The space between us

Stuck between two worlds

Jordan walked back to his dorm, enjoying the warm sun on his skin and the gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the trees on campus. As he entered his room, he was greeted by an empty space — his roommates were nowhere to be found. He dropped his backpack onto his bed and flopped down beside it, letting out a deep breath.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Rachel's number, feeling a pang of guilt for not having called her sooner. She answered on the first ring, and Jordan's face broke into a smile as he heard her voice. "Hey, babe!" How's life in college so far?" Rachel asked, her tone cheerful.

Jordan settled into his bed, getting comfortable for a long conversation. "It's been good." The orientation was a bit overwhelming, but I met some nice people.

Jordan felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that he hadn't told Rachel about the flutter in his chest when he talked to Audrey. He pushed the feeling aside, telling himself that he was just being friendly.

"Yeah, it's been cool to meet new people," Jordan said, trying to sound casual. "But I'm still getting used to the campus and the classes." It's a lot to take in."

Rachel's voice turned sympathetic. "I can imagine." You're going to do great, though. You're always so adaptable.

Jordan smiled, feeling grateful for Rachel's support. "Thanks, babe." Just talking to you makes me feel better. How's everything back home?" Are they doing better?" Jordan asked. " Yeah, they're fine, I'll be leaving soon too." Lectures in Princeton started yesterday," Rachel said.

As they chatted, Jordan felt a sense of comfort wash over him. He loved Rachel's voice, and the way she made him feel like everything was going to be okay. He told her about his classes, his roommates, and his impressions of college life so far. Rachel listened attentively, asking questions and offering words of encouragement.

As they talked, Jordan realized that he missed Rachel more than he thought he would. He missed her laughter, her smile, and her infectious energy. He was glad he had called her, and he felt grateful for their relationship.

"I miss you," Jordan said, his voice sincere.

"I miss you too," Rachel replied, her voice soft. "But I'm proud of you for taking this step." You're going to do amazing things, Jordan.

Jordan smiled, feeling a sense of reassurance. He knew that he had made the right decision in calling Rachel, and he was grateful for her love and support. As they wrapped up their conversation and said their goodbyes, Jordan felt more grounded, more connected to the life he had left behind. He settled into his bed, feeling more at peace, and drifted off to sleep, his phone still clutched in his hand.

The conversation with Rachel had been just what he needed, a reminder of the love and support that awaited him back home. Jordan felt grateful for the distance between them, in a way, because it had made him appreciate their relationship even more.

He knew that he still had a lot to adjust to in college, but with Rachel's support, he felt like he could handle anything. He smiled to himself, feeling a sense of hope and possibility. College was going to be an adventure, and Jordan was excited to see what the future held.

As he drifted off to sleep, Jordan's mind wandered to Audrey, and he wondered if he would see her again soon. But he pushed the thought aside, focusing on the conversation he had just had with Rachel. He felt grateful for their relationship, and he knew that he would always cherish the love and support she gave him.

Moments later, Liam walked into the room with Isaac, but Isaac's felt more like a strut. They came back from a basketball game which they had invited Jordan to, but he got carried away and completely forgot. "How comes none of y'all look sweaty?" You ended up not playing ball?" Jordan asked, "Nah, we did, we just washed up over there," Isaac said. Is that why you guys take so long? "I thought you changed dorms for a sec," Jordan said with the intent of being funny. "We tried that already, but they wouldn't let us move," Isaac said, without a stutter, giving Jordan the impression that they might not be fond of him. "Chill it's a Joke, he's joking, we don't mind having you around, Liam said, and we're late because this motherfucker wouldn't stop flirting with every female that's breathing on this campus. "Not true!, Isaac tried to get defensive with the statement. "The... the ..... (flicks his fingers as he tries to remember a name)The Zoey girl, I didn't ask for her i********:," Isaac said. "That's because you said she's chopped", Liam responded. "Oh right", Isaac said softly. By the way, I saw you at the cafeteria with Audrey. Liam raised his brows continuously with a smirk on his face that seemed like he was in approval," How did u pull her dawg?" She's like the baddest b***h on campus," Isaac said, matching Liam's enthusiasm and sudden interest into Jordan's life. "I didn't PULL her, we're just friends, I got a girl back home, Jordan responded. "Keep telling yourself that man, just keep telling yourself that, Isaac said as he throws his hands which was relaxed on Liam's shoulder the whole time, to turn back and reach for the door to make an exit. "He's coming tomorrow by the way, Liam said changing the subject, "who" Jordan asked. Travis, our roommate. Oh, cool, do you know him personally or something? Jordan asked. Not really, we cousins, but the last time we saw each other was when we were kids. I got to work on an essay. Will we chat later? Liam said before he proceeded to reach for his chair to sit on it before grabbing his computer. Jordan laid down in bed and pulled out his phone to secretly stalk Audrey's i********:. She had a crazy number of followers, but nothing too crazy, suggesting that most of them were just dudes thirsting over her in the comments. He accidentally liked one of her recent posts that popped up whilst viewing some of her old stuff. He panicked and took it back, thinking she'd assume he was a stalker, which he was, he thought for a moment.