My campus life

chapter 6 Spaghetti chaos

Olivia’s day had already been hectic, but nothing prepared her for what happened in the cafeteria. She was carrying her tray carefully, hoping to avoid any accidents after last week’s tripping incidents, when her foot caught on the corner of a chair.

In an instant, the tray tipped violently, sending spaghetti sliding across the floor in a sticky, tomato-sauce-covered mess. Students gasped, some scrambled to help, while others whipped out their phones to capture the disaster.

Immediately, whispers spread like wildfire:

“Is that Olivia Parker? The one in the rooftop photo with Ethan Gray?”

“She's… actually cute… or maybe just clueless?”

“I think she just dropped her entire lunch. Classic freshman!”

Olivia’s cheeks burned hotter than the cafeteria ovens. She crouched down, trying to scoop up the mess, wishing she could disappear entirely. Her mind raced with embarrassment:

Great. Just great. This is my life now.

Everyone is staring… and laughing.

Do I even have a chance at surviving freshman week?

Her friends, Tasha and Mia, swooped in immediately. Tasha grabbed the tray while Mia waved to the nearby students to stop filming.

“Welcome to Westbridge,” Tasha said, grinning as if this were all part of a welcome ritual. “You’re officially one of us now.”

Olivia wanted nothing more than to crawl under the nearest table and vanish, but before she could, Ethan Gray appeared again. He leaned casually against the table, calm and composed, handing her a neatly folded napkin.

“Hey, ignore them,” he said in that infuriatingly relaxed tone, giving her that half-smile he always seemed to wear.

Olivia froze. Why does he keep showing up? she thought. Do I look absolutely ridiculous right now?

“Thanks…” she muttered, unsure whether she should punch him for being way too calm or hug him for saving face in front of half the school. She settled for a small nod, feeling her face grow even warmer.

By the afternoon, the rumors had exploded across campus like wildfire. Students whispered, pointed, and debated her status with surprising intensity:

One group insisted Olivia was dating Ethan Gray, pointing to the infamous rooftop photo as “proof.”

Another group declared she was destined to become the next campus queen bee, confident her looks and chaotic energy were irresistible.

A smaller, rowdy crowd debated whether she was cute or clueless, using her spaghetti incident as a case study.

Even Professor Harrison, the notoriously dry and intimidating literature professor, noticed the commotion. He stopped by Olivia’s table mid-lecture and raised an eyebrow at her red-stained shirt.

“Ah, Miss Parker,” he said dryly, voice cutting across the cafeteria. “Demonstrating cafeteria hazards, I see?”

Olivia wanted to melt into the floor. She imagined herself as a tiny, invisible dot, but there was no escape. Laughter, whispers, and occasional phone camera flashes continued unabated.

Trying to calm herself, Olivia focused on the smaller details around her. She noticed:

A group of freshmen whispering while pointing at her tray remnants.

A couple of seniors rolling their eyes, clearly unimpressed with the “freshman chaos.”

A little girl in the corner filming a t****k of the spaghetti spill, narrating in a dramatic voice: “Freshman disaster strikes again!”

By the time she returned to her dorm, sticky hands and slightly squished spaghetti noodles clinging to her tray, Olivia’s chaotic thoughts ran wild:

How is this even happening?

Why does it feel like everyone on campus is watching me?

Is Ethan… actually entertained by my disasters, or does he think I’m hopelessly clumsy?

Tasha flopped onto her bed, grinning like a cat that had caught the cream. “You survived your first cafeteria meltdown. Barely, but hey — it’s memorable!”

Mia leaned against the desk, holding back laughter. “You know, Olivia, disasters like this are like… your freshman badge of honor. You’re officially part of Westbridge now.”

Olivia groaned dramatically, sinking onto her bed and staring at the ceiling. Maybe she was overreacting — maybe everyone would get bored of her mishaps by tomorrow. But deep down, she knew better.

Westbridge University didn’t just teach literature, history, or biology. It taught survival, chaos management, and rumor control. And Olivia, despite all her missteps, realized one thing clearly: she was going to have to learn fast.

She glanced out the window at the dorm courtyard, students milling about in clusters, laughing, flirting, and gossiping. Somewhere among them, Ethan was probably smirking about her latest disaster. And maybe — just maybe — that made the whole chaotic day a little less humiliating.

By the end of the day, Olivia accepted two undeniable truths:

College was far more chaotic, unpredictable, and exhausting than she had ever imagined.

Westbridge University had officially launched her life onto a rollercoaster she had no control over — and one she couldn’t get off, even if she tried.

As she drifted off to sleep, still sticky from the cafeteria sauce, she couldn’t help but grin. Maybe she wasn’t completely hopeless. Maybe she was exactly the kind of disaster Westbridge needed.