Dorm Days - Chapter 1
Chapter 1
My blinker began to click as I pulled into the parking lot of my new campus. I had just finished my first two year college and was about to move into what would be my new room for the next few years. Unfortunately, I was a day early and there were very few people on campus.
I got out of my car and looked at the school's clock tower. It cast a large shadow on my paws, blocking them from the warmth of the golden sun. I went to the back of my car and grabbed two suitcases that contained everything I was able to pack in them. I then stepped through the shadow and toward Paw University.
The campus was quiet and beautiful in the soft light, and, since I didn't know the correct way to the dorms, I took the "scenic" route. It just so happened, while walking along, that I stumbled upon the football team's practice routine. I took a seat in the grass and watched the team for a while. I joked around in my head, thinking, "There's really nothing like watching a lot of muscular, sexy guys crawling over each other to hold some balls."
I chuckled softly to myself, not paying attention as one of the jocks began slowly moving toward me.
"Good view?" asked a kind, questioning voice.
I looked up, startled to see the golden retriever standing over me. His tail swayed back and forth, almost tauntingly. He was wearing his dark blue and white jersey that was stained brown from the scrimmage. His previously white pants were also coated in dirt. He was taller than me, not by much, but still taller. His eyes were an icy blue and nose as black as coal.
"Did you want to play?" He asked gesturing to the field.
I looked at him and laughed a little. "No I'm not really any good at sports." What I actually wanted to say was, "I'm perfectly content enjoying the show from here, although I wouldn't mind a little behind-the-scenes look later."
"Are you new here?" He asked, his tail still swishing back and forth. He was sporting a pearly white grin.
"Yeah," I said enjoying the conversation, but, knowing I needed to find the dorms, I added, "I need to get going though."
"Ok, well, I won't keep you." He said and offered a paw pulling me to my feet. "My name's Tom, by the way."
I stood there staring a moment, then snapped back to reality at the sound of the coach's booming voice.
"Tom," the coach yelled, "You need to get your ass back to drills."
"Well I guess I need to get going too," Tom said, his smile turning soft. "I hope to see you around Otter." He turned around and ran back to practice.
"My name's Ian," I shouted back at him as he joined the rest of the team. Then I went on my way again, smiling. I traveled down the path that stretched between the older buildings on campus. The buildings were each about three stories tall and were categorized by department. The Science building had a dark green, almost murky color to it. It had either been painted that green or the surface of the bricks had become mossy from lack of care. The Art department was brightly colored, by the art students, and didn't seem to fit in with the other buildings. The Psychology building looked very plain; the building was made of brick and was small, but had a lot of windows.
I stopped in front of the English department and looked at it for a long while. This was where I would be spending the majority of my time during my college years, since my major was going to be in English Literature. This building was also brick, but they hadn't been painted. The bricks seemed worn and their original colors had faded, turning them various shades of orange and yellow. The windows were all large and there was one stained window with the school crest. The stained glass window was centered in the top portion of the building.
My stroll came to a stop at the entrance to the dorms. Standing in front of them was a lot different than I had expected it to be. The building looked like any other, except for the card reader at the entrance. The card reader was placed there when the university upgraded their security systems. That was one of the reasons I picked this campus, because of their wonderful security. However, this had become a problem, as I currently did not have my student ID card.
I stared inside a few minutes, but no one walked by the doors. Eventually, I just leaned against them, sliding down onto the ground. I pulled out my headphones and put them on. I then took off my jacket covering up with it expecting a very long night.
The sun was setting very slowly over the horizon when I felt Tom's shadow jolt me out of my slumber. He was looking at me with a what-the-hell-are-you-doing-sitting-outside-the-dorms-when-it-is-perfectly-warm-inside type of expression. He then proceeded to ask me, "What the hell are you doing sitting outside the dorms when it is perfectly warm inside, Otter?" I had been close enough.
This time I was the first to outstretch my arm. "I forgot to get my ID." I looked at him with the sweetest face I could form.
He smiled softly and helped me up "I'm glad I found you." He swiped his card and held the door open for me. It was a lot warmer inside. There were elevators and stairs leading upward on either side of them. The colors of the walls were a beautiful, maroon color. The floors were ivory, white tiles.
"My room is number thirteen," I said as we walked into one of the elevators.
"It's on the second floor," he said as he pressed the button. The doors closed and the elevator shifted a little bit as it went up. Tom stood close to me, his arm brushing lightly against my fur. It wasn't long before the doors opened, and we both stepped out. I followed a step behind him until we reached my door. He stood by me while I unlocked and opened it. It was a nice, little walk.
He gave me a smile. "So I guess I'll be seeing you around then?" He sounded uncertain of the chances that we'd bump into each other again. His ears slid back. He was obviously expecting something a bit more than just a goodbye.
"Yeah," I answered. Quickly, I pulled a pen and notepad out of my jacket pocket and scribbled my number onto one of the pages. I tore it out and handed it over. "Here, call me sometime, Tom." My tail swished back and forth happily. I smiled and gave him a gentle hug.
Immediately his eyes brightened, his tail swayed, and a doggy-dog's smile spread over his face. He then quickly turned around and walked back toward the elevators. He did shout back, telling me to "Have a good night, Otter!" I'm pretty sure I even saw him click his heels together as he jumped into the elevator.
Ears tilting back a little, I failed at feigning an annoyed glare in his direction. I waited for him to move around the corner before I went into my room. I flipped on the light and stepped inside. There were two desks, two beds, two dressers, and one window looking out into the commons of the college. I decided I would unpack my suitcases in the morning and laid down. I examined the ceiling with a cheesy smile on my face, and hoped I would see Tom again soon. Real soon.