Stay by my side By yoannarouge Email me at yoannarouge@yahoo.com
Chapter 1
Its those time of year when every one has to move on, old acquaintances are being remembered and new meetings to cherish for the next few years. It seems like not long ago im a girl who stays beside my mother and cant do everything on her own, now, with just a blink of an eye, here I am alone, in another place and seems like an other time. Im tall grown up and I need to make decisions for myself from now on, as a college student in this University where I need to live on my own.
"Welcome" a tall person stood in the middle of the hallway in my new dorm.
"Today I'll show you the Berkley Dormitory at the south part of the University, each of you have a pamphlet right?"
"Yes" I said along the others
"Ok right this way"
We all followed the dorm attendant while his showing us the cafeteria, main hall, common rooms and of course our room. Each room have two students, my room mate is not yet assigned to me so I get the first look around. My room is kinda small so the 2 beds are 1 small coffee table space apart. Its almost like having a bed mate. I got the one beside the window coz I like looking outside the room, in front of the beds each wall at the side have desks and beside those are the drawers. When I sat on my bed my room looks like a rectangular podium, if not because of the window a claustrophobic would die in a minute.
I arrived at the dorms a week early, so I got to see the whole university, my favorite place is near the lake because its very relaxing and when its getting dark there's no one there and I like it when im all alone at those moments. It has been five days since I came here and im getting used to it and it seems like im not getting any room mate, but im not getting my hopes high coz what if someone walks that door, I might get disappointed.
Then the 1st day of the class came and I got to my seat, my class mates are all friendly and it didn't take me long to be their acquaintance.
"So whats your name?" the girl named Kyla asked me.
"You can call me Nori" I said
"Nori? That's a different name"
"Yeah, I shortened it, its really Noriko"
"What a cute name" she said smiling
"Thanks" I replied
"Are you living at Berkley?"
"Yeah, its nice being there, since its my first time to live away from my parents"
"Arent we all"
"Your right, so do you have a room mate?" I asked her
"Yes, she's Frances, her classroom is just next to ours, I'll introduce you after this."
"Alright, it will be fun"
"So do you have any room mate?"
"No, I don't think I will have one for this semester"
"Uh, that's bad! You'll be all alone in your room, if you like, do you want to have dinner with us?" a nice invitation that I don't want to miss
"Oh really? Yes of course! I'd love too!" I said excitingly
"It seems like your getting lonely, and its only what, a week?"
Yes its true, I have only realized it, the more time passes the more im getting lonely. Then I unconsciously wished for a room mate at that time. But its too late, the classes are starting and it would be impossible to have one at this time. Even though it is a university, Pontius University is an isolated place, it is near the mountains so the ambiance is fresh and studying there is not that bad. There are also shuttles every hour for those who want to go to the nearest town. Around the main building of the University a ten minute walk to the south part is the Berkley dormitory, a girls dorm, the west part is the Feller dormitory for the boys and at the east part are the special class building of the University such as the arts, designs and practical rooms for laboratories and garage.
Our first class is done and Kyla drag me to the next class to wait for Frances
"Hey girl!" Kyla called out Frances, A long and softly curled hair girl turned around as if she knows she's the one being called
"Hi Kyla, who's she?" Frances asked smiling while looking at me
"Oh! This is my classmate Nori, she also live at Berkley and she doesn't have a room mate so I thought about inviting her to eat dinner with us" Kyla explained
"Really, that's great! I'm really looking forward to know you better, but for now I have to leave for class, so see you guys later!"
"Bye" then Kyla and I returned to our class for our next period.
"Wow, Frances is quite a beauty don't you think?" I said, then Kyla smiled
"Well having a roomie like her is quite a distruction coz everytime we are having dinner at the cafeteria, every one just stop and stare when we come in, especially when we eat, I bet you'll feel it too later" she assured me
"Hmm, let's see" then we started laughing and talking while waiting for our professor.
Then all of our classes are done, we didn't even get to eat lunch because we have to sign in for clubs and organizations during the break. Kyla took the music club because she's planning to join the choir while I joined the archery club.
"Archery? I wonder what type of person are you. Those who joined the Archery club is somewhat a loner, are you like that?" Kyla ask me with a big question on her face
"Actually I've been taking it since I was a child, my father taught me and I kind of like it, and yes I'm a bit of a loner." I explained plainly
"Lets go back to the dorm to freshen up and we'll drop by at your room at dinner time"
"Alright, see you later" then we start to walk home and then I went upstairs and take a bath.
That was a refreshing bath, so I put on my clothes and went to the bed to relax, I'm thinking what it was like having someone with you in one room and both of you are complete strangers. I never had experienced it since im my parents only daughter and I was nourished till I graduated from high school, being my father the principal and the co-owner of the school. My mother also owned a business but she never went to work, she says im more important than that, but later on I learned that she review all the sales once a week, while my aunt manages it. In short, I have lived a comfortable life, a solo life, different from anybody else.
There's a knock on the door.
"Hey, come on! I'm so hungry, I can eat you right now" Kyla said
"Alright, I'm starving too. Hi Frances" I looked at Frances while closing the door
"Kyla you know what, I'm getting kind of jealous of you, you have a room mate and she's also the most popular girl at the U"
"You really think that I'm lucky huh, wait till we get to the cafeteria" I really don't get Kyla, she thinks that having Frances as a room mate is quite a vain, but Frances just smiles when Kyla said that
"Im sorry about that, Kyla is really bothered when someone stares at her while eating especially when she's really hungry coz she cant pig out on her food" Frances said
"Well that explains it!" I said to Kyla
"Why? Do you like it when someone stares at you Nori?"
"I don't know, when I eat nobody is around so I never experienced it"
"What are you doing? Hiding?" Kyla said surprised
"Well, I'm the only child so when I'm home I'm only eating with my mom and dad or when they have something to do, I eat alone."
"What about when you're at school, don't you have any friends?"
"I do but my mother always brought food at the school since my father is the principal, I eat at the office" by this time Frances is in shock
"Don't you have dates? Did you ever have a boyfriend?"
"It's an all girls school and very private, we don't care with each other pretty much"
"Well its like you're living in a different world" said Frances
"You think so?"
"You're weird" said Kyla. By this time I almost think I'm an alien, so I giggled and by the time we arrived at the cafeteria, its like the world stopped, coz when we entered everybody just stared directly on us, silence occurred for a bit and then there are whispers starting while we walk through the crowd. Kyla went behind me and she whispered
"See! What did I tell you" I'm kind of agreeing with her, now that I have experienced the awkwardness that is in the air
"What do you think Frances feels?"
"She's used to it, she said since high school everybody treats her like that, but sometimes she cant tolerate it so we go to the town and eat there."
"That must be hard on her"
"What are you two doing? Are you talking about me?"
"What? do you think you're the only one we can talk about" Kyla said sarcastically passing by Frances and started ordering her food. When I looked at Frances she cant help but smile. Saying that to Frances, I think Kyla is the suitable room mate for her.
Although this is my first time eating at the cafeteria with all the people always staring at us, is quite an experience and somehow I kind of like it. When I'm seeing the disgust look at Kyla's face while eating, I cant help but laugh. In the end it's the most enjoyable dinner I have ever had so far. We finished eating and we retired to our rooms, but Kyla insisted that I went to their room first, so I agreed.
"Your room is quite big, unlike mine" I said amazed
"Didn't you know, you have the smallest room in this dormitory?" Frances said
"Is that so? But why would they put me there?"
"I don't know, but its supposed to be a single room for the floor leader, but they moved to a bigger room coz there's so many documents that its not practical to stay there, and we had a policy that all rooms needed to have two occupants. Eventually you're going to have a room mate in the future."
"I don't think that's possible, knowing my parents I'm sure they have something to do about this" I said suspiciously
"Well from what you've been telling us, it might be possible" Kyla said.
We finished talking and then I went back to my room to study and rest. But I cant sleep that night, I'm thinking that I'm not going to have a room mate since father is so influential, I got accepted here based upon recommendation.
Days went by, and I have been doing well at school and at the dorm. I'm always hanging around Kyla and Frances after school; we also went to the town on weekends. My after club activity is paying off, I'm enjoying every bit of it, I also met a few people so when either Kyla or Frances are busy, I spend time with them. I think that things are going smooth for me, studying is not a problem for me, I got high marks on quizzes that Kyla often ask what I'm doing to get high grades. But when we are together studying, she says that I'm just reading and after that I'm doing nothing.
"That's the advantage of doing archery, it gives you the concentration you need to focus on a lot of things" I said, even though Kyla is not convinced
"But I guess that recommendation has nothing to do with your father, I think that you can go to any university you liked , but why did you choose here, its isolated and all, I have no choice because it's the only school who accepted me"
"Are you telling me you don't like in here?"
"Not really, its just, its so far from the city" she said disappointedly
"I don't like cities, I'm more comfortable when I'm close to nature, that's why I chose here."
`It's very like you Nori" then a girl approach me
" Noriko, Mr. Richards is looking for you" I was surprised, the last time I talked to the leader is the first day I came here
"Did he say why?"
"Nope, he just told me to get you"
"Alright. Kyla excuse me" then I stood up and follow the girl
I have this uncomfortable and exciting feeling all at the same time, I have never been called without knowing what I did wrong. Thinking about it makes me weak in my knees.
"Good evening" the leader Mr. Richards said
"Good evening" I replied, but when I looked around his office, I saw a small girl sitting near the window and looking outside, not caring if someone came in or none.
"Sorry to disturb you but I have something important to tell you, would you kindly sit down"
"Thanks. What is it all about?" I asked him wondering what will it be, so I sat down
"First, I'd like to introduce to you, Stephanie Cross, she will be your new room mate"