LAILAH #2
“Oh, that place. The students call it The Manor. The five prodigal sons live there. Trust me, you don’t want to mess with them.
A cute girl like you would be too tempting for them,” Cami said, winking at me.
“If I thought I had a shot with you, I’d be first in line, but something tells me that you live on the straight and narrow path. ”
I blushed under the compliment and her teasing, unsure of what to say.
It had been a long time since I'd had a girlfriend to hang out with.
I never seemed to find the right group of friends to fit in with.
My biggest hope for this new adventure was to be more confident and make some friends.
Cami seemed like the perfect person to start with.
“To be honest, I never thought I’d get into this school. It was just so breathtaking online I couldn’t help but send in my application. Then, to find out I not only got in but got a full ride. I couldn’t believe it,” I said, following Cami as she walked down the hall.
“I guess it’s a pretty cool place. This building is super strange though, because none of the dorm rooms have windows.
Weird, right? They say this building was funded by a major corporation that wanted to construct an energy-efficient building,” Cami said, using air quotations.
“Not sure how trapping us in a box without sunlight is energy efficient, but whatever. The payoff is when you walk out of your room, you’ll have one of the best views of the grounds.
Plus, you’ll be close to the common room and the elevator,” she continued as she walked.
“I never knew a place like this could exist,” I muttered to myself. “The dorms seem so modern whereas the school seems to be stuck in a time capsule.”
“This is you,” Cami said excitedly, guiding me to the door and waving a keycard in front of the sensor.
I expected the room to be tiny with two twin beds, two desks, and a small closet, but that’s not what I found when I opened the door.
This quaint room clearly was meant for one person.
The main area was open and simple. A brown loveseat and a low table made up the living room area.
To the left of the couch was a bare bed, waiting for me to dress it.
Along another wall, there was a desk with a chair that would be perfect for doing schoolwork.
On the opposite side of the room was a wall covered in wooden cubby squares for storage.
“So, what do you think?” Cami asked with a grin and her hands on her hips.
“I can’t believe this is really going to be my dorm room for the next year,” I said, returning her smile. “This will be the first time I’ll be on my own.”
“Now it’s time to party like a rock star!
I saw that you shipped some boxes. I might know a guy who can help bring those up if you want me to ask,” Cami offered.
“Oh, before I forget, classes start on Monday, so make sure you have everything you need by Sunday. Normally, all the shops close early on Saturdays and Sundays, but lucky for you, they’re open late this weekend. ”
“Thank you for everything,” I said, feeling my eyelids drooping as a wave of tiredness hit me. “I don’t know what I would’ve done trying to manage this on my own.”
“Girl, don’t stress it. Hey, if you want, I can go with you into town and help you find things you need,” Cami offered, squeezing my arm reassuringly.
I nodded. “Oh, God, I would love you forever; you have no idea how bad I am with directions. I might get lost and never be heard from again if I tried to go alone.”
Cami laughed like I made a joke. Little did she know how bad it really was. “Let me see if I can get those boxes up here so you can take a nap. You’re fading faster than a stoner.”
As Cami left my room, I tried to stay awake by unpacking my suitcase.
I found a dresser built into the wall by the cubbies, and I thought that was a brilliant idea since space was limited.
When I finally finished putting away the basics of my life, I trudged down the hall to find the bathroom.
I badly needed to wash up, fifteen hours on a plane was brutal, and I felt gross.
I found the girls’ bathroom in the opposite direction of the common room, as far away from my room as possible.
I walked in carrying my gallon Ziplock bag of toiletries and set it on the long counter of sinks.
I looked up at the mirror and groaned, my mascara had given me a lovely raccoon shadow to compliment my crystal-blue eyes.
I blew a rogue strand of my curly blonde hair out of my face as I bent down to wash my face.
It wasn’t until I had rinsed off that I’d forgotten that I needed a towel.
I looked around for something to use and found the dispenser for paper towels.
I grabbed a few and started to dab at my face.
“Looks like the charity case can’t even afford a towel,” a girl commented as she passed me, coming out of one of the showers.
“I have one,” I called after her as she left. “I just forgot it in my room.”
Just what I needed: catty girls to deal with. I hope this whole scholarship thing will blow over fast.
Not feeling very optimistic, I grabbed my Ziplock and left the bathroom without doing anything to the mass of curls on my head.
Besides, I didn’t want to be gone too long in case Cami’s connection brought up my stuff.
Sure enough, when I got back, two boxes were sitting outside my door.
The third and last box was filled with books, and I kind of felt bad for whoever was roped into bringing it up.
When I packed, there was no way I could leave behind the closest things to friends that I had.
Shoving the first boxes in my room, I started to remove the tape when a knock sounded at my door.
“I have the last of your things. If you don’t mind opening the door, this one is a bit heavy,” a deep voice came from the other side.
“Be there in a sec,” I answered, trotting over to the door.
I opened it to find a large black man with a charming smile on his face. I pulled the door open the rest of the way so he could walk in. As he set the box down, I noticed the back of his black polo read Security.
I didn’t realize Cami would send someone from security to carry my boxes.
“Thank you very much for bringing all this up. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble. I wasn’t sure how much I was going to need from home,” I said, a little embarrassed by the amount that I’d packed. It was almost as if I’d moved half my room by the time I’d packed everything.
“No trouble at all, Cami’s a good egg with all her crazy,” he said with a conspiratorial grin that I couldn’t help but reciprocate.
“I’m sorry, I feel so rude, I didn’t even ask your name. I’m Lailah,” I said, holding out my hand.
“Tony,” he said, swallowing my own hand with his.
“Nice to meet you, Tony. How did Cami manage to rope you into helping me out? I’m sure working security has you very busy today with all the students and families coming and going,” I mused.
Tony just shrugged his broad shoulders. “This building is part of my zone, so when she asked me to help a damsel in distress, her words, mind you. I couldn’t refuse. She doesn’t ask for too many favors, and she doesn’t exactly blend in at this school, so making real friends is a little tough.”
“Seriously? I would have guessed Cami is the person everyone would want to be friends with,” I said in shock.
“I agree, but when your family has ties to the five most eligible men on campus, you never know who’s truly your friend,” Tony explained.
I nodded my head and tried to muse that over. I’d never had any connections with desirable people, so I had no way to relate. “Don’t worry, I have no interest in getting involved in the school drama. I just want to enjoy my first year of college and being out on my own.”
“Let’s make a deal. You keep an eye on her for me, and if you ever find yourself in trouble, I’d be happy to come to help you out,” Tony said and pulled out a card from his back pocket. “Here's my cell number; call or text me anytime if you need me.”
“Thanks,” I said, taking the card and feeling more at ease, now that I had someone looking out for me.
After Tony left, I looked at the unopened boxes on the floor. “Well, if I’m going to sleep tonight, I might need to unbox these. I wouldn’t want people thinking I can’t afford sheets,” I said, opening the box I knew had my sheets and towels in them.
Once the bed was made, I gave in to my exhaustion and curled up, falling asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.