This chapter is unedited. There will be mistakes and errors, feel free to let me know in the comments if there are any and I'll go back and fix them. Michigan State University isn't going to be exactly like the real one. I've looked at some reference pictures but I don't want to go into too much detail about it. Thanks for clicking on my story, I hope you enjoy!
~
~
~
Michigan State University, my home for the next four years. The street rounded in front of a tall, red-brick clock tower in the middle of campus, a garden spread wide and far on the grounds. My mom slowly drove through the parking lot trying to find a decent spot, close to the dorms. Students with boxes littered the lot, nine out of ten parents were caught crying; my mom was going to join that statistic soon.
"Here we go," my mom said, putting the car in park and patting my knee. I gave her a nervous smile. The car was in the middle of the lot but with three of us it would only take a couple trips up to my room to get everything in. The trunk was popped open and Marshall claimed the smallest box possible first.
"Way to take one for the team, Marsh," I said sarcastically. He waited with a sly smile on his face, his foot tapping the pavement impatiently. My mom grabbed what she could and I did the same, closing the trunk and following the path up the small hill to the dorms. My building was the furthest from the parking lot but closest to campus. I knew it would be useful when school actually started but I was currently cursing the registration person for this.
"What building is Carly in?" my mom asked as we passed the first dorm building. I pointed with my box to the left, motioning to Carly's building. It was three away from mine, in the middle of the dorms. It was decorated with a beautiful oak tree in the front and bike racks. Students were leaning against the tree, talking, and some were throwing a Frisbee in the lawn.
We neared my building, the double door was left open and people were milling in and out. I shrunk against the wall right inside the door, letting a person pass by. The hallway was large but felt incredibly small with everyone inside. Room A-19, a first floor room, my home away from home. The room was two left turns from the front hallway, the last door on the right. The dorm door was cracked open.
"Do I knock?" I asked my mom, looking over my shoulder. My mom shrugged her shoulders, unsure.
"You do live-" my mom started to say, but was cut off by someone swinging open the door the rest of the way. A girl stood in the frame, taller than me and skin the color of a dark chocolate candy bar. Her deep brown eyes were guarded by clear framed glasses and a piercing hung from her wide nose. She smiled.
"Hi! I'm Naomi, your roommate." She held out her hand and giggled. "Oops, here let me take your box." Naomi took the box out of my arms and I instantly felt my muscles thank her. Naomi placed it on the empty bed in the corner, which had to be mine. I slowly entered my new room.
The walls were light gray with dark tan carpet covering the floor. Naomi's side of the room was decorated with small lights pinned to the wall, a poster of a band above her desk and a shoe rack holding more shoes than I thought it should hold. The other side of the room, my side, was bare. A large window was placed above my bed, an empty curtain bar was placed above that. There was a bookcase with three empty shelves and the rest filled with books and pictures, from Naomi probably.
I heard my mom and Marshall follow me in and place their boxes on my bed as well. Naomi was leaning against the wall, smiling at us still.
"It's really nice to meet you," I told her. Naomi reached out her hand again and I shook it this time.
"You too..." she said, trailing off.
"Oh! Right, sorry. Margaret, but you can call me Maggie," I said, forgetting I hadn't told her my name yet. "This is my mom, Vivian, and my little brother, Marshall." I motioned behind me to my mom and Marshall. Marshall was not amused and probably wanted to go home and play his video games but my mom gave her a big smile.
"It's nice to know Mags will have a good roommate," my mom told her. "C'mon, Marsh, let's go grab the last of the boxes and let Maggie and Naomi get to know each other." My mom ushered Marshall out of the small room, leaving my new roommate and I alone.
"Are you a freshman, too?" I asked her, pushing the boxes further on the bed so I had space to sit. I crossed my legs, trying to relax.
"No, sophomore. I'm from North Carolina so I live here during the school year. My last roommate moved off campus this summer so that's why they assigned you with me," she explained. She had sat across from me, leaning against the pillows on her bed.
"North Carolina is far away, don't you get homesick?" I fiddled with my thumbs, unsure of what else to say. I was nervous to be living with a stranger but I hoped they would calm down the more I got to know her. She seemed nice enough.
"It get's easier each day I'm away. The first time I went home last year was for Christmas break and it was almost impossible to get me to come back. I felt that way last week when I had to fly back here. It's gotten easier already. Where are you from?" Naomi scooted off her bed and made her way over to mine. She sat next to me. "Also, I can totally tell you're nervous! I don't bite, I promise." I laughed, feeling my tension ease a little bit.
"Yeah, I am pretty nervous. It's weird to be away from the only home I've ever known. I'm from Rochester Hills. It isn't far away but I have a feeling I'll be feeling the same way you do now." There was a knock on the door and my mom and Marshall arrived with the last of my boxes. They set them down near the door, my mom wiping at her eyes.
"Mom? You're crying already? I thought you'd make it to the parking lot at least," I said, getting up and pulling her into a hug.
"I guess I won the bet then," Marshall said, making a "cha-ching" sound. Us three made a bet on the way over to see when Mom would break-down. I guessed the parking lot, Marshall my dorm room and my mom, having too much confidence in herself, thought she could make it back home before she teared up.
"I guess I owe him a twenty," she laughed pulling out of the hug and wiping her eyes again. "Well, this is it," she said, her voice high pitched. I tried to give her a smile but it came out lopsided.
"I guess so," I replied, biting my lip. I didn't want to cry, especially with Naomi watching. "I'll walk you to the door," I offered. My mom nodded and waved goodbye to Naomi.
"Be right back," I told her as I closed the door. I caught her giving me a thumbs up. Marshall walked next to me the whole way to the dorm doors, too quiet.
"You okay, Marsh?" I asked him as we rounded the last corner. His red hair hid his freckled face well, but his shoulders shook.
"I'll miss you, Mags," he whispered. My heart ached. My knees bent down and I gathered my little brother in a hug. We never showed affection to each other but this felt right. We were close, whether we liked it or not. We spent countless nights eating ice cream in the living room, watching Star Wars, waiting for our mom to get home from work. I took care of him while she was out making a living for us. I had put him to bed most nights until he was old enough to tell me 'no'. I squeezed him tight.
"Gross," he said, trying to push me off. There was the Marshall we knew.
"Maggie, I don't want to lecture you, you're an adult now after all," my mom started as I stood from Marshall's hug. "We - you - worked really hard to get here. Hard work is important, dedication is important. I know you won't let yourself get distracted. Have fun but remember what's important, why you're here." She grabbed my shoulders and squeezed them. "I love you and I am so proud of you." My mom gave me a knowing smile and squeezed my shoulders again. Marshall grabbed my mom's hand and pulled, trying to tug her away. "Okay, okay, okay! We're leaving! Behave, Maggie, and stay in touch," she called as my little brother led her away from me.
I watched them descend the hill, maneuvering through all the people on the pathways. They were out of sight within minutes. I stood there, not sure what to do now. My mind knew where I was but my body felt lost. My eyes glossed over and a tear rolled down my cheek. I aggressively swiped at it. My mom and brother were now gone and I was left with complete strangers. I still didn't know if Carly, the last layer of my security blanket I had left, was here yet and that made me more uneasy. A harsh movement against my shoulder startled me out of my thoughts.
"Sorry," a girl called out, bounding down the steps of the building quickly. She was out of sight before I could reply. I finally unstuck my feet from the floor and trailed along the plain, tan walls back to my room. I pushed the door open and found Naomi laying on her bed, her phone in her hands.
"Hey! You good?" she asked, sitting halfway up. Her body was propped up on her elbow, her cellphone now dangling by her finger tips. I nodded but I knew I would cry tonight. Naomi took my silence as an answer and quickly adverted her attention back to her phone.
I busied myself with unpacking, finding the important boxes first: bathroom and bedding. I fitted my sheets on the mattress and decorated the bed with my favorite blanket and my pillows from home. Making my bed made my half of the room feel more me already. I settled on organizing my bathroom caddie, taking my time, trying to waste as much as possible. Naomi remained silent the whole time. I could hear the clicking on her phone. "I should talk to her", I thought. I didn't want my roommate to think I was a big baby or socially stunted.
"Naomi?" she looked over at me, the blue light from her phone illuminating her face. "What are you doing for dinner?" I fiddled with the sleeves on my hoodie. Naomi sat up and beamed at me.
"Hopefully taking my new roommate out!" she said, jumping up excitedly. I wished I had her people skills. She didn't seem nervous or afraid of not knowing me. Getting to know people was never my forte and my three, and only, friends throughout high school showed it.
"Thanks, Naomi," I said, setting the caddie I was working on down on the dresser. "I could use a tour around too." Naomi got even more excited, slipping on her "tour guide" shoes, which I found out were just her favorite sneakers. I became more comfortable with her as we got ready for her tour and for our dinner. Naomi was easy to get along with, always making the situation relaxed and joking around when needed. I thanked whoever gave me her as a roommate.
I fixed my hair into a new ponytail, my old one had gotten loose from the moving. The sun was still hanging in sky, the clock on Naomi's side of the room read four oh seven. I tied my white sneakers and found where I had thrown my purse. Slinging it over my shoulder I met her at the door.
"Ready for our adventure, roomie?" Naomi asked. I saluted her.
"Aye, aye, captain." We broke out into a fit of giggles and left our dorm room, my heart lighter than a few hours ago.
