Chapter 7: College

What was that all about?

That dream… It was so real, as if she was actually there.

Ria rubbed her face roughly. No. She's just exhausted.

Dreams usually relate to something we think about before going to bed that day and she was thinking about some odd thing she had found in this house.

Her brain made her thought a lot about it all the way to her dreams.

She didn't want to think about the nonsense she had in her sleep.

Dreams are just collection of thoughts. Right?

“Forget it, I have a lot to do now...” Ria muttered to herself.

She got up and immediately headed to the bathroom to finish her business in there.

After taking a shower and changing clothes while arranging her toiletries in the bathroom, she already felt refreshed.

Ria tried not to think about things she didn’t feel necessary, including that dream.

Ria often dreams in her sleep. Some things she didn't understand, some things scared her.

But she always forgets the dreams, even just hours after she wakes up.

That means, her dream happened because she was thinking too much about something.

Ria steadied her steps out of the room and walked towards the first floor.

On the way she saw the next room whose door was still slightly open.

Ah yes, she has not checked this room.

She opened it and the room clearly hadn't been cleaned at all.

The furniture covers hadn't been opened and the window curtains were still tightly closed, made this room a little darker.

The morning sunlight that came in through the ventilation slots, made Ria able to see quite clearly in the room that looked smaller than the bedroom she occupied next door.

All right, she can clean this up when she gets home from college. She can use this room as a place for her books or other things, thought Ria.

She closed the bedroom door and walked down the stairs.

Ria entered the kitchen and planned a simple breakfast from the toast and eggs she bought last night.

She opened the refrigerator and bent slightly, to check the ingredients she needed.

Hmm? Why is it so messy?

Didn't she arrange it neatly last night?

Ria blinked her eyes staring at the food ingredients that she remembered neatly arranged.

Eh… or was the arrangement really like this?

She saw several packages of groceries piled up on top of each other or some bottles are placed out of alignment.

Maybe last night she was tired and in a hurry.

Alright...

Ria shrugged her shoulders and took two boards of bread, two eggs and butter from the refrigerator.

She toasted the breads and fried two fried eggs.

Ria planned to bring a lunch box of simple sandwich.

Well, saving from the first day of school is a good thing right?

Biting into her buttered toast, she opened the fridge and started reaching for the bottle of full cream milk there.

Eh?

She frowned.

Why is this bread tasteless? It’s….no taste at all?

She was sure to spread enough butter.

She took another bite and chewed as she stared at the toast in her hand.

Yes, this toast was really bland.

Ria, who was still confused, walked over to the dining table with a bottle of milk in her other hand.

Ah. Was it because the butter already expired?

It could be. Ria nodded slowly looking at the bread.

She turned to open the refrigerator and took out her box of butter.

Ria leafed through the box and looked for the expiration date.

aha! Here it is.…

The date is still next year….

Ria flusteredly read again slowly and put the butter box down and closed the fridge.

Looks like she's dehydrated and needed to drink lots of water, she thought.

Ria was then curious and took a piece of bread that she planned to bring for lunch and ate it.

Ha! This one tastes great!

She took one part of the egg and ate it.

It tasted nice and just right as usual and she made it using the same butter

Aah… maybe there wasn't enough butter on the previous bread, thought Ria while nodding in agreement with her own thoughts.

All right then, she baked one more loaf with more butter.

After her breakfast was finished, Ria prepared her lunch box. Two piece of toast and the remaining part of the egg she hadn't eaten before. Don't forget some veggies too.

At least this will keep her stomach away from hunger until noon, she thought.

Ria made sure that the doors and windows  were locked and she went for campus.

**

Ria decided to order an online taxi to go to campus on the first day.

She knew she wouldn't be late even if she walked.

But she wanted to get to know the surroundings first before trying to walk and explore this area further up to her college building.

She walked out of the residential alley and waited at a bus stop not far from the alley's entrance.

This place is indeed beautiful and refreshing. Ria didn't mind walking every day.

Not only it is healthier, it's also more economical.

But this time she also wanted to come earlier so she could have a closer look at her college buildings were like.

The University building she was headed for was indeed in the city's education center. Specifically in this area. There are public schools from kindergarten to University.

Ria could saw the most favorite high school building in this city adjacent to the University area.

She had heard of this high school when she was still lived in the village.

From the parents whose children made it into this school, they sounded very proud. The place was famous for its various and extraordinary extracurricular.

Especially, basketball.

Ria rolled her eyes. She doesn't really like P.E class. So, She didn’t understand basketball.

As it turned out, they had an indoor basketball court between the University and the high school building.

Well... of course. She grumbled.

She reached her campus and a bright smile appeared on her pretty face.

She silently prayed that all her efforts and hard work so that she could continue her education here would not be in vain.

Although Ria, quite difficult to get along with other people. But she is willing to change the way she gets along a little.

After all she was no longer in the village filled with people who didn't care about her.

She will meet new people.

She entered the campus area and started mingling with others.

**

Ria already participated in several activities. Introduction to the University, their major in specific, lecturers and also the courses they will take according to the semester level and their respective majors.

Each major take place in each different building.

The campus is indeed spacious.

Of course she made some friends who were in the same major as her, because they happened to be in the same college building.

Now Ria and her new friends were sitting in the cafeteria taking a break and having lunch together.

They sat around a table and Ria took out her lunch.

At first, Ria was a bit reluctant to take out her lunch box. But apparently one of her new friends, Loren Newt, took out hers too.

“You ladies are really diligent…” Thomas, a young man with dark hair and brown eyes pointed at Ria and Loren's lunch.

“My mother insisted that I bring this. Well, nothing to lose either, hehe…” Loren took a bite of her sandwich.

"I don't want to be extravagant on the first day of admission..." Ria answered briefly while biting her delicious toast. She answered as her friends all stared at her.

She wasn't used to sitting and eating with people she just met. But Ria tried to look normal.

“Yeah… I thought it was a good idea…'' Hans, a young man with dirty blonde hair and a sweet smile, stared at the food he and Thomas bought.

It could be seen from the pile of food, they were two hungry men.

“Hehe… hey, we're boys, we need a lot of calories in one day…” Thomas defended himself while smiling shyly and rubbing his neck.

Ria smile internally seeing the reaction of her new friends.

And everyone could certainly see that her beautiful smile, didn’t appear so often.

"I heard them whisper earlier that there would be a welcoming event for new students this weekend. Like a party and stuff. I can't wait to see it…” Loren said excitedly.

“New student welcome event? A party? It should be as lively as it sounds, right?” Hans looked at Ria and Loren in turn.

"Well, it should be. The high school farewell party alone was very memorable. It's impossible for a party during college to be boring…” Thomas chimed in.

Ria didn’t know that. She most likely couldn't compare those things.

She didn’t come to her high school farewell ceremony.

"Ah! What a shame… if this party we were already 21 years old. They must have provided us with alcohol…” Hans poked his meal using the fork. His face was sullen.

"My mother said, back when she was in college, at the welcoming ceremony the students were allowed to drink alcohol that the committee had provided..." Loren said, which was then greeted by the heavy sighs of the two young men at this table.

“Tsk, now we have to wait a few more years to be able to enjoy alcohol at cool parties…” Thomas said resignedly.

"Why not now?"

Ria's three new friends all looked at her with raised eyebrows.

Oops… She asked that loudly?

"Oh yeah, I forgot that Ria definitely doesn't know that story because she doesn't come from this city. After all it happened before we were born…” Loren realized something.

Hmm? What don't I know yet? Ria looked at the three of them asking for an explanation.

“Ergh… that's right…” Thomas scratched his chin and Hans nodded in understanding.

“So basically, in the past, the age limit for consuming alcohol was 17 years and over. But there was a ridiculous accident that caused a young man to die in a ridiculous way because they were partying and drunk." Thomas explained.

“... a new regulation was made and people with the age of 21 are the limit for drinking alcohol…” He added.

"Why did he die?" Ria asked again. She was curious what kind of ridiculous death Thomas meant...

"He choked his own vomit to death ... while he was sleeping." Loren chimed in.

What the…?

That… was a tragic way to die… but well… Ria didn't know if it was ridiculous or not.

She had never drunk alcohol nor drunk before. So, she didn't dare to judge that person's death.

“Ohh…” She responded as best as she could and started to eat the rest of her lunch again.

Yuck! How come the fried eggs had no taste at all?!