Dylan Storm is ready as ever to meet some new people and let loose at Cortals university after "losing" her best friend to the shackles of a relationship, something that she has sworn off of after seeing her parents crash and burn. She is completely...
The lobby of the dorm is pretty nice, and completely packed to the brim with black luggage carts and families wearing Cortals University merch.
"We'll get you all checked in and then your father and I need to rush back to the city because the universe decided that you and your sister have your move-in days on the same date and we can't be in two places at once." My mom says, squeezing my shoulders as we come up to the desk where a cheery blonde girl is helping families like us check-in.
"Yeah, that's my fault, son." My dad adds in, proudly wearing his "Cortals University dad" shirt, "If I wasn't swamped with our 3⁄4 year budget meeting yesterday we could've spent all day with you here, but it's one of four meetings a year that I can't call into remotely."
"I understand, Dad. I'm just happy both of you are here and I know you're excited to move Ivy into her dorm too." I say, fully grateful for them both being here, especially after I overheard Ivy's phone call with her best friend, Dylan, where neither of her parents even made the drive up with her to help her move in.
The woman sitting at the desk finally turns away from her computer to face us and with a face-splitting smile welcomes us, "Aren't you three a spirited family? Welcome to Cortals University! What's your name?"
She gestures to our shirts and my mom's baseball cap with the end of her pen and both of my parents smile broader, only wearing a fraction of the merch they bought at the school bookstore.
"My name is Jackson Matthews."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jackson, let me look for your room number and see if your roommate has checked in with us yet."
She clicks around on her computer for a minute before swiveling her chair and coming back with a brown envelope with a key inside. When she hands it to me I catch my mom taking a photo of the interaction and smile.
"Here is your room key and a map of the dorm building in case you get lost on your way up to the room. If you lose your room key it will cost 75$ to get a new one made so don't lose it. It seems like your roommate checked in with us yesterday so I'm sure you'll get to meet them soon. Have a great start to your freshman year."
We all give her matching "thank you's" and smiles as we leave her desk to join the line for the elevator.
"Isn't this exciting, you're moving into your first college dorm! My baby is at college! I remember breastfeeding you and your sister as newborns like it was just yesterday. Where do the days go?" My mom says, a stray tear falling down her cheek as my dad wraps his arm around her and rubs up and down to comfort her.
"Don't cry, Mom. Plus, I'll see you guys next month for parents' weekend."
"You're right, and this is a good thing, and you know what good things need..." She pauses but not long enough for me to answer when she whips out her phone and thrusts the brown envelope into my hands, "They need pictures!"
I hold up the brown envelope and smile while my other hand holds onto the end of the luggage, making sure I look good so that all my mom's Facebook friends comment on how "handsome" and "grown-up" I look.
"Get in there with him, August." She says after taking a bunch of photos of me solo, "I need a photo of my two boys."
My dad rounds the cart, dragging his feet like it's the most annoying thing ever even though everyone knows he secretly likes having his picture taken. He wraps his arm around me and smiles while my mom takes a bunch more pictures of us.
Once she's done she immediately posts them to her Facebook while we're still waiting in line and reads out the comments to me as they come in.
"Aunt Aubrey says you look handsome and that she can't believe you're already in college and Uncle Trent says you look like a real ladies' man."
"Like father like son." My dad boasts as we come up to being next in line for the elevator, puffing his chest up until my mom smacks him.
The empty elevator finally dings and the three of us squish inside with my two luggage carts, the door barely closing with us three inside.
"Ugh, Madison Johnson commented on my post," my mom rolls her eyes, getting her mocking voice ready, "can you believe she had the nerve to say 'Jackson is looking more and more like his father by the day?' I can't stand that woman, first of all, she's still not over petty drama from high school and second of all Jackson is the twin that looks like me."
"You could just block her on Facebook." My dad suggests while still comforting her from her mini rage.
"And hear all about it at our 25-year reunion next year, no thank you." She scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest.
He goes to respond but the elevator door pings and we're let out onto the fourth floor. My parents walk me down the hallway to my room and then announce that they have to get going.
"You're going to do great, Jackson, call me if you need any help." My dad says through our hug and I hear his voice shake for the first time in years.
My moms up next and her hug is more like a squeeze, but a comforting mom squeeze at that, "I'm so proud of you honey, knock 'em dead."
"Will do, I'll miss you guys and I promise to call tomorrow night after I get all settled in and get my ID."
"You better or I'll make the drive up here just to ground you." My mom says, pointing an accusatory finger in my face while tears well in her eyes.
"C'mon let's get out of here before I start crying too and then neither of us can drive the car." My dad jokes and wraps his arm around my mom, leading her back down the hallway towards the elevators.
I guess this is the start of the next chapter of my life.
I use my key to unlock my room, ready to greet my new roommate but I'm met with crickets when the door swings open to a quiet room. The silence and the decorations in the room being very last on my list of expectations.
His entire side of the room is pink and black decorations, complete with a hot pink kettle sitting on our shared space in the center of the room and a pink build-a-bear wearing an eye patch and a tutu on the center of a bed covered in pillows.
Maybe the decorations should raise more alarm but the only thing I can think of at the moment is the question of; is my roommate a femboy?
• • •
first chapter down! im writing this when im not even done with forgotten ones so who knows how much longer after I wrote this in April that I posted it but I guess you all know since you've read it.
anyways what did we think of this chapter??
i feel like i lowkey did a bad job at not hinting that this book was going to be jackson and dylan bc i feel like ppl guessed it but oh well...
word count: 2383
published on: 6/26/2023
*not edited*
see you at the end of next chapter! <3
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