Chapter Text
"Wait a moment, please," the receptionist said, drawing attention to every word, intently searching for something on the monitor. We sat in awkward silence in the hall of the dormitory belonging to my new university.
After three years of graduating from high school, I'm finally able to start my studies... I still don't know whether to laugh or cry. At least I'll have more productive time for myself and I'll meet new people and, HA, learn new things and finally become a...
"Oh yes, student 831... You've been assigned room 7 in the left wing of the old part of the dormitory." The woman woke me from my trance with her unexpectedly quick words.
"Oh! O-of course! Umm." I tried to get something out of my mouth as the woman behind the counter handed me a key, then, stopping me, added,
"Remember the list of rules you read earlier, about the curfew, where you'll find the study room keys, the duty roster..." She continued listing various points, and just as I was thinking about leaving, she surprised me with one last fact.
"Oh! Avery! Your roommate is already here. If you have any problems with her, you can report it to..."
"Roommate?" I thought, "I thought I was moving in quite early."
Still thinking, I said goodbye to the woman behind the counter and headed for my luggage.
Going upstairs without an elevator with all my stuff might not have gone smoothly... But after half an hour, everything was on the correct floor.
"Phew..." I sighed, straightening up.
"So... Um," I said to myself, looking both ways. After climbing the stairs, you could turn left or right, where long corridors stretched out in... a touch of late 70s style. The smell also gave me a lot to think about...
While I was trying to figure out how to identify the scent wafting through the hallway, I started walking down one of the corridors. Looking for the right room
- Room 4, Room 6, Room 8...- I stopped in front of room 8 and turned around.
"Ha! This is it," I thought smugly, looking at the dark wooden door with the number 7 beside it. I knocked, once... twice... Then I opened the door slightly, and what I saw left me speechless for... a little.
"Meow."
"What?" I blurted out.
In front of me, at my feet, stood, well... a cat.
I crouched down and extended my hand toward it.
"What are you even doing here?" I asked, a smile spreading across my face. The kitten had fluffy white fur and gray-brown patches here and there. My hand was already centimeters from its head, and it seemed...
"Be careful, it's about to bite you." A calm but firm female voice sounded at my side.
I jumped, withdrawing my hand as if burned. The cat backed away and let out something like a hiss...? The woman next to
me watched the cat's behavior carefully, then, completely changing her expression, looked at me.
"I take it you're my roommate?" she asked tenderly, with a noticeable hint of a smile on her face, likely caused by the shock etched on my face.
"My name is Dereka," she said, standing up and offering me her hand as a greeting, but also to help me stand. Her hand was warm... And that was probably the least interesting thing about her entire appearance. Even though she was dressed normally, in nothing special, her whole persona was... I don't know how to describe it in words, but... She had shoulder-length black hair, which was wavy in itself, but the ends curved in beautiful, almost unnatural spirals. She was tanned, her brown eyes... I think they were brown because they were so deep I couldn't be sure, and—and yes, she was wearing rimless glasses. But stop, that wasn't the most interesting thing I knew about her.
Dereka? I'm sure that name evokes something in me... Well, something I don't know. After a moment of astonishment, I came to my senses and shook Dereka's hand, introducing myself.
"Avery?" she repeated, "Nice to meet you."
"Yes! Me too, it's an honor, and... Yes," I replied, still nervous.