Chapter 3 - I'm in hell

My hair flew around with the wind and my chest filled with fresh air as I stuck my head through the car window, taking a deep breath. There's nothing better than a sunny autumn morning. We drove on a long, narrow road through the forest. The trees looked like paint on a canvas; their colours mixed and blended together, like a sunset. Resting my head on my hands, I admired the incredibly breath taking view. To be honest, I feared college life more than I wanted to. First, I've never been away from home longer than two days. Second, I hate people. And when I say hate, I mean despise. I can't be in a room with another person for more than twenty two minutes. I'm serious, I counted. People are just… it's a waste of words, really.

"We're almost there" mumbled dad. He seemed tired lately. He wasn't as cheery as he always had been. Maybe he was sad to see me go, or maybe he was just tired of life, like me. I smiled in response and went back to adoring the landscape.

As the forests soon disappeared in the distance behind us, I sighed. The beautiful nature was replaced by big city buildings and loud noise. The car slowed down and I slid lower on the seat, hoping no one would notice me. I watched as people my age hugged their parents, carried their luggage, cried while waving goodbye or eyed their parents with despair.

"Well, here we are" mum sang out in her high pitched voice. Grabbing my backpack, I slowly got out of the car. People stared at me as they walked by and I just looked away, pretending not to notice.

"We'll help you take your luggage to your dorm" said mum in her usual bossy tone and looked at dad who reluctantly grabbed my big suitcase but I stopped him before he could get any further.

"No, it's fine. Really, I can do it myself." I really didn't want to be one of those kids that couldn't bear the thought of saying goodbye to their parents or that couldn't handle being on their own.

"Fine" she emitted after a few seconds of staring at me. They hugged me goodbye and then they were off, driving away, leaving me behind to rot in hell. Wonderful.

I jumped in surprise; my mouth fell open as I turned around. A group of guys, wearing matching varsity jackets - jocks, I'm guessing - were shouting and laughing, bumping their chest like a bunch of idiots.

"Told you I'd do it" laughed the guy that had smacked my butt a second ago. His bright eyes met mine and he suddenly went quiet and just stared at me. His buddies pushed him forward and he bumped right in to me, almost knocking me over.

"Hello there" he said, holding me gently around my waist to prevent me from falling over.

"Goodbye" I retorted. Quickly turning around, I grabbed my backpack and suitcase and, sighing, walked away as quickly as I could. This day couldn't have started off worse.

I walked through the masses of people and I felt so little, I felt as if I didn't exist. And that's what I love about college, people don't notice you. You're just another stranger and they don't even bother glancing your way. My plan is to just lay low, stay out of everybody’s way and write as much as I possibly can.

I stood in front of my dorm room, not knowing if I should knock or just walk in. I was about to grab the handle when the door flew open and a girl, just about my height, with long black hair and sparkly green eyes, appeared in front of me. She smiled and pulled me in, making me gasp in surprise.

"I'm your roommate" she chipped. She had several piercings on her ears, one on her right eyebrow and another one just above her lips. A colourful tattoo went down the side of her neck and continued down her right hand, all the way to her fingers. She looked stunning.

"No English?"

"Uh, hi" I stammered.

"Ah, it's alive" she laughed and looked up at the sky, bringing up her hands and shaking them slightly.

"Would've been cooler with lighting" I offered.

"You're my kind of girl" she joked and threw her hand over my shoulders "we'll get along just fine." I looked at her hand and then back at her trying to find a subtle way of telling her to let me go.

"Oh, my bad" she said and quickly removed her hand. Looking around, I realized, the dorm was actually quite nicer than I had expected it to be. The two beds, each on the opposite sides of the room, were big and looked quite cosy. Next to the bed was a big wooden desk, with a small white lamp placed on top, and a matching chair. The room still had that smell of freshly painted walls.

"I took this bed" she said and I turned to look. Her suitcase was already on the bed across from where I was standing. It was half unpacked, her clothes sprawled over the bed. I turned back around and stayed quiet.

"So" she exhaled and I turned to look at her once again, rolling my eyes, as she clapped her hands together and walked to the big window with a view of the campus yard "I'm Ash."

"Dawn."

"Wow" she laughed "I guess we both have pretty weird parents, huh?"

"I guess so" I responded.