My First Time

Ch.1

Alexa’s Pov

Everything is all set.

As I admired my neatly packed bag, my mum opened the door to my room and offered me a bittersweet smile. She was dreading the moment of saying goodbye; I knew I would miss her, but I was also eager to head to Kentwood.

"Have you packed everything, sweetheart?" she inquired, and I nodded, giving my suitcase a gentle pat and placing my list on the bed.

"Yep, I'm all set to leave." I made an effort to suppress my excitement until I was in the car with Essel.

"Great, do you have your Bible?" she asked. Just like a typical mother. I smiled and nodded in response.

"Yes, I have everything. Just check this list," I said, handing it to her. I observed as her eyes scanned my checklist, and a small smile crept onto her face.

"Good girl." She stepped closer, cupping my face in her hands and making me look at her as she spoke.

"You promise to take care of yourself?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Yes. I will keep my legs together and avoid bad influences, I won't drink, smoke, or use drugs, I won't violate my good girl checklist, and I promise to focus on my studies," I recited, and she smiled, planting a kiss on my forehead.

"I've raised you well," she beamed again, tousling my freshly curled hair. I swatted her hand away.

"Mum!" I groaned, attempting to fix my hair in the mirror while she observed me, chuckling softly.

"I'm going to miss you," she said quietly, gazing at me with another sorrowful smile. I couldn't bear any more of her melancholic expressions, so I figured it would be best to step outside and into Essel's car before my mum began to cry.

"I'll miss you too." I approached her and embraced her, wrapping my arms around her delicate frame. She had always been the pillar of strength in our family; I didn't believe she would break down just because I was going to stay at the school temporarily.

"I should get going, Essel is waiting outside," I murmured.

"Alright, darling. Don't forget to join the Zoom prayer meeting this evening once you arrive and shoot me a text," she chattered. I grinned, picking up my suitcase.

"Relax, I will," I responded, hearing the thud of my suitcase hitting the floor.

Saying farewell to both my mother and my room turned out to be more difficult than I had anticipated. Sadly, I couldn't take my bed or my mum along, so I switched off the light and lingered in the hallway.

I wasn't lying about Essel waiting outside. When I peeked out the window, I noticed her red car parked across the street with Essel inside, busy texting.

I lugged my suitcase down the stairs and out the front door. My mum pulled me in for one last hug and a kiss. After promising to behave once more, I walked across the street and climbed into Essel's car.

"Finally! I thought she would keep you tied up forever!" Essel exclaimed as I shoved my suitcase into the trunk and flopped into the car.

"I know, I think she was thinking about it at one time." I rolled my eyes, fastening my seatbelt and glancing at my best friend.

"Did you inform her that we weren't cohabiting?" she inquired as she started the car. I scoffed and shook my head.

"Absolutely not! She would lose it!" Essel chuckled and drove onto the open road with a smile on her face. She cranked up the radio and began to sing along at the top of her lungs. I laughed and leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes.

My mom was quite... protective, and when I mentioned that I was heading to the boarding house at Kentwood University, I told her I would be sharing a dorm with Essel. That wasn't entirely true. Even with the monthly support from my dad, I couldn't cover the rent, and neither could Essel, so we both opted to go our separate ways and live with different people. I hadn't met my roommate, and neither had Essel; we just exchanged emails, and they replied with the address. We were going to be in the same apartment complex, so I wasn't too concerned. All I knew about my roommate was that his name was Akila and he wasn't charging much for rent.

"Have you heard from your roommate?" I inquired as we finally hit the motorway. Essel shrugged, her gaze drifting out the window at some attractive guys driving by.

"Nope," she answered, emphasizing the 'p'.

"Have you informed your parents?" She shook her head, chuckling softly.

"They'd freak out more than your mum! Especially since Steve is a guy." She winked, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"You make a valid point." The night Essel lost her virginity, her father brutally punished her with a belt for being reckless. True to her nature, Essel sneaked out almost every night to meet new guys, regardless of the consequences.

Essel and I were dancers, specifically Afro dancers, and every weekend we would hit the club to perform or challenge her cousin’s crew to a dance-off. My mum was completely unaware, just like Essel's.

"Maybe we’ll discover a new crew up there," she suggested after a few moments of listening to the radio. I shrugged with one shoulder, my eyes wandering out the window at the cars speeding by.

"We might do." We concluded our conversation there and chose to sing along to 'God is a woman' for the remainder of the trip.

We weren't too far from home, just about an hour away, which would allow my mum to check in on me. I hoped she wouldn't and would simply trust my word; I hadn't done anything to make her doubt me, at least not that she was aware of, so I should be fine.

"Okay, I'll drop you off first and then head to mine," Essel said cheerfully as she pulled into a parking lot. The university was only half a mile from the apartments, so I wouldn't have a long walk when Essel couldn't take me. The new apartments looked decent enough, especially for the price. I stepped out of the car and felt the chilly air brush against my cheeks and flow through my hair as I walked to the trunk to grab my suitcase, with Essel following me around the back of the car.

"I just need to run to the shop for some new sanitary pads," she said, giving my back a light tap. "Don't forget to text me about your roommate!" she called back as she climbed into her car.

"Sure thing!" I shouted, dragging my suitcase through the parking lot and toward the entrance.

Opening the door with my back proved to be more challenging than I anticipated. After maneuvering my bag through and over to the intimidating lift, I took a moment to breathe. Strands of hair fell into my face, and I brushed them aside, pressing the button for the fourth floor.

The lift began its ascent with a few unsettling clunks, and I could feel my stomach rise along with it. Until that moment, I had been relatively content living with a stranger, but as soon as the lift reached the fourth floor, a wave of dread and anxiety washed over me.

My apartment was located at the end of the hallway, and it appeared quite intimidating as I rolled my suitcase toward the door. Hunter had sent me a key, allowing me to enter easily if he wasn't around.

I opted not to knock and instead gently pulled down on the handle; as expected, it was locked. When I inserted the key and turned it, I hesitated as the door swung open. Initially, I thought the place looked decent, but that impression quickly changed once I stepped inside.