Hello...am here!!

~Rose pov~

It was a dream come true. The trip had been amazing, but honestly, right now I didn’t care at all. I was about to start my own life, finally. This had been my dream for quite a long period of time and here I was finally.

Mom had spent the whole trip doing what she does best , lecturing me on life. That is how my mummy can be all he time.

“You have to eat three meals a day.”

“Make sure you attend all your lectures.”

“Don’t get bad influences.” I kept rolling my eyes but I swear I didn't dare do it in her near sight or else.

I nodded along the whole time, my usual answer:

“Yes, Mom.” That way, she would not have to lecture me more on discipline.

Honestly, if you do not want problems with her, that’s all you say. That is just the rule with Mom. I love her, do not get me wrong, but she’s a pain sometimes. He can mean to choke me sometimes.

Guess what? All that nagging was over. I was standing right in front of my hall, ready to start my university life. Ready to fold a completely new page...the most exciting page of course.

Mom and Dad had left about thirty minutes ago. The good thing? They were not allowed inside the hall or else Mom would have been doing all the preparations herself. That lady surely loves me so much that sometimes she exaggerates things.

“Hello… I’m here!” I shouted, excitement bubbling out of me. I just could not hide how happy I was.

I moved toward my room the space I had to be calling home for the next three years. It was huge. Mom had clearly paid a fortune for it. A whole suite, just for me. Two bedrooms, a kitchen , it was more than I ever imagined. My parents always wanted the best for me.

Ignoring the luxury for a moment, I got to work. I made my bed, organized my things and arranged everything just the way I liked. Within an hour, everything was in order. My room looked perfectly organized, spacious and completely mine.

By then, it was around six o’clock and I still was not sure what to do next. I plopped onto the couch, scrolling through my phone, when I saw it , a party. Some campus students were organizing one, and it looked fun. But how would I even get there?

I did not want to be the perfect little girl Mom expected. For once, I wanted to live for me. I had to go to this party, even if it meant gate-crashing it. Lectures started in two days, and by then, I wanted to have at least started checking off my bucket list. It had a lot and nothing had been touched.

I spent ages going through my clothes before settling on a pair of jeans and a crop top. I tied my hair in a ponytail, applied a little nude makeup and looked at myself in the mirror. Not too much, not too little , perfect for a casual night out.

“Mom, I’m sorry for now,” I whispered to myself. “But a little happiness never hurts.” I added chuckling.

As I approached the door, a guy called out, “Hey, sexy!” Wow! a way to begin a campus day.

I smiled politely. “Hey.” I did not want to seem uninterested , just playful. I was not making enemies first thing at campus.

The party was packed. Students were everywhere white, Black every mix in between. Everyone seemed to be busy with friends or partners and for a moment, I felt completely out of place. Couples kissed each other openly. Others even were making out. The whole place smelled like sex.

Just as I was about to give up, my eyes landed on a girl sitting alone in a corner. She looked like me nervous, unsure, probably a freshman too. I decided to sit with her. She was just my type of girl.

“Hey,” I said as I lowered myself into the seat making sure I sounded as polite as possible.

“Hey,” she replied, adjusting her big glasses to look at me.

“I’m Rose,” I introduced myself, desperate for at least one friendly face . I was completely out of place.

“Layla,” she said. What a beautiful name, I thought, but I kept it to myself. It was really a unique name I could say.

“Freshman?” I asked and hoping she was .

“Same,” she replied. Funny how we were both in the same boat.

We started talking and I learned she was studying Business Administration. She had a scholarship because her family could not fully fund her education. Nerdy, driven, and practical just like me, in a way. She had been in a relationship before, but she was not interested in one right now.

I wondered how someone could not be interested yet it was something that I desperately needed . I wanted to feel the taste of it all.

Later, we took a dance together. Nothing serious, just a bit of fun. However it felt so good dancing together. The feel of her body brushing onto my mine from time to time got me hot and bothered. It made me feel things I did not have answers to.

I had t stop it there and then. We went ahead to exchange numbers. After exchanging numbers, we went our separate ways. I did not enjoy the party as much as I thought I would, but at least I wasn’t alone anymore.

Back in my room, I felt a mix of excitement and relief. My first night away from my parents, and it was all mine. A new life, a new start, and for the first time, I was free to be exactly who I wanted to be.

However there was a thought that was crowding somewhere in my mind. I did not want to think about it.