Fire & Snow

Prologue

A Year Ago

“So this is my new home for the next four years,” Neva had said as she looked at the huge buildings looming before her.

The place was so huge and Neva did not even know where to start, but first she had to go to the Admissions Office to get her schedule as well as her room number. Neva was super excited but nervous at the same time. This was her new home and a part of her missed begin home, in her room alone.

Taking a deep breath, Neva turned to her cousin and smiled. Her cousin had just recently graduated and had offered to show Neva around the place as she waited to hear how her recent interview had gone.

“So, what do you think of the place,” Lyle had asked. “I know it’s kind of not how it looks like in the photos, it looks better in person doesn’t it?” there was a triumphant and smug smile on Lyle’s face.

“For one, its way huge compared to all the photos on the website and the ones you sent me,” Neva had replied.

Lyle laughed and pulled Neva close to her. “Welcome to the world of college,” she had said as she led Neva to the admissions office. “But be careful of everything and everyone. Most of the people you will meet will either want to be your friend or just want to use you, know which is which. Okay?”

Neva rolled her eyes. Her mum had told the exact thing her as she had packed her things. Of course, she knew what she was there for and it was not to play around. She had a plan, be invisible and get her degree. “I know Lyle, I know,” Neva had said with so much conviction that Lyle smiled and nodded.

”Great,” Lyle had said as they stood outside the admissions’ office. “You go in and I will wait for you here then I can show you around campus before orientation. Sounds good?”

“Sounds good.” Neva quickly hugged Lyle and then stepped into the office. She walked straight to the front desk and asked the man operating the desk where she was supposed to go.

“Wait over there,” the man pointed to a set of chairs where there were other students already waiting. “And when your turn comes, you will be called.”

Neva took a seat in one of the empty chairs next to a dark-haired boy. There were five more people waiting and she subtly looked around the place. The room was huge with white walls. There was a water dispenser to her left with the front desk and a coffee machine next to it, which was about it, and then there was a door to her right with the words ‘Dean of Students’ written on a small plank.

“Hey!”

Neva turned around and stared at the person who had talked to her. It was a guy with the most grey eyes she had had ever seen and he was smiling at her.

“Are you a freshman as well?” the dark-haired boy had asked.

“Yeah,” Neva had answered with a smile. The boy seemed like a like person but she was not about to take any chances with strangers.

He beamed, “I feel much better now,” he had said. “I was a bit nervous. So what are you going to major in?”

There was an air of friendliness about the boy. Neva found herself feeling oddly comfortable talking to him and she never liked talking to strangers. “Computer Science,” Neva had found herself answering. “What about you?” For some weird reason, Neva hoped the boy was in at least one of her classes.

“No way, that’s what I plan to major in as well,” the boy had replied with the hugest smiles Neva had ever seen. “Wow, this is such a freaking coincidence.”

“Chancellor Charles Miller,” the man at the desk had called out.

“That would be me,” Chancellor stood up. “It was nice meeting you…”

“Neva.”

“It was nice meeting you Neva and you can call me Chance, Chancellor sounds way too formal,” Chance had said with a twinkle in his eyes. “I hope to see you around before orientation,” he had said as entered the Dean’s office.

Neva smiled, Chancellor was a nice name and he seemed like a nice person who Neva did not mind getting to know. She was now left with four more other people; two girls and two boys.

Neva got lost in her thoughts of how her first semester was going to go and what she was going to do. Moments later, the Dean’s office opened and Chance stepped out smiling.

“I’ll see you around sir,” Chance said as he closed the door behind him. His smile grew even larger when his eyes landed on Neva. “You are next,” he had winked at her and then left the room.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Neva stood and entered the Dean’s office. The office was better furnished unlike the front room. It had blue walls, a file cabinet on one side with labels on each drawer. There was a huge mahogany desk where the dean was sat with a folder in front of him. He looked younger than Neva had imagined him to be, she had thought he would be in his fifties or something but he looked as if he was in his early thirties.

“You must be Neva Summers,” the dean looked at the folder and then back at her. “You can have a seat; there is nothing to be apprehensive about. Feel comfortable as this will be your new home and we will be seeing each more often.”

Neva sat down and rubbed her hands on her jeans nervous.

“All right, I’m Mike Carter but you can call me whatever feels comfortable with you,” he said and looked down at the folder in front of him. “This has all you schedule, room number and meal plan in it.” He pushed the folder to Neva who took it with shaky hands and then he opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of key then passed them to her. “That’s the key to your room.”

Neva took the keys and smiled. “Thank you sir,” she had said and stood, “I better get going.”

“Welcome Neva, feel free to come around should you need anything or aren’t feeling comfortable or if you want to change any of your classes in preference for another. That is my job after all,” the dean smiled.

Neva smiled back and walked out of his office and then the front office.

“So?” was the first thing that Lyle had asked as soon as Neva stepped out of the office.

Neva shook her head and hooked her arm in Lyle’s arm. “The dean seems like a nice person and I thought he would be like old or something but he is actually kind of young.”

“And hot too,” Lyle had added which made Neva narrow her eyes at her. “What? I’m just saying the truth.” She shrugged.

“Uh-huh, and does Parker know about these facts of yours?” Neva had asked as they walked away from the admission office and to the dorms. 

Lyle rolled her eyes. “Of course, he knows everything,” she had replied smugly. “What room number are you?”

Neva opened her folder and skimmed through it. “Room “201.”

“Then let’s get you settled in freshman and exploring the campus.”

Lyle led her to her room where they dumped Neva’s things on one of the beds and then Lyle practically dragged her to whoever knows where.

“You are so going to like this place and never want to leave, trust me on that,” Lyle had said as they walked around campus while she pointed out things as though she were her tour guide.