The Freshman Book 1 (Fanfiction)

The Assistant

Before I head back to my room, I apologize to Tyler, who seemed a bit scandalized by my sleepwear, which was just a thin tank top and shorts. I try not to laugh as Tyler mumbles something and runs off to his room. It’s kind of cute how flustered he gets around girls.

Once I’m back in my room, I throw myself on my bed and stare at the ceiling. How the hell am I supposed to find a way to stay at Hartfeld in such a short amount of time? My counselor advised me to apply for more scholarships but I was overconfident and believed my parents money would cover the costs. I have to find a way to stay, I have to.

It’s still pretty early but I can’t fall back asleep. I could unpack my stuff but with this new problem, who knows how long I’ll even be here, so there’s no use. I really don’t feel like getting out of bed, especially as I feel another cramp but I can’t just stay in bed and hope for things to fix themselves. I wince in pain and decide to make a trip to the store. I throw on a shirt and some leggings and quietly make my way out of the suite.

I drive into downtown Hartfeld and grab the things I need at a small grocery store that I found. Before I can set my stuff down on the counter, I get a call from Abbie.

“Hey, Abbie. What’s up?” I say, setting down my stuff.

“I was wondering if you were in town because Tyler saw you leave a while ago and I need some things from the store.”

Good thing the cashier isn’t here yet. “Yeah, I’m currently at the grocery store, what do you need?”

She lists everything she needs to make breakfast and I quickly grab all the items and head back to campus once I’ve paid. I see Abbie waiting outside out  the building and she rushes over to help me with the bags. We take the bags back to the suite and I help Abbie make breakfast.

Tyler eventually comes out of his room and offers to help. Abbie makes pancakes, Tyler works on the eggs, and I cook the bacon and start on the coffee. As I wait for the bacon to cook, I go back to thinking on what to do with everything. I have some money from some scholarships I won but they’re barely enough to cover this quarter. I was going to apply for Hartfeld’s scholarships but it just slipped my mind. I kept telling myself I would do it later but I never filled out the applications. I should’ve taken all of this more seriously and not procrastinated. Though, I wonder if I could still—

“Elizabeth! The bacon!” shouts Tyler.
I snap out of my thoughts and I quickly remove the pan from the stove, which indeed was burning. I’m able to save some of the bacon but most of them are burnt. I throw them away in frustration and begin reaching for more bacon but a hand stops me.

“Hey, is something wrong?” asks Abbie with concern.

I look down at the counter and nod. “I just found out that… my parents are… broke. Since they can’t pay my tuition anymore, I would have to leave Hartfeld.”

My vision turns blurry and I feel the tears threatening to spill. I turn away from Abbie and quickly wipe my eyes. There’s no time for tears, no matter how much I want to break down.

“But you can’t leave!” I look over and see Zack standing in the hallway, with a horrified expression. “I can’t lose my best friend! My shopping buddy!”

“Trust me, Zack, I don’t want to leave but if I don’t find a way to pay for all of this,” I gesture towards the suite, “then I’ll have to leave.”

He looks like he’s about to cry and I hope he doesn’t because if he does, then I’ll start crying too. Thankfully, I’m saved by a loud yawn coming from behind him. I look over his shoulder and see Kaitlyn rubbing sleep from her eyes.