There wasn't a moment when Granite University wasn't bustling with some sort of student life or campus activities. The swell of various voices surrounded Ava on all sides as she walked out of the liberal arts building and along the concrete path toward the McCain Hall dorms. Despite being in the first semester of her freshman year, Ava had nearly the entire campus already mapped out and explored. The university was her first taste of freedom after finally leaving her hometown and rigid household, and she was determined to enjoy every single inch of campus. She already felt like she found her new home, and she would have to be physically dragged off of it if her parents wanted her back home.
After swiping her student ID in the card reader on the front door of the large dorm building, Ava walked inside of the open lobby, her eyes glancing over a few other freshmen that were studying in the lounge to her left. She headed straight and hit the up button on the elevator, shifting her black backpack higher up on her shoulders as she waited for the elevator doors to open. She still felt excited going into her dorm room because she had made it all her own. She could hang up the posters she wanted to without getting ridicule from her parents. She could hang up photos of her and her new friends. She could do anything she wanted without worrying about her parents' sharp eyes.
Once Ava made it to her dorm room and unlocked the door with her card, she walked in to immediately be greeted by Jackie, her roommate, and Stephanie, another freshman that she and Jackie had befriended during orientation. "Hey, guys," she greeted them brightly as she slipped her backpack off and placed it near her bed. Jackie and Stephanie had been lifesavers for her ever since she arrived on campus. Ava had no sense of independence because her parents handled everything for her, so Jackie and Stephanie helped her organize her class schedule, sign up for a meal plan, and find her textbooks. Without them, she would've panicked even more and probably ran back home to the overly protective clutches of her parents.
"How was class?" Jackie asked her as she refilled her water bottle from their water pitcher in the small dorm fridge, sweat adorning the crown of her head.
Ava guessed that she had just come back from her cardio class that she always took during the week, noting the tank top and leggings that she wore. "Good! I'm starving though," Ava sighed out, her fingers slightly twisting one of her long braids as she pondered on going to the dining hall now or not. She heard Stephanie laugh, prompting her eyes up to see her friend on the phone with who Ava guessed was her boyfriend, Darren. The couple was inseparable, and Ava thought they came from well off families because they always dressed in designer brands and always ate off of campus, but they both grew up in rough conditions.
Stephanie worked hard in high school and earned a full academic ride, while Darren started a side business, which Ava learned the details of fairly soon. In their circle, Darren was very open about the type of products he sold under the table, and Stephanie dealt on the side to help him out. Ava was too nervous to venture into that world, but she understood doing what they had to do to get out of their bad neighborhood. They were always nice to her, and she was glad they were safe and in better conditions now.
Even though Ava knew she hadn't done anything wrong, she knew that if her parents saw who she hung out with and the events she attended, which were just small frat parties and very late nights at a local diner, they would freak out. Despite her never doing anything wrong and not getting in trouble, her parents still didn't trust her. They were strict on her two younger siblings, Kia and Jaden, but they were far harsher on her for some reason. It was one of the many reasons why she had worked so hard to get good grades and test scores so that she could escape to college. Now, she felt far happier because she could explore the world around her more, which, in turn, helped her start to figure out herself. She hardly even knew what she liked, leading her to be undeclared for now until she figured out what she was actually passionate about. Of course, she told her parents that she was deciding between doing pre-med or pre-law just to make them happy and like it was worth it for her to go to college, but she didn't think she would really like those.
"I've got a student government meeting later, but I have time to go somewhere and eat," Jackie quipped before taking a sip of her water, breathing in deeply to catch her breath. Jackie was already the freshmen student body president and was involved in various other clubs, like the university's volunteer club and activities council.
Ava had been introduced to all of those clubs, but she hadn't chosen what she wanted to be involved in just yet. She saw a flyer for an adventure trip that the campus gym was hosting to a river a town away that looked really interesting. She reminded herself to look that up later that night when she settled in the dorm to work on homework for her history and English classes. All she was enrolled in so far were general education classes, but tomorrow she got to go to her first class for introductory psychology. It was an intersession class, so it only lasted the remaining half of the semester, but it was a good way for her to earn extra credits.
"Sorry about that. Were we going out to eat?" Stephanie asked once she got off of the phone, the pink tips of her manicured nails pushing back the soft waves of her dark hair behind her shoulders.
"Let's go to Patty's!" Jackie suggested the local burger restaurant that was located right off of campus. It was a staple to Granite University students, and they were great about doing student discounts.
"At least you already worked that burger off," Stephanie laughed, playfully poking her finger against Jackie's toned abdomen before her hand was batted away. She grabbed her leather handbag and led the group out of the dorm building and onto the sidewalk that winded all around the outside of campus.
Ava glanced up at the sky, noting the dark storm clouds that were steadily approaching and swallowing up the dying sun's rays. She picked up her pace along with her friends as they headed off of campus, walking across the street and down another to get to Patty's just as the rain started to pour down. She darted inside of the diner style restaurant, giggling as they all stumbled inside before taking their usual booth by the window. She slid across the red seat, giving Jackie room to slide in beside her as Stephanie sat across from them. After ordering a water and her usual cheeseburger, Ava rested her upper body against the white table, already feeling tired from all of her classes that day.
"Hanging in there, Ava?" Jackie asked her, her tone laced with concern as she nudged her friend with her shoulder.
"I'm tired with all of the work, but it's way better than being back at home. I'd feel tired just being there, you know," Ava sighed as she rested her chin on her arms as they folded in front of her. It was mentally draining to be at home. She felt like every move she made was wrong in her parents' eyes, but on campus, she could mess up and not be judged because everyone messed up. It was a part of growing up, and that just added onto the adventure.
"You've got all the family you need right here," Stephanie told her as she slid the expensive leather jacket off of the smooth tanned skin of her shoulders. She glanced at her phone as it buzzed again, her eyes narrowing in confusion a little as she typed back.
"She's right. Whatever you need, we're here for you," Jackie added on, flashing Ava a warm smile.
Ava felt warmth bloom in her chest at their words, feeling so welcomed by them. She would never be able to explain to them how much their support and care meant to her. Those were things she wasn't really used to when they were done genuinely for selfless reasons.
"Darren is swinging by real quick," Stephanie told them, her eyes moving to the glass door of the restaurant behind Ava and Jackie just as it swung open, the sound of heavy rain pouring into the space.
Ava watched Darren place his left hand on the surface of the table and lean down near Stephanie, his lips caressing her cheek in a quick kiss. She noted the water dripping off of his black jacket like he had been running around in the rain.
"Gotta run errands for the new boss," Darren murmured to her quietly, coaxing an excited smile onto her face. He drew a hand through the damp curls on the top of his head, the light brown of his eyes seeming to glow.
"We're going to be rolling in it, baby," Stephanie giggled happily as she leaned up to crush her shimmering pink lip gloss against his lips. Her nails became lost in the white material of his T-shirt beneath his jacket as she gripped the material to keep him close.
"I miss Malcolm," Jackie mumbled beneath her breath, her eyes shifting away from the happy couple as the waitress placed all of their orders on the table. She thanked the waitress, a longing expression still haunting her face as she stared at her regular hamburger.
"See you, girls," Darren shot them a quick goodbye before rushing out of the restaurant and back out into the pouring rain, thunder rumbling from outside.
Ava was curious about Darren and Stephanie's quick conversation, but she didn't want to pry and be nosy. She didn't like when her parents did that to her, so she wasn't going to do that with her friend. Besides, Stephanie was usually pretty open with her and Jackie anyway. She bit into her burger, enjoying the initial taste, but her thoughts started to shift to Jackie's comment about missing Malcolm, her boyfriend of a year. Ava had no sweet and cute boyfriend to call her own. She actually never had a boyfriend, which was mostly due to growing up in a strict household. Her parents forbid her to have a boyfriend since they were evidently all trouble. She doubted that was true, and she was ready to find someone that knew the real her or brought her out finally. Ava hadn't felt like herself in forever.
"I'll pay for the food, guys. Your girl is coming into some cash," Stephanie told them before popping a French fry in her mouth, a bold smile crossing her lips.
"You mean Darren is coming into cash?" Jackie teased, tossing one of her French fries at Stephanie just for it to bounce off of her chest and onto Stephanie's plate.
"Sure. Thanks," Stephanie merely smirked before picking up the stray fry and biting into it.
Ava laughed at her friends' antics, feeling her brief longing give away to the joy she felt just being with her friends. They had filled a hole in her life that she had been desperate to occupy. Back at home, she felt empty in every way possible, but she could add to her life and really live it now. The only thing holding her back was herself, and she was determined to never be her parents. She just wanted to be herself for once.