“Nice to meet you.” She sticks out her hand for me to shake.
I glance down at it, then back up at her before accepting her offer. “Likewise.”
She nods, sets my suitcase next to my bed, and then glances around the room as if unsure of what’s next. The air around us is awkward, but that has probably more to do with me than it does with her.
I’m not exactly the friendliest these days, and meeting new people has always been a struggle.
Gracie steps away, moving farther into the room. I watch her momentarily, then drop my bag on the edge of the bed. Finally, I take in my surroundings, mentally accepting that this will be my home until graduation.
It’s an upgrade from my room back home, even with having to share with a total stranger. The walls are intact, and the stench of cigarette smoke isn’t stinking up the place. In fact, Gracie has at least two wax burners going with a subtly cozy aroma.
It’s nice.
And the more I take in, it’s obvious she comes from money. Her side of the room reeks of spoiled rich kid. It’s not enough that she seems to have brought her entire bedroom here. Her perfume collection alone could pay my tuition for an entire year, and that’s not including all the expensive makeup brands she owns. Even her bedding is top-notch, with pink and yellow decor everywhere.
Then, there is my side of the room, akin to a prison cell with bare walls and a single desk. Not that I expected there to be more. After all, this is college. And I didn’t exactly expect themto roll out the red carpet for their students who don’t come from wealthy families.
At least the school splurged and provided us with a full-size bed, but the bedding is a dreadful beige. It’s better than nothing, so I’ll make do. But I can already tell this is going to be a long two and a half years as one of the few students born without a silver spoon.
I know it’s wrong to judge people. For all I know, she’s the sweetest person on campus, but it’s hard not to make assumptions when life has dealt you a shitty hand. Plus, if I’ve learned anything from my experiences back home, it’s that overly friendly people are masking something. Those are the ones you need to watch out for.
But I put my apprehension behind me and suck in a breath. If there’s one thing Momma taught me, it’s not to be rude when the person has been nothing but nice to you.
“So, you’re all moved in, I see,” I say to help break the silence.
Gracie chuckles and looks at her area. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot, but I just wanted to feel at home.”
I unzip my duffel bag and shake my head. “No, I totally get it. We’ll be spending a lot of time here, so why not make it your own.”
“Exactly. I’m glad you get it.” Gracie smiles and sits on her bed with one leg beneath her.
“It must have taken you hours to set all that up. What time did you get in?” I remove my satin pillowcases from my bag and begin to cover the pillows. If I do nothing else, I’m going to protect my hair.
“It did. But that was two years ago, so I barely even remember it.”
I frown, taken aback by her response. “You aren’t a sophomore? I thought they assigned sophomores to the same room.”
Gracie shuffles in place. “Oh. Yeah, well. Usually, but I guess they made an exception for you.”
“Mm,” I mutter.
It seems they’ve been making a lot of exceptions for me. First, the scholarship, which isn’t such a surprise. They’ve given out hundreds of scholarships over the years, so that’s not out of the ordinary. But they didn’t stop there. Not only is my tuition covered for the next three years, but so are my housing and meals.
“So… Sam. Is that short for something?” she pries, her voice hopeful.
I feel bad because I get the sense that a friend is what she’s looking for, and that’s not really a part of the plan. Then I remember Momma’s words again.
Kindness takes you a long way, my pretty girl. Always kill them with kindness.
Sometimes I wish I could ask her where kindness ever got her.
“Samantha.”
“That’s pretty.”
“Thanks,” I quip.
There’s more awkward silence as I empty my suitcases and put my clothes in the dresser they have for me.
