Ryan

Prologue/Chapter 1

Easthill University has a beautiful campus covered in large trees with orange and yellow leaves. The grass is still a vibrant green as if fall isn't here and winter isn't just around the corner. The sun is shining bright down onto the buildings and there's not one cloud touching the blue sky. It would make the perfect picture minus the freshman rushing frantically around, their suitcases trailing behind them as they go. One girl's suitcase actually loses a wheel and I try to keep a straight face as I pass by; her face has absolute horror written all over it. Poor girl. I should probably stop and help her but I don't.

The chilly air conditioning peppers goosebumps across my bare arms as I enter Prescott Hall. I gain odd looks as I wheel my suitcase through the lobby. Guys, guys everywhere. My brows furrow at the sight. Two tossing a football, three running around with Nerf guns. A foam bullet whizzes by and hits another guy in the face. One of the guys with the football flips over a black chair placed in a small area just off to the left as he catches the ball but he laughs it off as if he meant to.

This is definitely a male dorm. The banner above the front desk reads 'Welcome to Prescott Hall', so I'm in the right place but this has to be a mistake. They don't have any coed dorms unless they changed things without notifying anyone, which I highly doubt.

The guy behind the desk arches an eyebrow at me as I approach. "You lost, Ginger?" he asks.

I frown at the nickname. Seriously, Ginger? Wow, he's so creative. I wouldn't have thought of that all by myself with my red hair and all...

"No, I'm not lost. I'm confused," I reply, releasing my bags.

His brow furrows. "Confused about what?"

"Well as you can see I'm a female. I look like a female, correct?" I ask dryly.

He nods with a mischievous smirk as his eyes roll down the length of my body like the sarcastic question was an invitation for his ogling. His badge reads Gavin and I file that name away for later in my box of people to stay far away from. I'm dressed in an oversized shirt and a pair of leggings, not exactly an ogle worthy outfit.

My skin crawls under his gaze so I slap the dorm paper down on the counter separating us. "Well this sheet of paper says otherwise."

Gavin takes the paper, scrunching his eyebrows up as he reads. He rubs a hand over his jaw and glances at me. "This says Prescott is where you're roomed but that can't be right because this is an all-male dorm."

It was really, really, hard but I didn't hit him. I clenched my fists and held my breath until my lungs felt like they would collapse, then I planted my forehead on the shiny wood counter—but I didn't hit him. This Gavin guy is a complete idiot that's for sure. Okay Ryan, reign in the dramatics, it's not like it's Gavin's fault I was placed in an all-male dorm.

I heave an exaggerated sigh before flashing him a smile. "So you see my dilemma here, Gavin."

He takes a seat behind a MacBook computer and gives me a big smile. "Okay Ginger, what's your real name?"

"Ryan Knightley," I answer feeling a migraine growing behind my right eye.

Fantastic.

"Not sure if you know but Ryan's a dude's name, Ginger," he comments, still typing on the computer.

I huff. "Yes I am one-hundred percent aware that Ryan is normally a guy's name."

Thanks Mom, yet again another day I curse you for choosing my name. Was it too complicated for me to be an Emily or a Brittany like the other girls I went to school with. Sure I would have a name about as unique as a 6-year-old girl liking the color pink but it would be better than people letting me know Ryan is a guy's name on a daily basis. You would think as far as we've come in society that most names would be considered gender neutral, apparently not. Some people aren't as evolved as the rest of us.

"Hey, you don't have to be so crabby." He frowns.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am. It's my first day and my brother is supposed to be helping me move in but he has Kappa stuff to do and... well then this happens—it just isn't going as expected." I sigh.

"It's okay Ginger, I'll excuse it this once." He winks.

I roll my eyes. Yeah, because I was so worried. I just want to get this worked out so I can take my bags to the correct building and unpack them and relax for five minutes.

"Ah," he mumbles, staring at the computer screen.

I wait impatiently for him to fill me in but the silence grows on.

"Ah what?" I finally ask agitated.

"They've got you listed as a male in the system, that's why you were placed in Prescott. Were you drunk when you filled your application out?" He chuckles.

Was I drunk when I filled my application out? No. Do I wish I was drunk right now? Yes. A few shots of Tequila and this wouldn't seem so annoying. A little alcohol and I wouldn't be worried about my current living arrangements for my first semester of college.

"No, it must have been my college counselor. He started the app for me and had me finish it up," I groan.

I cannot stand that lazy old douche bag. He was always cracking stupid jokes like he thought mine and Taylor's birth certificates were swapped, which is stupid since Taylor is two years older than me so that would be impossible. That prick probably did this on purpose.

"I'll have to call the Dean and get him here so we can get this straightened out," Gavin says, picking up a phone.

I nod and lug my stuff over to the black chair one of the football guys had previously tripped over and take a seat.

Surely this will be the worst of my problems, right?

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This is book 1 of the Broken Series (Book 2 is Brynn). This storyline/ plot does continue through all 3 books.