Tales of the Heart

002 | New Friends

We eventually arrived at my new home for the next four years after a lengthy, dramatic hour-and-a-half-long car ride with my mother.

I had a surge of anxiety and joy as soon as I got out of the car. I find myself speculating about what college will be like. Is it more difficult than high school? Am I able to make friends here? If I want to survive the next two hours, I must avoid over thinking about all these countless odd questions that suddenly flooded my small brain.

My mother gasps, "God, this place is enormous," as we enter Steerling University's grand, sprawling campus via an old-looking stone gate.

The school's aesthetics definitely caught my attention; the campus is much more stunning in person than it is in the brochures and online. The campus's buildings all have an extremely dated appearance while nevertheless being lovely and elegant. Hundreds of people, a large number of posh cars, parents embracing and hugging their offspring goodbye, and a sizable number of freshmen wearing stunning school uniforms from head to toe.

Although the grandeur of the campus is rather overwhelming, after a few weeks of adjusting and getting to know everyone, I could make this place seem as comfortable as home.

After making it through the crowded front door of the campus, we made our way to the front desk where a beautiful middle-aged women gives me my dorm keycard and sent me on my way. The thought crosses my mind, "Having a room to myself would be wonderful," however, living alone while attending university is also not a positive experience either.

"I first want to see your beautiful and spacious dorm room first, honey...The saying goes that time flies, and my gosh, I can't believe my two boys are already in college." She whimpers while wiping away her tears. This is the first time I have ever seen her smile so frequently. Being a nice little brother today, Jacey follows us and helps me carry my bulky belongings as we make our way down the long corridor to my new room.

"Now, just to be sure, sweetie, do you remember everything I told you before we came here?" She reminded me to not waste my time on anything that is not beneficial for my future, to which I nodded. I can't guarantee I can entirely stick to any of her rules. longer than two months here. It's university mom, what do you expect?

"C16, where the hell is it?" I mumbled to myself. Luckily, we were already in B Hall, so C Hall might be next door. "Down the hallways," I yelled in excitement at them both,

"C16," My mother huffs. Her heels are extremely high for the amount of walking we have, just to find my new room, but finally, we found it. I slide my room keycard over a stainless steel sensor pad, which beeps and then opens to reveal a dorm room that is surprisingly much larger than my room at home. It even has its own kitchen, bathroom, two floors, and two office desks, with a wide window in the center that views out over the lovely school garden. "Two office desks," I said. "It seems like you're going to have a roommate then, big bro," Jacey adds.

And suddenly, my roomie came out of the kitchen, and greeted us, "Hey, newbie, Welcome to Steerling University boy dormitory." My new roommate says, offering a smile. His smile was quite intriguing, much to my surprise, "I am Karlitos, but you can call me Karl for shorts." He said, putting his right hand forward for a handshake.

"Hey...hi. I'm Alexander but you can call me Alex...for short." I smiled back, all of my manners flying right out the door.

"Hi, Alexander the First--or sorry Alex, again welcome to your new room for the next four years," said my new blonde-haired friend. Back to my Mother, her jaw is resting, wide open on the floor, and my brother, Jacey, shifts uncomfortably. Karl walks over, closing the gap between us, giving me a hug, and tapping me on my shoulder. I am shocked by his affection, but I return his kind gesture, back.

Jacey drops my bags onto the floor and I can't help but pray that this is permanent because Karl seems like a cool dude to me, he nearly checks all of my dream roommate's boxes.

"Come on in, Alexander, don't be shy!" My new roomie calls, but before Karl can finish his greeting, the Spoiled rich kids of Steerling University show up, composed of three white spoiled white boys.

"So you are Karl's new roommate, huh?" The chocolate-haired boy in the middle asks. He looks nearly exactly what I imagine a bully at university would look like, except for the chocolate hair part, of course.

"Umm...yeah. My name is Alex," I replied.

"I'm Harry, and these two are my minions, Nathan and Jason. Greet him, my minions."

"Hi, Alex." Said Nathan and Jason, acting tough like they own the place.

"Hi Nathan, Hi Jason, nice to meet you two," I greeted them back. I just don't want to make any enemies on my first day at my new school.

"Huh, I thought you would be a Prince from another country like the other new freshmen, but instead you are just a poor little skinny young boy from Brooklyn. What a shame," said Harry, without giving even a single thought that my mom was standing right beside him.

Harry and his goons walk off and after they leave, my mom is now in her usual rage mode." You are getting a new school, right now Alex." My mother yells as soon as the door beeps shut.

"No, Mom, I'm not gonna throw away my only chance at studying at an Ivy League school, just because some spoiled rich kids i***t shows up and spits s**t at my face on my first day," I argue back, acting tough, while inside I try to hide my nerves as best as I can.

"I'm sure they won't be around a lot anyway, Mom, they are rich kids, and rich kids love parties." I tried my best to convince my mother, along with myself.

"Alex, we are going to transfer you to another school right now," her dark blonde hair is flipped to another side," you will not be allowed to be in the same school with these kinds of people!" she shrieks.

"Every school always has at least one of this kind of student, no matter how many schools I change, there will be at least one of his kind waiting for me there." I looked back into her dark green eyes and then at my brother, Jacey, who had been silent since we arrived at the dorm.

"Let me handle this, okay, let's just see how it goes first, please," I begged her. She looks around the room for one last time, then at my new roomie, Karl, before dramatically nodding her head.

"Fine, but if these boys come back and bother you again, call me ASAP, you understand, Alexander." She spits, much to my surprise. I look at Karl, he nods his head.

After hours of my mother lecturing and warning me against all kinds of teenage stuff like parties and girls., she finally leaves, with a quick hug and a kiss on the cheeks, she asks Karl to come outside with her to have a little chat and inform Jacey that she wait for him downstairs.

"I will miss you a lot from now on, big bro" Jacey says in his soft voice.

"I will miss you too, young bro, don't worry. I also pack my PS5 with me too. If you ever need a Warzone teammate, text me, " I said.

"I should have listened to you and applied here for a sports scholarship, Alex," Jacey says, clenching his lip, and staring down at the floor.

"Don't worry bro, maybe next year you can join me here. If you can take Stonewell to the final this year, they will accept your application in a heartbeat," I said back, trying to cheer my brother up.

After the discussion, we give each other one last hug, before he leaves and goes to his school next. I feel bad that I can't take my younger brother to school on his first day, now that is one of the disadvantages of being a twin.

After Jacey and my mother are officially gone, I can start to organize my stuff and unpack my things, with Karl's help, of course.

"So where are you from, Alex?" Karl asks.

"Oh, I'm from upstate New York, are you?" I asked back, trying to be friendly as best as I could.

"I'm from London." He replies, and it shocks me. He is British, but where the hell is his accent? I thought all British people had an accent.

"London, Oh, love that place, and how long have you been here in America?" I asked back, trying to keep the conversation afloat.

"Since 2020," he replies.

"So this year is your second year then," I asked while sitting on my suitcase.

"Yeah, so far so good," he replies, tagged along with that reply is his most humble smile.

"Okay,...oh...this room is so big, where is my bed," I asked,

"Upstairs, the left is mine, the right one is yours."