"C'mon Bethany, you've slept in as long as you could. Now get your skinny ass out of bed,"
I groan at the sound of my brother's irritable voice waking me.
"Shut up Addison..." I manage to moan. Still groggy from my sleep. I check the time on my phone before sitting up.
8:32 It read.
Great.
Addison must have seen my annoyed reaction. "Stop pouting and get ready before I leave you," He says.
And with that he stomps out of my room, leaving my door wide open.
My head started to throb and I groaned as I slowly pulled myself from my bed. I forced myself to look in the mirror, revolted with my appearance.
I looked like death.
I decided to take a shower, even though I knew it would only make me that much more late for my first day of college.
I was starting at the University of Rochester in New York today.
I could really care less about where I went to college. I mean, I cared about my grades, its just attending Rochester wasn't my choice. Since both my parents and older brother (Addison) were enrolled there, it was only obvious that was were I would be going. No questions asked.
After my shower, I blow dried my hair and applied my make-up. I never wore too much. It just made my face feel heavier, fatter even, so I usually just put on mascara, lipgloss, and maybe some blush. Then I danced to my closet, choosing a a short navy dress with a white sweater after stepping into my brown strapped sandals.
"Bethany!" I heard Addison yell from downstairs. "I'm leaving with or without you in 5 minutes!"
I rolled my eyes as I checked myself once more before heading downstairs, approving of my choice of appearance. I wasn't one to stand out because of my beauty. Maybe it was the giant glasses hovering my beady blue eyes, or the neutral shade of brown and read curls that fell around my too large face. Either or, I was average.
Nothing special.
I grab my newly purchased books and satchel before heading downstairs.
Addison was leaning against the counter, wearing his dark blue beanie, white tank, and black jeans.
He actually looked decent for once, I thought.
"'Bout time," He groaned before grabbing his keys and heading out the door.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
After about 15 minutes, we pull through the gates at Rochester. The campus was beautiful I had to admit, full of old buildings, trees, fountains, and rushing students. Everything looked alive almost.
My intake of the campus was suddenly interrupted by the buzzing of my cell phone. I quickly reached through my purse and found it. I read the screen.
M o m :
H a v e a g r e a t f i r s t d a y ! I ' l l b e w a i t i n g f o r y o u w h e n y o u g e t h o m e .
I l o v e y o u .
I smiled to myself, I hadn't really thought about how much I was going to miss her until a couple days ago. And not just her, my dad, the house, my own shower, and even Addison. Everything was about to change, I just hoped it was all for the better.
I had begun to text her back when out of the corner of my eye I noticed my brother's hands tighten on the wheel.
I looked up too his face.
He was staring past me, out my window. His eyebrows knitted together in frustration.
I turned to see he was eyeing a large group of students sitting on the sidewalk next to us. As we drove by, I noticed that most of the group was full of students with multiple tattoos, or piercings. Some had blue neon hair, and even green. Their attire was almost goth, or biker like. All dark. The girls were wearing heavy make-up while the guys each had cigarettes held between their lips.
They resembled somewhat of a gang, and their presence made me shift in my seat uncomfortably. Addison sure was driving slow. I turn to him.
"Addison?" I asked.
He ignored me. I then noticed his eyes weren't searching the crowd anymore, they were set on something in specific.
I followed his eyes and find him staring at one individual in the group.
A boy.
A very, very handsome boy...
He was tall, very tall, and his arms were covered in ink. Different patterns and words I didn't understand. He also had a few piercings, and wore all black. He would've looked scary, if it wasn't for his curls that fell around his face, and he's bright, green eyes. They were soft looking.
I then noticed the car had stopped, I turned once again towards Addison, he was still staring at the boy.
"Why did you stop?" I asked.
He didn't answer me, he just continued to stare. I looked back to see the boy was now looking back at us. His face was hard, jaw clenched and fist balled. I could almost make out the dark vein pulsing through his temple, because of how close he was.
It was staring to get awkward, nervously awkward.
I sunk into my seat, the boy's gaze made me shiver. I looked back at Addison.
"Addison, who is that?" I ask harshly.
Without breaking his stare from the boy, he said to me, "No one, just some junkie,"
I look back at the boy, who was now smirking at us. It made me want to throw up, like he knew something that we didn't.
"How do you know him?" I ask him sternly.
"Stay away from that crowd, their nothing but trouble," He says, ignoring my question before driving past the students.
I open my mouth to ask more, but he then pulls up to my dorm. I look at him once more, but can tell he doesn't want to talk about it. I shrug it off and climb out of the car without glancing back.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I applied later than most students,
so I couldn't move into my dorm until after my first day of classes, but it didn't really bother me, I wasn't exactly looking forward to living in a small room with a stranger I had never met before.
I walked through the doors and got my key from the front desk. I was on the second floor, room 2018. I took the elevator up, and walked down the endless corridor to my door.
I knocked before entering, and heard a high voice telling me to enter. I sighed, knowing whatever lied behind the door would be my new home, and roommate for who knew how long. Before I could change my mind, I quickly turned the knob and walked in. And gasped.
There was a short, black haired girl sitting on one of the beds. She had three rings in her small eyebrow and about six in each ear. Her cleavage was visible from her tight black tank that also exposed her tatted stomach. Her hair was pixie styled, and she wore bright red lipstick and thick black eyeliner that matched her jeans.
I felt like hiding.
"Hi! I'm Charlotte!"
She squealed before I could seriously consider running out the door.
Before I could answer her, she was jumping of her bed and hugging me.
I was taken back by her friendly yet over-exaggerated gesture, but found myself hugging her back.
"Um, I'm Bethany," I answer, giving her a small grin.
She pulls back, still smiling.
"It's so great to meet you,"
She beams at me.
I simply nod and smile back before slowly removing her tiny limbs from my waist and moving past her to my side of the room. I notice her side is covered in posters and drawings of things I've literally had nightmares about. As I examine further, I feel her eyes on me. I turn around.
"So, what are you going into?" She asks me, still grinning.
She seemed like a sweet girl,
so I decided to be friendly.
"Literature," I answer, giving her another small smile.
She gives me a strange look in return.
Great, she probably thinks I'm one of those freaks who stays home all day and does homework, I think to myself.
"Oh, I'm in music," She says proudly.
She had striked me as some kind of music person. Made sense.
The sound of her phone buzzing breaks the silence. She picks it up.
"Shit, my friend is outside. He's giving me a lift to English,"
She says as she gathers her books.
I bite my lip, English was my first class. I wasn't quite sure if I should be riding to class with a girl like her, but I also didn't want to be alone on my first day. She must of seen my reaction.
"Need a ride?" She laughs.
I nod in relief. She really was sweet, despite her appearance. I grab my books giving her another small smile.
"Thanks" I tell her.
"No problem Beth," She winks at me. I can't help but laugh at her attempt to nickname me, but left the matter alone.
We walk out of the dorm too see a black mustang sitting on the curb. Right as we walk up to the car, a slightly pale, blonde haired boy steps out of the driver seat. He turns and I almost scream at the sight of him.
I noticed him from the group Addison and I saw this morning. His lips pulled into a smirk as he took us both in.
He had about 27 tattoos at the look of him, and almost every visible part of him was pierced. He also had a black snapback on his head, with his pants hanging over half his ass. He gave Charlotte a smile before turning to me.
"Hi I'm Niall," He greeted me. His accent was heavy. Irish maybe?
"I'm Bethany,"
I said, grinning slightly.
We made eye contact for a split second. He was handsome no doubt about that. He looked down at his feet, blushing slightly. Charlotte quickly began to explain
"She's my roommate. Call her Beth. Look we can all get to know each other later, but we're late!" She frantically starts to clap her small hands together.
We all get inside, Charlotte taking shot gun and I in the back.
I almost shit myself when I notice a dark headed boy, with the same appearance as Niall and Charlotte sitting next to me. He was another one of the boys from the group this morning. Great.
"Hi there, I'm Zayn," He winked at me.
I recognized his accent, I was almost
positive it was British.
"Bethany," I said nodding.
I scooted to my side of the car. Even then I could smell the alcohol from his breathe. Really? This early in the morning?
He laughed noticing my discomfort.
"Where'd ya find dis one Char? She's sexy..." He winked at me again.
I rolled my eyes, but feel somewhat flattered by his comment. I'd never been called sexy before, at least not to my face.
"Shut up Zayn, she's not your type..." She playfully jokes at him.
Not his type?
I felt kind offended by her observation, but then Zayn spoke.
"What do you mean not my type?"
Charlotte smirks back at him.
"She's not easy," she whispered.
I almost choke on her words, and find myself coughing.
"Ya aight?" Zayn asked me.
I simply nod my head, and wave him off. Did she mean easy as in Sex easy? Surely not. I mean these guys looked hard core, but they couldn't possibly be that low... Could they?
I heard Zayn giggle.
"What's wrong love, never being properly snagged? Or are you the kind who plays innocent but is just as dirty as the boys?" His voice is much deeper and his chin is pointed down with his dark eyes on mine.
His comment made my cheeks burn red with embarrassment, and right when I thought I was going to throw up right then and there, Charlotte speaks up.
"Shut up you Dick head, we're here,"
She says as we pull up to a large white building marking English on the front. I sigh in relief, but Zayn gives me one last wink before the car comes to a stop and steps out of his side.
I suddenly felt nervous. These were not the kind of people I was suppose to be with. No where close, in fact the exact opposite of what who I was planning on meeting. I stepped out of the car and followed my new friends into the building. Were they my friends? I wasn't sure, I just wanted to get this day over with, and I wasn't about to do it alone.