“Good to know.”
She reaches behind her and grabs an envelope from her desk before handing it to me. “Inside is a map of campus, our events schedule, and your school ID. You’re required to attend all Kappa Mu functions so add these dates to your calendar. We don’t make exceptions.”
I tuck the envelope in the back pocket of my jeans. “Okay.” Not like I have a packed social calendar or anything. I hang out with Allie and Bibiana on most weekends but we don’t generally plan anything official. It’s usually just junk food and movies while the guys lock themselves in the media room to watch videos of past football games. If I have a sorority thing, no one will care if I need to skip a night.
“Your room is on the first floor toward the back of the house. It’s just you and Quinn, the girl you just met, on this level. Everyone else is upstairs. There's a back entrance near your room you can use if you need to and additional parking out back if you have a car.” I nod. My dad bought me a WRX like Aaron’s, only mine is candy apple red, as a ‘congrats you’re going to college’gift, so that will be convenient. He’s supposed to have his driver deliver it sometime this week, so I’ll have to let him know they can bring it straight here. It’ll save me from needing a campus parking pass since I really only plan on driving when I need to go off campus. I walk everywhere else.
“If you have questions, check with Quinn first. All of our new recruits are assigned a big sister. She’s yours.”
I nod. “Okay. Cool.” Do I leave now? I’m not sure what protocol is here exactly. Should I wait to be excused?
“That’s it,” Hilary confirms with a huff.
“Great. Thanks.” I make a hasty retreat and wander around downstairs, ducking around the other girls in the house until I find a long hallway that leads to the back. I figure I’ll get to know everyone later. Right now I just want to track down my room and unpack.
The first door I find is decorated with pictures and drawings. I make a wild guess that it’s Quinn’s since it’s her face in most of the pictures. Further down the hall are two more doors. One at the very end, which I confirm is the door that leads outside. I open it to find a small patch of grass and a concrete slab for parking on my right that leads to the main road.
I close that door and turn to the last one which I’m assuming is mine. I find Aaron lounging on my bed, phone in hand, and take in the rest of the space. It’s a decent size. Double closet. I scan the room for Dominique, noting the pile of neatly stacked boxes next to the bed, half expecting him to burst from behind them just to fuck with me. “Where’s Dom?” I ask when it’s clear my brother isn’t going to volunteer the information, too distracted by whoever he’s texting with on his phone.
“Coach called. The guys had to leave for some team thing.”
Relief sweeps through me and my shoulders sag. I plop down on the bed beside my brother. “I see you found my room?”
He nods, setting his phone aside. “Yeah, one of the girls told us which one was yours so we moved all your stuff in for you.”
“Roman and Emilio didn’t wait in the car, did they?”
He gives me a crooked grin. “Nope.”
“Urgh,” I groan, hiding my face with my hands. “Did anyone recognize them?”
Aaron chuckles. “Relax, sis. All they saw were some stacked guys moving boxes. No one asked if they were on the team, though Emilio definitely got his fair share of phone numbers.”
I scowl. “He better have thrown them away.” Emilio is a notorious flirt, but also absolutely obsessed with Bibi, his girlfriend and the mother of his child. They’re doing really good, but I know Bibiana sometimes has a hard time with all the attention Emilio receives. And being a football player doesn’t help. I swear all of the guys have their own personal fan clubs.
Aaron leans forward and tugs open the drawer of a nearby nightstand. Five small pieces of paper with girly handwriting in various colors greet me. “Nah, he left them for you so you could make friends. His words, not mine.”
I don’t bother fighting the smile that spreads over my face. That sounds like Emilio, alright.
Aaron leaves a few minutes later with the promise to help me find my classes on Monday when school starts. "Call me if you need me," he tells me on his way out, giving me a quick hug.
"I will," I promise, and then settle in and unpack my things. The room is a blank canvas. White walls, hardwood floors, and a single window that gives me a glimpse of where my car will soon be parked. There's a queen bed, a single nightstand, and a tall dresser, but nothing else aside from my boxes of belongings. I unpack my clothes first, hanging up what needs to be hung and folding everything else to add to the dresser drawers.
Mom shows up later that afternoon, her arms loaded down with shopping bags and a wide smile on her face.
“What is all that?” I ask, eyeing the pops of pink and gold peeking out the tops of the bags. I'm not a tomboy, but I'm not really a girly girl either. I played basketball throughout high school so I generally go for comfort over style. I haven't decided if I'll play this year. Coach said I could keep my spot, but a part of me would rather move beyond all things high school. I have no intention of playing in college, so stopping now wouldn't really make much difference.
"Pottery Barn was next to the grocery store so I thought I'd pick up a few things you might need. Wait until you see the comforter set I got you," she gushes, pulling out a white down comforter decorated with small pink tassels around the edge.
"Pretty," I deadpan. I'm not sure what the purpose of the tassels is but it could have been worse.
"I know, right? I wanted to make sure you were all set. I can't believe my little girl is all grown up and going to college. I know this is a big step, but I want you to know I am so proud of you."
"Thanks, Mom."
She beams. "Let's get you settled. I only have an hour before I need to get on the road, but that’s plenty of time for us to turn this room into your home for the next four years."
I groan. Four years. She really expects me to be a sorority girl for all four years of college?
