‘And I thought coming to school in the UK would be the easy option because I already spoke the language,’ groans one of the button-down guys. ‘Now you tell me I need to be bilingual to get by?’
‘Aubergine means eggplant, pavement is sidewalk, a wardrobe is a closet and do not make fun of the way they pronounce aluminium or you will get your ass kicked and I won’t help because you’ve been warned.’ Freddie folds his arms across his chest and rests against the desk at the front of the room, looking every bit the cool young professor. ‘Okay, shall we go around the room and get to know each other? Name, where you’re from, what you’re studying and one thing you’ve learned about life at Hemden so far. Who wants to go first?’
I do not want to go first. I do not want to go ever. Public speaking, even in a group this size, sits somewhere between petting snakes and having to go to Target at any time in the week before Christmas on my to-do list, but the others seem unfazed. The blonde speaks first, Riley from Austin, and she’s halfway through complaining about the complete absence of breakfast burritos in the UK when the heart-stopping sound of the door crashing open against the wood-panelled wall makes everyone jump.
‘Is this the international students’ orientation?’
It really could only be one person. Ethan glances around theroom at the mixture of confused, annoyed and immediately adoring faces.
‘That’s us.’ Freddie waves him in and Ethan shoots finger guns at him as he strolls inside. ‘Take a seat.’
‘Thanks, man.’ His mouth twists into an apologetic grimace and he flashes cartoonishly wide eyes in Riley’s direction. ‘Didn’t mean to interrupt.’
Like a benevolent dictator, he raises a hand for her to start speaking again and drops into the only available chair. The one next to me. He leans in and a droplet of water from his wet hair lands on my hand. I pull away so far, so fast, I almost fall out of my seat.
‘Yo,’ he whispers. ‘What’d I miss?’
‘Everything,’ I whisper back, catching myself on the back of my chair. ‘Shut up.’
‘Harsh.’
My mouth stays firmly shut. I’m too busy listening to Hunter from New York complain about the public transport in Hemden compared to the subway.
‘What’s your deal?’ Ethan presses. ‘Did I do something to offend you?’
Nope. I will not engage.
‘Dude, you’re acting like I punched your puppy and I deserve to know why.’
‘New guy!’ Freddie cuts in before I can say anything. ‘Name, where you’re from, what you’re studying and something you’ve learned about Hemden.’
‘The name’s Ethan, Ethan Taylor.’
He stands up to speak, even though no one else did, and I have to crane my neck to look up at him. He’s wearing sweats, his hair soaked through, and his face flushed, like he ran all the way here.
‘I’m from Beaufort, South Carolina, sports science major at Marshall College. I’m a soccer player so that kind of stuff is pretty useful, but they don’t offer it here so I’m taking psychology.’
Just like Alice and Jenna. They’ll be thrilled.
‘And, uh, something I’ve learned since arriving at Hemden … well, I guess I learned they don’t card at the bar.’ He pauses and everyone else laughs while I roll my eyes. ‘And I learned there’s another Marshall student here.’
He looks down to me and every pair of eyes in the room follows.
‘Two students from one college, that’s pretty rare,’ Freddie comments as Ethan takes his seat. ‘You’re from Marshall too?’
‘Um, yes, that’s right.’ Unlike Ethan I do not volunteer to leave my seat. ‘But I’m reading English lit.’
‘And your name?’
‘Mia Meyers.’
‘Mia!’
Ethan taps his fingers against his forehead as though he knew it all along. ‘Seriously, y’all, I have to get better at remembering names.’
‘And what have you learned since you got here, Mia?’ Freddie asks, ignoring him and winning my undying loyalty.
‘That it can’t be as difficult to get into Hemden as I thought,’ I say with a meaningful glance over at my neighbour.
