Between The Lines

Chapter 2: New Beginning

Being away from home for the first time, Jason found sleep elusive. The bed felt stiff, the room too quiet despite the occasional distant chatter from outside. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, his mind restless. Maybe it was the unfamiliar environment. Maybe it was the fact that for the first time in his life, he wasn’t under the same roof as his family.

He turned onto his side, trying to get comfortable, but the mattress felt different—almost foreign. With a sigh, he shifted again, staring at the dimly lit walls. That was when he noticed them.

Names. Scribbled words. Some in bold ink, others barely legible, left by students who had occupied this space before him. A few had carved initials into the wooden bed frame, a silent testament that they had been here. Jason ran his fingers over one of the marks, tracing the rough edges. Had they struggled to sleep their first night too? Had they felt as lost as he did now?

His thoughts drifted to home—his mother, who had fussed over him packing his bags, his father, who had simply clapped a hand on his shoulder and told him to "make the family proud." His younger sister, who had teased him mercilessly about finally being on his own. The reality of their absence settled over him like a heavy blanket.

At some point, exhaustion finally won, and Jason drifted off.

A loud knock yanked him from sleep.

His body jerked awake, his mind still sluggish. For a moment, he had no idea where he was. The knocking continued, sharp and insistent. He groaned, rubbing his face.

"I’m coming. Hold on," he muttered, his voice thick with sleep.

Pushing himself up, he winced at the stiffness in his limbs. His back ached slightly from the unfamiliar mattress, and he realized he still felt groggy. He stretched, his joints cracking in protest, before shuffling toward the door.

"Who is it?"

"The new guy."

Jason frowned. New what?

"This is my room," he muttered as he unlocked the door.

The guy standing outside had a casual confidence about him. A bag slung over one shoulder, he leaned slightly against the doorframe, watching Jason with an easy smirk.

"Hey, I’m Shaw."

Jason blinked, still trying to clear his head. "Uh… Jason."

They shook hands briefly before Shaw stepped inside, glancing around. Without hesitation, he strode to the unoccupied side of the room and dropped his bag. Jason watched as he unpacked—a few neatly folded clothes, some books, and what looked like a gaming console. Shaw settled in as if he had done this a hundred times before.

"You just got in?" Jason asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, came in this morning," Shaw replied. "You?"

"Yesterday."

Shaw nodded, seemingly satisfied with the small talk, and continued setting up his space. Jason wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

Still feeling sluggish, he decided to step out for fresh air.

The campus was livelier than he had expected this early in the morning. Students moved in groups, some laughing, others dragging their feet, likely exhausted from whatever activities they had the night before. The air was filled with chatter, the occasional sound of a bicycle whirring past, and the distant hum of a car engine.

Jason had barely taken a few steps when he nearly collided with someone.

Nate.

The same guy who had acted weird towards him the day before.

Jason considered ignoring him, but something told him not to.

Nate spoke first. "Yo. How’s campus treating you?"

Jason studied him for a beat before replying, "Still getting used to it."

Nate gave a small nod. "Yeah, it takes time. Cool, see you around."

Just like that, he walked off. Jason exhaled, not sure what to make of the guy.

Back in his room, Jason took his time preparing for his first lecture. Despite the nerves creeping in, excitement stirred within him. This was the moment he had been waiting for you—the start of something new.

His first real step into university life.

The walk to the department felt longer than expected. He took his time looking around, taking in the towering buildings and open spaces. Everything looked massive, a world of its own.

One day, I’ll explore all of this, he mused.

After a long walk, he reached the department—only to realize he had no idea where to register.

He wandered for a bit, hoping to find the location on his own. The signs and directions made little sense to him, and after several wrong turns, he gave up. Frustration gnawed at him. He could figure this out, right? But after his fifth time passing the same notice board, he admitted defeat.

"Hey, excuse me," he called out to someone nearby. "I’m a freshman—Accounting student. Do you know where I’m supposed to register?"

The girl he stopped looked just as lost.

"Oh, I’m a freshman too," she said. "Not really sure, but we can figure it out together."

Jason nodded, relieved. At least he wasn’t the only one clueless.

They walked around for a while, checking different offices and door signs, before finally spotting someone who pointed them in the right direction.

At last, they found the registration centre. A long queue of students stretched ahead, the line moving at a snail’s pace. Jason sighed but got in line, grateful he wasn’t doing this alone.

The girl beside him let out a tired laugh. "This is going to take forever."

"Looks like it," Jason replied. "At least we found the place."

"True," she said. "I was starting to think we’d never make it."

They chatted idly as they waited, sharing small frustrations about the process. Eventually, their turn came. They registered, collected all the necessary documents, and finally got everything sorted.

As they were about to leave, the girl turned to him with a small smile.

"I'm Derby, by the way. What about you?"

"Jason," he replied. "Thanks for helping out today."

She nodded. "No problem. Guess I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, see you."

Jason watched as Derby disappeared into the crowd, then exhaled. His first official day as a university student had started with uncertainty, but at least he was finding his way—one step at a time.