Running Out of Time

Chapter One

"Your dorm room is on the second floor. Turn to the left and take the stairs, or there's also an elevator. It's on the right wing, farther towards the end. Just follow the numbers printed above the doors, and you'll be fine. Come back downstairs after you've moved in to get a tour around the school. Classes start next week." The lady said dully before moving to attend to the family lined up behind me.

I turned and marched to the stairs, not caring that my mother was huffing and puffing behind me. In a way, it was my own petty form of punishment, a way of pushing back against my mother. But of course, what with my mother's cheery disposition at her daughter's wonderful success, she kept a grin on the entire time. I felt an itching to slap that grin away, then immediately felt guilty. I turned my gaze back up the stairs.

When we got to the second floor, I turned right, my backpack weighing on my shoulders. After another minute, I halted next to my dorm room.

"That's it." I said, equally as unenthusiastic as the lady at the front desk. I jammed one of the keys into the lock, and it opened.

If I hadn't seen my roommate walk right in front of me, startled, I would've thought that she hadn't moved in at all. Her side of the room was entirely undecorated, the only indication of any living being the suitcase that stood at the foot of her bed.

"Oh, hi." I smiled politely. "I'm guessing you're my new roommate. I'm Willow."

My roommate's glance darted behind me to my mother, who was looming over her expectantly, then back to my outstretched hand.

"Hi, I'm Aubrey." She said, her voice quiet and low. "I was just... going. You two can unpack."

Without another word, she slipped past me and disappeared down the hallway. I blinked, a little surprised at how quiet and subdued she'd been.

"Well," my mother huffed, "at least I don't have to worry about your roommate being a bad influence on you."

I looked up at my mother and frowned. "You know I don't like partying. I don't know why you're worrying."

She smiled and ruffled my hair, messing up my ponytail. I huffed and smoothed my hair back down.

"Of course, I worry. But I can't do much now, can I? Let's unpack."

After less than an hour, my mother and I had set up my bed, unpacked my clothes into the drawers, and decorated the walls with the meager belongings I brought. Finally, when there were no covers to straighten and no surfaces left to brush dust off of, my mother turned to me with a teary smile. I was a little alarmed. What was I supposed to do if she started crying?

"I'm so proud of you, Willow." She patted my shoulders with both hands, then pulled me into a hug. I was a little startled, and I paused for a beat before hugging her back, albeit a little falsely. I was still sulking.

"Have fun, Willow. Meet some new friends."

I frowned. "I have friends. You didn't let me—" I pressed my lips into a straight line. My mother frowned at me briefly before smiling again.

"Well, I'll see you in three months. Make sure to call at least once every week." She squeezed my shoulder, and then left, leaving me all alone in the middle of a dormitory in the middle of a school in the middle of a city that I did not want to be in for the summer, but was stuck in for three months, nonetheless. The universe had neither space nor patience for my wishes, and I protested one last time by sitting down with a huff. Then, I gave in and went downstairs.

In the hallway, I bumped into Aubrey, who was carrying two cups of coffee.

"Oh, hey." I smiled. She gave me a polite smile and made to move past me, but I held out my hand.