Chapter Text
Crowcrest University was a stone’s throw away from the modernized city although you wouldn't think that when you saw its campus and surroundings. The academic institute boasted beautiful old stone buildings used as lecture halls and new, modern buildings for new modern subjects such as IT, engineering and business.
Crowcrest itself was a place out of time and the architecture dated back to the early 2000’s. Its town and buildings were a far cry from the modern age buildings that hemmed in the city along with the numerous Starfleet buildings
The university and town had been created to give the younger generation an opportunity to study like they did in the good old days with books and notebooks instead of touch screens and PADDs. Crowcrest offered the good old fashioned subjects that gave the students a stepping stone should they continue on to Starfleet and also gave them the skills and qualifications should they choose to take a different path.
August had been and gone and now September was here, bringing the first undergraduates of the year to Crowcrest. New students piled in on foot, by car and by bus pulling with them cases and bags.
Glad that she was in the confines of her car with all her belongings strewn out on the back seat was Eve. She drove slow down the roads with a half crumpled map of the university campus over the wheel, her eyes darting from the map to the windscreen as she scoped out the student union where she would go and finish up her enrolment and receive her room key.
The campus was immaculate and Eve had already passed the gym and the running track and drove by the beautiful small stream that ran through part of it. The place seemed easy to navigate around, even without a car and as Eve spotted the student union, she snagged a space between a VW Beetle in a pastel violet colour and wide booted black car that she didn’t pay much attention to.
As she gathered her bag together with the appropriate things she needed to finish her enrolment and got out of the car, people stared as they walked by. But they weren’t staring at her, they were staring at the car; her indigo 1969 Ford Camaro with two white stripes up the bonnet.
She paid no mind to the onlookers and instead locked up the car and slung her bag onto her shoulder with the map still in her hands. Glancing at the buildings and then at the map again, she stopped for a second a few paces away from the car and fiddled with her car keys as she studied the map.
“Nice ride,” a voice spoke from her side.
Glancing sideways, her eyes fell upon a young man sat in the drivers seat of the wide booted black car she was parked behind. He was grinning at her with one arm hung out of the open window and the other resting on the wheel.
She glanced back at the Camaro and then back to the young man who had cropped light brown hair and striking green eyes with a few faint freckles dotted across his cheeks. She took a fleeting glance of his own car, noticing the chrome trimmings and the sleek black bodywork.
“A ’67 Chevy,” she observed as he grinned at her. “Yours isn’t too bad either.”
With a parting smile she left and made her way into the student services building with a gathering of other students whose expressions ranged from irritated to elated.
When she finally made it to the front of the queue, Eve gave over her name and driving licence as a form of ID and she was presented with her student ID card, her room key, another map and a booklet on fresher’s week by a girl who’s smile was just a little too bright and happy for Eve’s liking.
“Don’t forget to get out there and meet the new students,” she grinned at her. “And don’t forget to partake in the events of fresher’s week. You can try out sports activities and we run outings to nearby places to allow you to get to know your surroundings. Just put your name down at the fresher’s fair and you’ll be put in for whatever you signed up for.”
Inside Eve was grimacing. Fresher’s week didn’t really seem like her cup of tea and all she wanted to do was get to her room and get settled in. Fresher’s week was just another name for a week long party where new students could challenge each other over who could spend their shiny new student loan first.
“Yeah great,” she forced a smile. “Is there somewhere near my hall block where I can park my car?”
“Let’s see,” the girl tapped away on a laptop in front of her as Eve partially slumped against the desk and waited for an answer. “Well, you’re in E Block and there’s the blue car park around a five minute walk away. It’s all safe and secure with cameras and all so you needn’t worry; you can get to your car whenever you need to. And for the purpose of fresher’s week, students with vehicles are allowed to park on the roads by their blocks to aid in the unpacking of their things, but after fresher’s your car must be put in the car park or you’ll face a fine.”
“That’s fine, thanks,” she answered. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“I gave you the fresher’s pamphlet and your room key already along with the map and how to get there. Here’s your fresher’s fair bracelet,” she handed over a lime green rubber bracelet with the universities name embellished on the top along with the year. “Make sure you wear it at all times. You’ll need to attend a course induction sometime in the next week to meet your professor and fellow classmates. Now that you’ve enrolled you’re able to use the university library and IT facilities and your student loan will now be paid into your account. Other than that I wish you a pleasant stay and study experience at Crowcrest University, have a nice day.”
“Super,” Eve forced a grin but as soon as her back was turned, she rolled her eyes.
Unlocking the Camaro and throwing her things inside, she glanced at the second map she’d been given; directions to the halls. She glanced into the backseat, looking over the boxes and trinkets she’d brought with her before she gave a sigh and slid into the driver’s seat.
She twisted the key in the ignition and now held the map to the halls over the steering wheel as the car purred into life. In the 67 Chevy ahead of her, the green eyed boy was watching her in his rear view mirror as she pulled around him and drove off ahead.
Once again she drove slowly and as she approached E block, a ten storey block rose up in front of her. She drove by the blue car park on her way towards it, seeing it was surrounded by metal fencing with barbed wire and a barrier that was operated by the swipe of her student ID and that put her mind at ease about leaving her car where she couldn’t see it.
The designated moving in days were today and the following day which was a Sunday before the Welcome Week began on the Monday and classes started the following Monday on the 23rd. As Eve looked around at the low amount of students around her block, she figured most people would come later on or tomorrow.
She swung the Camaro into a space and slid out once again, grabbing her bag and a suitcase before she glanced at the map where her room number had been scribbled by the girl who smiled too brightly.