It was a bright Wednesday morning. Anne had messily thrown her hair up into a pony, wearing a sling bag around her shoulder and a vexed expression, she rushed around her dorm for something she misplaced.
"Where in the hell-" Anne cursed to herself. "Marce!"
"Whaaaaaat," down the hall of their dorm a girl groaned from her bedroom, still cozily wrapped up in her bed.
"I can't find my journalism notes-" Anne shuffled between a stack of papers in their small kitchen area.
"Tv table," Marcy mumbled.
Anne glanced over to a small table in front of their couch. Her notebook lay on the floor, fallen over from whatever her dorm mate had been doing the night before. A miniature lego set currently being built lay sprawled along the surface, being left temporarily due to sleep deprivation.
Marcy didn't have a class until later this afternoon, so she took it upon herself to stay up late starting a new lego set the night before, that way she could sleep in.
Normally, Marcy made sure the dorm was clean and well kept. She was somewhat a stickler for organization, Anne, however, was prone to being chaotic and messy. Glancing at the lego set alone, each group of parts were separated by color and type, all aligned in neat rows.
"Thanks!" Anne called, peeking her head into Marcy's room. "Hey, your Isle of Avalor set looks cool so far," she added.
"Mmmh," Marcy turned in her bed. "You're gonna be late," her friend reminded.
"Right-" Anne lightly smacked her own face. "Thanks again!" She hurried out the door.
The newsletter committee periodically gathered at least three times a month, sometimes less, sometimes more. It depended on the events going on during the month. For the month of October the committee agreed on prioritizing the Fall Formal, Autumn Madrigals and of course, the Lady Warriors and their big game against the South Angelwood Barbarians.
Anne jogged across the dormitory courtyard, arriving at the north wing of the university. She trotted down every hall before coming to a door with a sign that read "Room 107".
"I'm sorry," Anne breathed wearily. "I couldn't-"
Looking up, she saw no one.
"What-" Anne poked her head into the quiet room.
"You're looking for the newsletter people?" A girl happened to pass by, noticing Anne's confusion.
"Sam, yes, where is everyone? I can't be that late," Anne asked.
"I thought you knew, I mean they announced it earlier this week. News comm meeting got moved to this weekend," she informed.
Anne facepalmed herself. "Right, I forgot Kenz already told me that."
Sam giggled. "Hey, more time to help us, right?"
"Yea, 'course."
"I'll c'ya later today then," the girl waved and disappeared down another corner.
Anne dragged her hand down her face. Sam Normandy was a short, red haired girl performing in the Autumn Madrigals. A small girl with a big personality and an even bigger voice. She was a talented singer and devoted that talent to theatrics. Anne agreed to help the Madrigals set up this afternoon, their first performance was later tonight.
Anne sighed, glancing toward the empty room. Her morning was practically free now, she wouldnt have to be in the auditorium until 3PM. She went through things in her head she still had to do, thinking she could knock out some task before then, but when opening her phone, her eyes fell on Sasha's contact and the last text they shared on Monday.
Anne stared at it, hesitated, then sent a new message.
Hey, my morning just freed up. Anne sent.
And to her surprise, Sasha replied fairly quick.
oh cool. i just finished up at the gym, i can meet you outside after i shower.
or did you want a specified time?
I can meet you outside, that's fine. Anne replied. My time is limited but I'll do what I can.
alrighttt 💯💯
Anne stuck her phone in her back pocket and began her journey. The university utility building that held the gym was the southern wing.
North Angelwood Uni was split into four different wings, each with different purposes. The north wing held student and teacher resources. Meeting rooms, counseling services, careership offices, medical personnel and recreational facilities like computer, reading and project lounges.
The east wing was the technical wing, where a majority of the trade school classes and workshops were held. Those were classes that were more hands-on, they gave students real world experience and allowed them to really learn about their professions.
The west wing was held for the more general courses. The standard math, science, history, and so on. The southern wing occupied the largest part of campus: it held the swimming pool; both a community gymnasium and school gymnasium for school events or games; had band and chorus classrooms, which were specially made with sound insulation; and of course, the track and different sports fields just outside.
Anne took the indoor route, following the east wing of the school, snaking toward hallways before finally reaching the community gymnasium. She didn't see Sasha anywhere in sight so she assumed she was still using the showers. A row of benches just outside the showers lined the wall and she took a seat, patiently waiting.
She found this to be an odd meeting spot. It made sense though, Sasha being in such a rough physical sport didn't just require time but actual effort, especially for a varsity player. Anne knew Sasha was also a track runner, but that was only during the spring. She was most famously known on the track team as their hurdler and long jump athlete, her physique fit the event perfectly.
"Oh, sorry I made you wait," a familiar voice directed Anne's focus.
The bathroom door swung shut as Sasha stepped out, a duffle bag slung around her shoulder. A towel in her other hand was rubbing out the extra water in her hair. She wore a thin white tank and a pair of sweats.
"You're" Anne caught herself in hesitation, "...fine," she blinked and directed her eyes at a random exercise machine.
Damn, she is stacked. Anne thought abashedly. She knew Sasha was an athlete and all but she was way more muscular than she thought.
"I don't have any of my bio stuff on me, it's all at my dorm," Sasha apprised. "I can grab it really quick, unless you wanna come with me."
"Uh, sure," Anne replied, following her to the exit.
"Did you have a specific place you had in mind for this?"
"Not really, I kind of texted on a whim," Anne hummed. "I had a meeting with the committee today, but it was moved to Saturday."
"Ah, we can stay in my dorm if you want," the girl offered, then quickly added. "Er, only if you want- I mean if you're comfortable. You don't have to if you don't want-"
"Sure," Anne answered yes with little thought.
"Awesome. I have a dorm mate named Maggie, she's a little loud but she won't bother us. She's got classes from 10 to 3 today."
"So why do you need my help?" Anne inquired. "I feel asking your professor would've been easier."
Sasha scoffed. "The man hates me."
This piqued Anne's curiosity. "Oh really? Why's that?"
"You make a quip about how his toupée looks like an owl pellet one time," Sasha rolled her eyes and Anne let out a laugh. "So you mentioned earlier your time was limited, do you have to be somewhere after this?"
"I'm helping Madrigals for tonight's show. It's opening night, it's got to be perfect."
"Oh? I didn't know you were also a theater kid," Sasha nudged Anne's arm gently with her elbow.
Anne blew air from her nose. "I'm only helping with setup and takedown. They're short on backstage crew. Someone caught the flu and gave it to half the people there."
"Oh, damn. If you need a helping hand, I'm still available until 5. That's a good two hours before my practice," Sasha offered.
"Really?"
Sasha shrugged. "Why not."
After a short trip around campus they arrived at the east dormitories. They were identical to the west dorms, only the bathrooms were on the opposite side.
At Anne and Marcy's dorm, once entered, a hallway with two doors on either side led to individual bedrooms. Passing the bedrooms, a bathroom lay on the left, while an area to the kitchen and small living area opened up on the right. In her dorm, Anne's room was on the left, while Marcy's was on the right.
Sasha's dorm was reversed, which Anne found odd but not disorienting.
"It may be a bit messy," Sasha swiped her student ID and the door opened, revealing a very average college dorm.
Passing the rooms, both doors were open. The one on the left held hung band posters with framed vinyl records decorating blank spaces on the wall. Electric red seemed to be the theme of the room. Bedsheets with red splotch designs and pillows to match reminded Anne of blood for some reason. The room held a very heavy metal vibe.
The room on the right held a similar aesthetic, just in a softer font. The walls were coated in padding, which Anne recalled as the soundproof padding to cancel noise. A desk was decorated with polaroid photographs of people Anne had seen, but not personally known. Photo frames and awards were lined on a shelf. Thrown on the back of a chair was football equipment and cleats on the floor next to it. The room had fairy lights hung around the area by the bed, a soft pink. A muted pink and black bed sheet completed the room. Sort of like a softer version of rock, pink grunge, was what she thought of it as.
Cluttered but not unbearable. LED lights were hung up around the ceiling of the dorm. Sasha set her bag on the counter.
The kitchen area had a few dishes left in the sink, to which Sasha rolled her eyes at.
"It's her turn to do them but she never does them."
Anne set her bag on the counter next to Sasha's. The dorm smelled faintly of cucumber and mint, maybe a little bit of coconut. Light shed through a thin, black, patterned curtain from a window in the living area. An unfinished project was sitting on top of the kitchen table, a miniature diorama of some kind.
"I never thought of the lights honestly, what'd you use to put them up?" Anne asked, pointing to the LEDs.
"Blu tack," Sasha replied. "Doesn't ruin the paint and the lights aren't that heavy. I got them online."
"It's a nice touch," Anne added, reaching the couch in the living area. A thick rose colored blanket was thrown over the back of it, and despite how fluffy it looked, that wasn't what caught Anne's attention first. "Is that yours or Maggie's?"
They both looked over at the personalized electric guitar leant on the armrest of the couch. Black with pink flames.
"Oh, mine," Sasha lifted it. "I'm not that good."
"That's got to be a lie," Anne placed a hand on her hip. "It's customized, look at that thing."
"It was just a little hobby I picked up in high school," Sasha said sheepishly. "It was a gift from my grandpa," she held it snug at her side and strummed fingerstyle. "He was also a musical guy despite being in football. Could play a harp beautifully too."
"My parents were a little musical but I never had a very strong interest to learn more," Anne folded her arms on the back of the couch. "Now you have to play something, you can't just have something this cool and not show off a little."
Sasha blinked at her, biting her lip like she was nervous. "Okay," she gave in. "This is kinda stupid since I wrote it in high school."
She opened with a simple arpeggio.
-
"I wouldn't have lived with myself after that-" Anne covered her face in her hands, suppressing her laughter.
"I avoided the cross country team for the entire year, I was so embarrassed."
Papers lay across the couch they sat on. Anne was seated comfortably, criss-crossed on a cushion. A bowl of snacks sat on the table in front of them, partially eaten. The girls had started working on Sasha's paper, but quickly got distracted.
The door to Sasha's dorm had suddenly opened and a girl with freckled cheeks and ginger hair tied into braids quizzically looked inside.
"Huh, so I wasn't crazy when I heard laughing," the girl set her backpack on the floor by the entrance.
"Hey Mags," Sasha twisted herself to wave to the girl down the hall. "Anne, this is Maggie, my dorm mate."
"Hi," Anne greeted and Maggie waved back, arching over them at the couch.
"So, class project or..?" The ginger questioned.
"Oh," Sasha set the guitar aside. "We may have gotten...side tracked."
"I'll say, I can't tell if you're practicing for a musical play or writing an essay," Maggie squinted at Sasha's bio notes.
"Musical play-" Anne stiffened. "Hey, what time is it?"
"A little after 3:30," Sasha's dorm mate responded. "Hey, I hope you guys don't mind, I'm gonna play some tunes," and shortly after, a bluetooth speaker resting on the kitchen counter blasted some heavy rock.
Anne facepalmed herself, again. "Madrigals."
"So are you gonna sit there and mope or what?" Sasha had already left the couch and opened the door, whisking a hoodie off a coat hanger by the door.
Anne smiled and joined her, taking her bag on the way out.
-
"Hey Anne, I didn't know if you were actually coming or not," a girl noticed the pair enter the back of the stage.
The place was full of students talking, rehearsing, singing and wandering to and fro with equipment.
"Sorry Sam, I've been all over the place today," Anne blew a breath.
"No worries, we're just glad you came at all," she responded gratefully. "And I see you brought help."
"Oh, this is Sasha," Anne introduced.
Sam looked at her quizzically. "Aren't you from the football team?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"No reason, just wondering," Sam slid the conversation aside.
"So, who's currently missing?" Anne asked.
"Well, Carter managed to take out Eli, Jackson, Richardo and Ryder with his flu, five in total," the girl crossed her arms.
"How? What, were they smooching?"
"Game night with the boys," Sam shook her head in disappointment.
"Anyone see Erick? He has my costume!" A random student yelled behind a dressing room door.
"Actually, I haven't seen him since noon, said he wasn't feeling good," another responded to the one behind the door.
"Okay, make that six," Sam sighed.
"Well what can we do to help?" Sasha piped in.
"Well, Eli, Jack and Ryder were in charge of stage equipment. They normally do soundcheck and set up the lights and speakers. Ricky, Erick and Cart are from the costume and makeup crew. I mean, we have Kaydence, so I think we're safe in that department, but the stage crew's looking a little confused," Sam pointed to the students confusedly staring at the speakers stored in a corner of the stage.
"Becka can run the equipment but she's new, she doesn't know how to set it up very well," Sam added, referring to the short haired girl wearing a headband.
"I think I can figure it out," Sasha offered. "And set up those lights."
"Awesome! We're gonna need any help we can get," Sam said, relieved. Their director hollered something shortly after, having the main cast all join in a discussion huddle. "Gotta go."
"Who knew the area behind the stage was more chaotic than the stage itself," Sasha acknowledged at the mess of people around them.
"It's almost magical," Anne waved to Becka and another girl with a dark complexion and coiled hair. "Hey Harley. Hey Beck, you actually took my advice on joining theatre?"
"Yeah! I actually really enjoy it," she exclaimed, sharing a glance with Sasha. "You managed to bring an athlete back here?"
"Managed?" Sasha echoed. "You say that like it's hard."
"Well, you're probably the first ever football player to care enough to be back here," Harley explained. "It's not bad, it's just different."
Becka turned to Anne. "We could use the extra muscle, with Eli and Ryder-"
"Where should I put these?" Sasha asked, holding a wedge speaker in each arm.
The three stared at her in silence.
"Uh, here," Harley went to help her, gesturing where to set them.
Anne watched Sasha carefully set a speaker on the floor while Harley fixed its position. It was odd, but Anne was starting to think she enjoyed Sasha's presence. She was from such a different group of people and had such contrasting interests, yet she wanted to learn all about them and her.
She was respectful, considerate, and charming in her own way, different from the ignorant, narcissistic and egotistical jock Anne thought she was.
You're not bad, Waybright. Anne thought.