ELLE
I rubbed my eyes, completely bewildered. "Liam! What on earth are you doing here?"
Grinning widely, he replied. "Good morning sleepyhead! Just thought you needed a bit of jolt to start off your day!"
"Is that silly string in your hand." I demanded. He raised the can, "Yep!" and sprayed it all over my face, and then bolted out of my room.
"I HATE YOU, LIAM!" I shouted in his direction.
"Get up, it's your first day." He yelled back.
"You could have just tapped me on the shoulder." I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"Where's the fun in that." He screamed.
Without wasting another moment, I swung my feet out of the bed and dashed into the shower, desperate to rid myself of the clinging foam. As the water cascaded over me, I couldn't help but curse the chunk of foam that had stubbornly lodged itself in my hair, forcing me to wash it thoroughly.
I stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a towel around me. As I approached my bed, I noticed the cute outfit I had prepared the previous night. It consisted of a white crop top with cherry prints, sweetheart neckline and puffy sleeves, matched with high-waisted blue wide-leg jeans. Eagerly, I slipped into the outfit and reached for my trusty makeup bag. With precision, I applied a skin tint to ensure smoothness, followed by a few coats of mascara to enhance my lashes. For a touch of color, I dabbed my favorite tint on my lips and cheeks, giving them a natural flush.
Before leaving, I grabbed my hairbrush and gently ran it through my damp hair, smoothing out any tangles and creating a presentable look. "Are you ready to go?" Liam stormed into my room and inquired. "Yeah!" I answered, stealing one last glance at my reflection in the mirror. Taking a deep breath, I set off on my way to college.
Taking my place in the passenger seat, I joined my older brother Liam who was once again playing the role of chauffeur for the day. As we pulled out of the driveaway, I couldn't resist teasing him. "So, Liam, are you excited to have the privilege of driving me to my first day of college?"
"Privilege? More like a sentence." He retorted playfully. "But hey, if you promise to not sing along to your favorite songs too loudly, I may just survive."
I shook my head. "Oh please, you'll be begging me to give you a private concert before we reach campus." We both laughed.
We reached the campus fifteen minutes later, "Thanks for the ride, Liam. I promise to take full advantage of annoy my big brother at college privilege." I teased, opening the car door.
Liam chuckled. "Just remember, Elle, I'm always here with you, college can be crazy sometimes." He reassured with a gentle smile.
"Does that mean you'll drop me off at my class."
"OK, yeah, good bye." He said. A few other athletic dudes approached him and they headed indoors, engaged in chitchatting.
Making my way to the Business department was a breeze. Navigating through the crowds of students inside the buildings, I couldn't help but feel lost. Although I could always rely on Liam for help, I knew deep down that this was a challenge I had to face alone. Scanning my surroundings, I was fortunate enough to find another girl who wore the same expression of confusion as me.
I approached the girl. "Hey! Are you also trying to find your class?"
The girl looked up, a relieved smile forming on her face. "Yes! Thank goodness someone else is also as clueless as I am. I'm Olivia, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Olivia I'm Elle.' I said. 'I'm looking for room 2202, Introduction to Business."
"That's the same class I'm headed to." She exclaimed. We both giggled and studied the map, trying to decipher the confusing campus layout. Our attempts to make sense of the arrow and building codes led to us laughing loudly as we comically misread the directions.
"Okay, so, we need to take a left from the computer lab, and then turn right." Olivia said, pointing towards the map.
"Are you sure, because I see three class rooms with bunch of computers in them, and they all look the same." We burst into laughter, attracting some curious glances from passing students.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to rely on our impeccable navigation skills then!" She added. As we continued to search for the class, we stumbled upon a fellow student who seemed equally lost. "Hi! Do you need help?" Olivia called out.
"Hi, I'm searching for the room 2202." She said.
"We are too!" I exclaimed.
"Oh, thank goodness! I've been wandering around for ages. I'm Grace, by the way."
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we stumbled upon a group of students huddled inside a room, listening intently as the professor gave the lecture. We entered the classroom together and found seats next to each other. Grace looked around and quipped. "So are we supposed to immediately become best friends with our classmates, or is that a second-week kind of thing."
"Oh, I believe it's a third-week, three-failed-assignments kind of friendship initiation. We have time." Olivia chuckled.
The professor introduced the syllabus, whose solemn expression stood in stark contrast to the jovial atmosphere. Despite our utmost efforts to suppress our laughter, my new friends and I could not help but burst into silent giggles and snorts.
Following our sole class of the day Grace, Olivia, and I gathered our things and readied ourselves to depart. "Alright, see you both tomorrow." Olivia bid farewell, waving before exiting the classroom.
"What are your plans now?" Grace asked, as she slightly nudged my shoulder.
"I'm going to have to wait for my brother. He has basketball practice." I sighed, glancing at Grace.
Grace grinned. "Well lucky for you, I'm an expert at killing time! I'll give you company and you can drop me home."
"Yeah okay!" We both laughed.
We found our way to the gym and settled in near the bleachers to watch the practice. "Which ones your brother?" Grace asked. "That one." I replied, pointing towards Liam.
"Wow, Elle! Your brother is so athletic!" Grace slightly nudged me, her eyes widening, however my attention was drawn to the team captain, who screamed confidence in every way. It was obvious that he was the captain because he was the one giving commands when the team gathered.
"Oh Elle, do we have a secret crush on the team captain." Grace gave me a sly grin. I blushed, trying to hide my smile. "What!? No! I'm just... admiring his basketball skills."
"Mhmm, sure! Just remember to keep your jaw from dropping too low." Grace raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Oh please! I'm a sophisticated lady. I can handle myself around charming basketball players."
The sound of the sneakers squeaking on the gym floor echoed through the air as the players ran back and forth.
She leaned over me, whispering. "You know, I've realized basketball is not just about grace and agility. It's also about art of catching and shooting airballs." I burst into laughter, trying to stifle the noise. "Shh, Grace! They might hear you." She covered her mouth. "Sorry, sorry! But seriously, I've seen more airballs than actual baskets so far." She giggled quietly.
As we watched the team go through drills, I couldn't take my eyes off the team captain. The way he effortlessly dribbled the ball and made precise passes sent my heart racing. Grace nudged me once again, unable to hide her amusement. "Looks like someone is falling for the team captain's move on and off court!"
I rolled my eyes but blushed nonetheless. "Okay, shut up." Grace chuckled, giving me a knowing look.
After what seemed like an eternity, Liam finally emerged from the court, his face glistening with sweat. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I only had one orientation class today, my normal classes start tomorrow." I replied, then I introduced my friend Grace.
"Hey, Elle's very athletic brother." Grace smirked.
"Um, hi." Liam muttered.
A formidable figure with an air of confidence, strode up beside Liam. The tension between them was evident. "Well, well, Liam, how's your fantasy of becoming the captain going?" The captain sneered, his voice dripping with mocking sarcasm.
Liam bristled but maintained his composure. "I'm working hard for it. We'll see who has the last laugh." He replied, determination etched on his face.
The captain's eyes flickered to our direction. "And who might these two lovely ladies be?" He asked, his tone suddenly lightning. I stepped forward and introduced myself and my friend.
The captain raised an eyebrow, mischief glinting in his eyes. "Oh, so this is the sister all the fuss is about? Liam, you never told me you had such a beautiful sister. Should I be worried about competing with my own team member for her affection." My heart sank at his remark.
Liam's jaw clenched, his dislike of the captain was evident. He took a deep breath, fighting to keep his posture. "Cameron, I'll ask you to refrain from making inappropriate jokes about my sister." He warned.
The captain smirked, though his bravado was slightly diminished. "Don't worry, it was just a tease." He said, his tone returning back to his carefree nature.
"Come on, Elle!" Liam exclaimed with frustration. We found ourselves walking hastily towards the parking lot, Grace and I trailing behind my brother. I quickly settled into the passenger seat while Liam took the wheel as usual, and Grace took a seat in the back. Liam turned to me, his face stern. "Elle, I want you to promise that you won't talk to him, no matter what he says or how he approaches you." He said, his voice carrying a mix of anger and protectiveness.
"I understand, Liam." I reassured him.
He took a deep breath, adjusting the car into gear as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The engine let out a powerful roar, and we zoomed off.