side. Sure, I'd more than lucked out with Aaron attending the same college, but I couldn't rely on him for everything. It'd be nice to have an on campus friend. Nervously, I smiled at her like an idiot until she was done setting up her Macbook Air in front of her.

Her finger nails, prettied with glittery pink nail polish, typed away at lightening speed on her laptop. With curious eyes, I glanced at the screen. I didn't know what she was writing, since class hadn't started yet and the professor hadn't been kind enough to gift us with the first slide of notes while we wait. Unfortunately from me, she caught my eyes.

Tilting her screen with her iMessage away, she scoffed at me.

"Sorry," I murmured, sinking low in my seat. Why did she sit next to anyone when she was so touchy about someone seeing her screen? I glanced around the room; plenty of chairs were still empty. She could've sat far away from her classmates, unbothered.

"Skye, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah," I perked up at the idea that she already knew my name. Maybe she was one of the acquaintances I'd made on the University Facebook group and she recognized me from my profile pic (a select shot of me and Adam last fourth of July, pre-Chace blow up. We were still relatively sober and very cheery).