frat boy ; sam wilkinson

c.1

I set down my bags, rummaging through my purse for the room key provided to me. Once I retrieve it, I quickly open my door to reveal where I'll be living for the next year... or three. I haven't yet decided if I want to move into an apartment after this year, but I guess I'll see.

The walls are bare, only one picture hanging on the wall. It's an ugly flower in a pot; something I wouldn't want hanging in my home. I don't hesitate to take it down.

I set all my bags on my bed, which is right by a window. I also have a nightstand, a bookshelf, and a drawer for my clothes. I open the drawer, noticing it's already supplied with a "Penn State University" t-shirt.

I look to the bed across the room, which is already made with home-brought sheets. There's picture frames on the nightstand, and books all over the bookshelf. This girl seems pretty organized. She'll hate me in a week or so.

"Hello?" I her someone say. I look to my side, only to see a short brunette standing in the doorway of the bathroom, "Uh, hey, I think we're roommates," I awkwardly say, sticking a hand out. Her face lights up, and she soon engulfs me in a hug, letting go once she notices I'm quite uncomfortable. "I'm Sydney, but you can call me Syd. I'm from Ohio, what about you?" She asks, sitting on her bed. She pats next to her, so I sit down too. "I'm Hayden, and I'm from New York," I say. "Lucky, I've always wanted to visit New York and see the city," she says, giving me a small smile. "But anyway, I'm about to go get lunch. Wanna join?" She asks, getting up and grabbing her purse. "Uh, sure," I say. I wasn't going to pass this up. I need to make friends this year. I can't be scared.

I spent my freshman year at some crappy community college 15 minutes away from my home. I was way too scared of the whole dorm idea, and the thought of having to start over. But community college was a mistake. I had to stay at home and listen to my mom complain about my father, who divorced her a few months before my collage years started. I have to overcome my fears and learn to make new friends, and meet new people. So here's my opportunity, and I should probably take it.

Sydney and I leave our dorms, walking down the school-owned streets to a nearby McDonald's. It's quite big, considering this school is constantly crawling with hungry boys and girls. We walk in, and I order chicken nuggets with fries and a drink. After retrieving it from the counter, I quickly turn around so I don't lose Syd in this mess of teens.

As soon as I turn around, my body collides with someone. My drink and food goes all over him and I, causing us to step back in shock. "I'm so sorry," he says, looking at the mess on the floor. I look up, taking in his looks. He's blonde, and his hair is spiked up in a quiff. He wears a blue collard shirt, a logo in the corner. It's a fraternity, "Alpha Zeta" to be exact. He wears this shirt with khakis and a simple pair of white vans.

"I'm Jack," he says, sticking out a hand covered in diet coke. "Hayden," I reply, accepting the handshake. "Don't worry, I'll buy you another meal. This was my fault, I wasn't watching where I was going," he explains. "No, it's alright. I wasn't that hungry anyway," I reply, laughing at the mess on the floor. "Well, do you want to grab a seat and tell me about yourself? I see an open one over there," he says, looking towards a small table for two. I look around, noticing Syd is gone. "Sure," I say, following him towards the seats.

***

Jack walks me back to my dorm, stopping next to the doorway before speaking. "So there's a party tomorrow night. I don't know if you're into that kinda thing, but it's at the frat house down the street. Mine, to be exact. It starts at 9, and I'm hoping you can make it," he says, trailing off. This is my chance, my chance to make friends. Sure, it might not be my type of thing. But maybe this party won't hurt. "I'll be there." I reply.