My fingers clenched the leather steering wheel as I stared out the windshield. Raindrops gathered in clusters, and I heard the distant sound of thunder. It's been raining nonstop since I'd left home four hours ago. Secretly, I believed the rain followed me- knowing I wasn't in a good mood. I was dreading walking through the rain, as anybody without an umbrella would be, but the one thing that weighed in my stomach like a cement ball was the view of the tall white and gray bricks of the office building looming ahead of me, just past the sidewalk and strip of rich green grass.
I'd been sitting here in my car for several minutes while it idled, the thumps of the music I was listening to still audible despite the volume of my stereo system turned down. I was trying to decide whether or not this was really worth the effort. My previous college had kicked me out and my parents weren't aware. I'd simply told them I was given an offer for better classes at a college a few hours away, and they'd accepted it. I wasn't one to lie to them.
I'd been lucky enough to have a friend who could pull a few strings for me as a favor. He'd been working here at this college for a few years, and it wasn't hard to slip my name in among the other transfers with no questions asked.
I glanced up at the rearview mirror, looking out the blurry back window of my Volvo. A few cars were leaving the parking lot- probably the college students who's classes just ended, or friends going out to eat. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
My hazel-green eyes stared at me with a neutral, almost annoyed, glint. My blond curls were a mess from how many times I'd run my fingers through them on the drive here. My black and silver piercings that lined my ears were the only things that didn't look disheveled. Subconsciously, one of my hands released off the steering wheel, and twisted the silver bead of my tragus piercing.
With a moment to reflect on myself, and a silent pep talk later, I switched my headlights off and popped my Pierce the Veil CD out of the CD player. I popped it into its case and tossed that on top of the box sitting in my passenger seat. It was full of my belongings, from clothing and class supplies to small decorations for my side of the dorm room. On the floor in front of the seat was my black and white checkered backpack, which was packed full of more decorations and personal hygiene.
Luckily, if there was anything I forgot to pick up, the street that wrapped around one side of the college campus had everything I'd need.
The car rumbled quietly beneath me and I finally let out a sigh, forcing myself to get a move on. I turned the car off, clipping the lanyard of my keys to my belt buckle and tucking it into my pocket. Another clap of thunder rolled in the distance, reminding me to pull my hood up over my head. I opened my car door.
The pitter patter of the rain was deafening, and I immediately regretted not bringing an umbrella. I tugged my hood lower over my face, slamming my door shut and rushing to the other side. I yanked my passenger side door open, slinging my bookbag over my shoulder while I picked up the box. My hip bumped into the door to close it once I was done and I sprinted through the rain to the office building.
The double doors were glass, opening automatically as I stepped under the dark brown awning that looked almost black from the rain. Lush, green bushes guarded the walls outside, the flat, freshly cut grass, looking like that out of a movie.
The interior was decorated to fit more of a contemporary design with some classic hints. The floors were a dark walnut, glossy beneath the bright fluorescent lights. The walls were tall, painted a soft gray to make the room appear larger. Some paintings lined the wall ahead of me, scenic art of the beaches only a few hours away. They were on opposite sides of a hallway that sat in the center of the wall. Down the hallway from what I could see, there was another glass door, and a stairwell sign that pointed to the left just before the doors. To the left of those, near the corner, was a large set of display cabinets which sported the name of the college, 'The Academy' above them on a black, white and gold banner. Within the display cabinets were trophy's and photos of each team that won them, their clubs, and even some history on the building.
