Evette steps into her dorm room and pauses, taking it all in. The space is massive, easily the size of two master bedrooms. Sunlight streams through the tall windows, casting a soft glow on the pristine white walls. In the corner, a sleek black shelf stands, filled with fresh notebooks, empty binders, and an assortment of office supplies. A sturdy desk sits beside it, perfectly positioned for late-night study sessions.
Across the room, a large flat-screen TV hangs on the wall, facing a plush velvet sofa. The carpet beneath her feet is a deep, rich black, adding a sharp contrast to the bright walls. But the real highlight of the room is the bed—a king-sized masterpiece with fluffy white pillows and sheets that look softer than clouds. Near the washroom door, a tall cupboard stands, waiting to be filled.
She exhales, dragging her suitcase toward the cupboard. Time to unpack. One by one, she places her clothes inside, hoodies, jeans, skirts, t-shirts, and more. Once everything is neatly folded away, she pulls her laptop from the suitcase and sets it on the desk before tucking the empty suitcase inside the cupboard.
She glances around, making sure everything is in place. Satisfied, she tosses her purse onto the bed and heads toward the bathroom. The moment she steps inside, she stops.
The bathroom is just as luxurious as the rest of the dorm. A massive mirror stretches across the wall above the sleek sink, reflecting the soft glow of the vanity lights. A spacious glass shower stands in one corner, and next to it, an elegant bathtub, deep enough to sink into and forget the world. Shelves line the walls, stocked with an array of shampoos, shower gels, and fluffy white robes.
A hot shower sounds perfect.
She turns on the water, letting it heat up before stepping in. The warmth soothes her, washing away the exhaustion of travel. She takes her time, enjoying the quiet moment before finally stepping out and wrapping herself in one of the plush robes.
Back in her room, she pulls on a soft lavender-colored pajama set and sinks onto her bed. The sheets feel just as luxurious as they look, and for the first time since arriving, she lets herself relax. The exhaustion from traveling and unpacking finally catches up to her, and before she knows it, her eyes flutter shut. Sleep pulls her under, deep and dreamless.
BANG. BANG.
Loud knocking echoes through the hallway, followed by muffled voices. Evette stirs, groaning as she blinks awake. The noise doesn't stop. People are talking, right outside her dorm.
She groggily reaches for her phone, squinting at the screen. 7:34 AM.
Her heart skips a beat. "Shit. I forgot to call Mom."
She sighs, pushing off the covers and dragging herself out of bed. Moving toward her cupboard, she pulls open the doors and grabs a beige hoodie and a pair of jeans. She throws them on quickly, running a hand through her messy hair before stepping out into the hallway.
The noise immediately grows louder. A group of students are gathered a few doors down, But standing right outside her room is a girl, probably her age, with shoulder length, strawberry blonde hair and soft brown eyes. The girl looks at her, a little hesitant, before offering a small smile.
Evette smiles back and tilts her head. "Are you new?"
The girl lets out a small laugh, pointing at the suitcase beside her. "Yeah, I just got here."
Evette nods, eyeing the suitcase. "You must be tired."
The girl shrugs. "Eh, I'll survive. I'm Lydia, by the way. But don't call me that, call me Lia."
"Sure," Evette says with a grin. "I'm Evette. Got here yesterday."
Lia smiles, adjusting the strap of her bag. "Nice. I'll talk to you later, yeah?"
Before Evette can respond, Lia turns and walks toward her dorm, her suitcase rolling behind her.
Evette steps back into her room, closing the door behind her. She pulls out her phone and sees two messages, one from her mom and one from an unknown number.
Frowning, she opens the unknown message first.
"She looks just like you. Run."
Her stomach twists. A strange unease creeps up her spine, but she quickly shakes it off. It's probably just spam. Some random prank. Trying to brush off the worry, she types back a simple response.
"sorry?"
Pushing the thought aside, she switches to her mom's message.
"Are you okay?"
Evette sighs. Right. She forgot to call last night. She quickly types out a reply.
"Yeah, I forgot to call. Maybe later."
Without another thought, she stuffs her phone into her purse, determined not to overthink it.
A sudden knock at the door makes her freeze.
Evette takes a deep breath and stands up. She walks towards the door her hands slightly shaking as she reaches for the doorknob. She twists it open, her heart pounding,
And then she sees Evan standing there, grinning like he doesn't have a care in the world.
"There's no need to act like you've seen a ghost," he teases, leaning casually against the doorframe.
Evette exhales, rolling her eyes. "I'm hungry."
Evan smirks. "That's why I'm here."
Evan takes her hand without hesitation, leading her away from the dorms. They move through hallways, up several flights of stairs, and even take an elevator at one point. Evette follows, slightly out of breath, wondering just how far this cafeteria is.
Finally, they reach a massive sliding glass door. Evan presses his palm against it, pushing it open effortlessly.
Beyond it, the cafeteria stretches out before them, enormous, the size of a full food court, bustling with students. The air is filled with the scent of fresh coffee and and warm pastries. Different food stations line the walls, offering everything from omelets to sushi. The space buzzes with chatter, laughter, and the clatter of trays.
Evette raises an eyebrow. "Okay, this is insane."
Evan grins. "Told you it was worth the hike."
They find a circular table near the window and sit down with their trays. Evette digs into her waffles and pancakes, letting the sweet syrup melt in her mouth as she sips her coffee. Across from her, Evan does the same, smirking every time she meets his gaze.
"You act like you haven't eaten in days," he teases.
"I was starving," she replies, rolling her eyes but grinning.
The days pass in a blur after that. Evette spends most of her time with Evan, organizing books, discussing their subject selections, and getting familiar with the campus. She even exchanges numbers with Lydia, who turns out to be easy to talk to.
Before she knows it, time flies by, and the first day of college is only a day away.