Hate me,Love me

After four exhausting hours on the road from Houston to Dallas, I finally reached my destination: Northcrest University. ‎ ‎“Honey, we’re here,” my dad said excitedly. ‎I looked out the window and realized we had finally arrived. ‎ ‎“I can’t believe my baby is finally all grown up,” my mom said with excitement. ‎ ‎I stepped out of the car, taking in my surroundings as my dad walked to the back and pulled out my luggage from the trunk. ‎“Thanks, Dad,” I said with a small smile, watching him place my belongings beside me. ‎“Anything for you, sweetie,” he replied warmly before leaning down to kiss the top of my head. ‎ ‎My heart raced with excitement as students walked past me, laughing and dragging their suitcases across campus. ‎ ‎I carried my things inside while my mom helped me to my dorm room since men weren’t allowed inside the girls’ dormitory, and when we finally reached the room, I noticed a blonde girl already sitting on one of the beds. She looked up the moment we walked in, and I immediately guessed that she was my roommate. ‎ ‎"Hey, you must be my new roommate. Hi, I’m Naomi," she said with a smile as she stretched out her hand for a handshake. ‎I smiled back at her. “I’m Olivia, and this is my mom,” I said as I accepted her handshake and introduced my mother. ‎ ‎“Hi, I’m Laura, and my husband, Jake, is downstairs,” my mom said as she introduced herself and my dad. Naomi nodded with a bright smile. “You can start settling in. Let me know if you need any help,” she added warmly as she went back to her space. ‎ ‎My mom helped me bring my things into the room, but she couldn’t stay to help me arrange them since she and Dad had another four-hour journey back home. So we both went downstairs so we could all say our goodbyes. ‎ ‎ “Okay, my ginger bear, your mom and I love you so much, so be a good girl for us,” my dad said as he pulled me into a hug. ‎My mom stood for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes. “Oh, Jake… our baby is leaving us,” she said as she took a tissue and gently wiped the corner of her eyes. ‎I rolled my eyes playfully. “Mom, I’m just four hours away from you guys.” ‎“I know, honey, it’s just that you’ll be here alone. You won’t need my help or your dad’s help with anything,” she said, wiping her eyes again. ‎“Mom, I’ll be fine, and if I need anything, I can always call you or Dad,” I said, trying to reassure her. ‎My dad smiled softly. “Honey, our little girl is so mature. You can trust her,” he assured her. ‎ ‎My dad pulled me into another hug, holding me a little longer this time, as if he was trying to memorize me. I felt his hand gently pat my back. ‎My mom stayed close beside us, her eyes still glassy with tears she was trying to hold back. She kept touching my arm like she needed to make sure I was really there. ‎A soft silence followed, the kind that said everything words couldn’t. I forced a small smile, even though my chest felt heavy. ‎“I’ll be fine,” I whispered, more to myself than to them. ‎My dad finally stepped back first, clearing his throat. “We should go before traffic gets worse,” he said, but his voice wasn’t as strong as usual. ‎My mom nodded slowly, but her eyes didn’t leave me. It was like she was trying to take one last picture of me with her memory. ‎And even though I kept smiling, I didn’t miss the way their hands lingered a little longer before finally letting go. ‎ ‎They both got into the car, and I waved them goodbye as they drove off. I stood in place for a few minutes, watching the car disappear down the road, before I finally turned and walked back into my dorm. ‎I got back inside my dorm and found my roommate getting dressed like she was going out, but I didn’t question her. Instead, I started arranging my space. ‎After a few minutes, she finished dressing up. ‎“Umm, Olivia, I won’t be coming back to the room tonight, so you can lock the door when you’re ready to sleep,” she said. Before I could respond, she left. ‎ ‎I stood still for a moment after the door closed behind her, her words replaying in my mind. ‎Won’t be coming back tonight? ‎I glanced around the room, suddenly feeling how quiet it had become. The space felt even bigger now that I was alone. ‎I let out a small breath and shook my head slightly, deciding not to overthink it. People had their own lives, after all. ‎Turning back to my things, I continued arranging my space, trying to make the unfamiliar room feel a little more like home. ‎ I ‎finished arranging my things around 9 p.m., then gave my parents a quick call and showed them how my space looked. Their voices made the room feel a little less empty, even if it was only through the phone. After the call, I took a quick shower and changed into my pajamas. The dorm felt unusually quiet now, like it was holding its breath. I sat on my bed with a small notebook and wrote out a timetable for my classes and daily routines, trying to bring order to my new life. When I was done, I stared at the dim room for a moment, listening to the silence. After some time, I drifted to sleep, wrapped in the unfamiliar feeling of my first night away from home.