Hold On: Stay With Me

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

As I made my way to what would become my future home for the next few years, I look at every little detail of the campus. It looks friendly, of course, I can't deny it. Everything is clean and well cared for, the green contrast of the trees and grass with the structure of the buildings make it even more beautiful. 

I finally make it to the bedrooms and swipe my card to enter. I'm glad I've brought the essentials because it will be an easy task to sort out everything in my room and it won't take long. I finally get out of the elevator, and I'm already on the eighth floor. Now I just need to find my room, which according to the information paper room 838 is assigned to me. At the end of the hallway, I'm successful in finding the number and swiping the card through the reader by the door, and it opens. I take a quick look, the bedroom can be described with one simple word: basic. It isn't very big, there are two beds with their respective cupboards and shelves, two quite large desks. I sigh in relief knowing that my future roommate hadn't arrived yet. That way she can't fire uncomfortable questions off to me, not that I am shy or something like that, but at this moment what I want is to rest after a long trip. My gaze stray around the window, the views are breathtaking. I have a great view of the downtown Honolulu skyline. You can also see the baseball field and the football practice fields, so I'll never be bored. The bathrooms and showers are shared with all the students on the same floor. I try not to dwell on that, I'll try to use the showers at the less frequented hours.

Being alone in the room allow me to unpack and settle in quickly, something that if my roommate was here, the task would have dragged on. It is nice to be alone and don't have to explain my tiredness to anyone or make fake faces. After I've finished placing my clothes in the wooden closet, I gaze at my reflection in the mirror as I comb my hair and do a basic high ponytail. My tanned skin give a perfect touch and illuminated my blonde hair. I'm not obsessed with my looks a lot, but at that moment I feel insecure and get into a panic. Despite knowing English perfectly, I'm afraid that I won't fit in because I come from a different culture and couldn't be accepted by others. While I'm changing into clean and more summery clothes, my phone vibrates, I have just received a message. It's my mother asking me how the flight was, I reply hastily. In that instant that I remember that I had promised my father to call him as soon as I landed. I sit on my bed and call him. We talk for a while until he has to leave. So I decide to make a video call with my mother, in a matter of seconds her face appears on my screen.

"Hello, sweetie" My mother says in a very loving tone, always conveying affection through her voice.

"Hi, mom. How's everything? I just finished sorting all my belongings" I reply with joy in my voice, but then I sigh.

"You look tired, don't worry, in a couple of weeks I'll come to visit you. I hope I can take vacation days. How is Juan doing?" From the tone of her voice, I know she's excited to see the place where her daughter will study.

"Dad is great, he sends his regards. I haven't been assigned a roommate yet, so I have the whole room to myself"

"Don't worry, surely you'll have a delightful roommate. What really matters is you have a great time enjoying this experience and have a good memory for the rest of your life. Of course, in this experience don't get involved with any boy." I shake my head. Despite loving my mother very much, sometimes we don't share the same opinion. Of course they haven't sent me here to find a boyfriend, but there are times when love arises unexpectedly and we cannot control it. My goal is to focus on my studies and have fun with the student mates I get to know. Love in these moments isn't something I desperately sought, but if it does appear, I won't ignore it.