Chapter Text
Courtney looked around her newly decorated dorm room, and breathed out a sigh. This was it. She was here. White Pines University.
She had been at it for the last few hours, decorating and setting up everything in sight. The room was hers for the next year, but somehow, it just didn’t feel official enough until everything was set up and looked right. Hell, she had basically shoved her family out the door the moment all her luggage had touched the ground, it was just stressful. But it had all been worth it.
Looking around, she observed her work. All the law textbooks were nestled safely together on the bookshelf provided, along with a few fiction books she was partial to, and a few on her ‘to read’ list. Miscellaneous decorations, clutter and stationary were neatly organised and displayed accordingly across the room, looking neat and tidy, how she liked it. The sheets and pillowcases were all a matching forest green she picked out, complimenting the navy blue curtains that were provided for them nicely, a good coincidence. It made Courtney think that she really was meant to be here, that all of her work really had paid off for the better. Years upon years of cracking down and hitting the books, and she had made it.
A tentative knock sounded from the door, barely echoing across the barren walls, pulling her out of her trance. Courtney opened the door, only to be met face to face with a girl who looked like she had never seen the sun a day in her life. Her pale skin was smeared with an even paler ( somehow ) foundation, contrasting from her dark makeup. Peacock blue stained her lips and eyes, with the eyeshadow being blended out with black. In fact, as Courtney looked her up and down, she realised the makeup was coordinated to her entire look. Her hair had alternating blue and black streaks, and her clothes.
Personally, she could never wear something so bold, people would stare. None of that seemed to affect her though, and she stood there sporting a midnight tinted corset and miniskirt, paired with alternating layers of confusingly shaped clothes.
She must have been staring too long, as the other girl gave a little wave in front of her eyes, “Um, hi? I’m Gwen, we’re in the same flat this year. No one else has moved in yet, I don’t think. I’m two doors down?” She phrased that last statement like it was a question. Clearly, she was nervous.
Oh right. They had flatmates. Courtney had almost forgotten, what with the excitement of her new room and racing mind. The dormitories here were in blocks of ‘flats’, with each flat containing 8 separate rooms off a main hallway, with a kitchen at end of the hallway, separated to the hallway by a push door. Their dorms came with ensuites, luckily, it had been worth the extra price tag. After all, the dorms were all co-ed, and she was not about to share a shower with a guy who probably didn’t even know how to wash his hands. Ew.
Giving the girl, Gwen, in her doorway a second look, she was offered a small smile. Maybe she wasn’t as scary as she initially seemed. She shook her head.
“Hi, sorry, I think I zoned out. I’m Courtney”, she returned the smile from earlier, making it warmer to make up for her abrasiveness before.
Gwen was shifting from leg to leg slightly, clearly nervous. At what, Courtney wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t directed at her, maybe it was the atmosphere? After all, they were the only two that had moved into the flat so far, and the subsequent emptiness of the living space was apparent. “Ha, it’s weird to actually be here, right? I mean, we knew we were coming and all since the acceptance, but now we’re actually here.”
Now that, Courtney really could relate to. She nodded enthusiastically in agreement, both of them sharing some nervous laughter. It felt so unreal that they were even standing here at all, and would be for at least the next few years.
But it wasn’t going too bad so far. All her late nights worrying were seeming to be for naught, I mean, it’d been a few hours and the first girl she met seemed nice enough, maybe even a potential friend. At the very least, a flatmate who had her back.
Maybe she wouldn’t be so lonely here.
“So,” she started again - if she was going to keep friends here, she needed to make an effort first, and what better time than before studies got in the way to distract her - “What are you studying? I’m here for law, it has a lot of elective classes, so maybe we’ll have a few together?”
Gwen smiled, “Oh, law! You’re bookish then, right? I’m taking art. Do those even have anything in common?”
“English lit, I think? Maybe you have to pick it from your electives list, I decided a while back I was taking it though.”
At this, Gwen frowned, seeming slightly concerned, “Oh crap, did we need to pick those already? I seriously need to start reading my emails better.”
“Oh, no. Sorry, I just emailed a few months ahead to ask what my electives are. We get given choices within the first week, I’m pretty sure.” She laughed weakly, feeling slightly awkward. It wasn’t that she’d done anything wrong, but this is just how it went. Gwen didn’t seem to mind, and just shrugged it off, “Great, at least I know to choose english lit then, yeah?” She gave Courtney a cheeky looking grin, which she attempted to return, but awkwardly failed.
She opened her mouth to start more small talk, try and fill any awkward gap, but the flat door slammed open right at that moment. Both girls' heads whipped around from the doorway to face a very flustered looking brunette guy in a red tracksuit. His brown curtain hair was laying flat against his head with sweat, not helped by the headband forcing it even flatter. He was wearing a bright red tracksuit to match the hair accessory, even down to matching trainers.
In between gasps for air, he looked up at the two girls and choked out, “Yo, is this-“. He paused to lean against the wall and catch his breath. “Is this flat 19? I was tryna find it, but I thought it’d be better just to ask.” He gave a cheesy smile, an offering in exchange for their help.
I guess he wouldn’t be their new flatmate after all, “No, sorry. That’s across from us, we’re flat 18.”
The ‘dorms’ were divided into flats. Each floor had 2 flats, which could be accessed from a small landing. Each flat had 8 rooms with ensuites, and a kitchen/living area. Theirs was flat 18, so this guys flat - flat 19 - was on the opposite side of the landing on their floor.
The guy huffed out an apology, still trying to catch his breath, and struggled across the hall to his own flat, luggage thudding the floor with every step.
Courtney opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the two girls locked eyes and burst into hysterics. It wasn’t all that funny really, but the nerves of the day had gotten to them, messed with their brains. She felt a bit lighter, things really were looking like they’d turn out alright.
And she’d already made a friend.