THE DESIGNATED DORM ROOM - Chapter 1

Author: Phuongie Stella

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“Wake up Kaylie, wake up hon!” 

I hear someone calling my name. It sounds like my mom.

“Wake up honey, it’s late!”

Yeah, it sounds a lot like my mom.

“Kaylie Mills Taylor” She shouts. “Wake up this instant!” And I feel my cozy blanket being pulled away from me. I open my eyes.

“Mom,” I groan. Yep, it WAS my mom. “It’s 3. That’s like the middle of the night.”

“Have you forgotten already? Ashton is driving you to your college. It’s your first day today.” Mom puts her hands on her hip.

“Oh yeah,” I rub my eyes, not looking like I’m going to get out of bed in any minutes. Come on, it’s college. What’s the big deal? Okay, it IS a big deal, but it’s like 3AM, who the hell goes to school at 3?

“Go get ready, Ashton is waiting.” Ashton is my brother. “You’re almost 19 already, not a little kid anymore Kay.” With that, Mom walks out.

As much as I hate it, I manage to climb out of bed with my eyes half close. After bumping into the walls a few times, I make it to the bathroom alive.

. . .

“Morning Ash,” I say as I walk down the stairs. “Morning Mom and Dad!” I called into the kitchen.

“It literally took you an hour to pee and brush your teeth?” Ashton raises an eyebrow at me.

“Ash, you’ve been through this. Waking up this early to go to school is like facing a firing squad.” I roll my eyes as I take the cup of milk Mom prepared on the table.

Ashton Taylor is my brother – I said that already – He is 22, currently studying business in his third year.

I glance out the window. It is pitched black.

“Are you sure you can drive in this kind of weather?” I sip my milk, asking Ash. “I mean it’s like driving in a cave.”

“Unless you want to arrive at like 10 and not being able to check in, we can leave at 6.” Ashton raises his shoulders.

“Honey, you need to check into your dorm room.” Mom calls out.

“But class doesn’t start until the day after tomorrow Mom!” I retort. Seriously, I can go there like tomorrow and still have my room, maybe some shouting from the dorm guard, that’s it.

“Orientation today Kaylie!” Mom’s still winning.

Shoot, almost forgot. Yeah, first orientation today. Gotta be on time. I sigh.

“Alright, got your things?” Ashton puts down the newspaper – Ew, reading a newspaper at 22? You’re turning into Dad, Ash.

I raise my backpack in my hand and motion towards the luggage at the door. “Yeah.”

“Take care honey.” Mom walks out from the kitchen as Ashton opens the front door. “Got everything you need right?”

I nodded.

“Alright then.” Mom hugs me, I hug her back. Then Dad hugs me, and of course, I hug him back.

“Let’s go Kaylie.” Ashton say, after I gave my parents a kiss.

. . .

The ride is 4 hours. I spend those time on the car thinking about what is going to happen. College huh? Exciting much. I hope there are hot guys and my roommate is going to be a nice girl. And teachers too, they better not give me too much work or I think I might drop out of college – just kidding – but really, it’s college, you learn what you like, not what you need to. I mean, you do need to… Oh whatever.

I am Kaylie Mills Taylor, I know, cool name right? Thanks to my Dad’s awesome last name and my Mom for picking my unique first name. I am 18, to be 19 soon. I graduated from NY Academy. Yes, I am from New York. 

I decided to follow Music Major, because I was granted the talent to play piano, guitar, violin, and flute. I was also granted a high and beautiful voice (getting cocky here aren’t we?) So I’ve chosen Berklee. Yeah, you guys should all know what the hell that is. It’s the largest college of music in the world.

Unfortunately, the school is like 4 hours away from my home, and there’s no freaking way that I am going to waste gas and 8 hours a day driving to school and back. Just… hell no.

So luckily, Berklee has a dormitory, and it’s two people per room. So here I am, checking in to my dorm.

“Okay there?” Ashton asks me when I take my luggage out of the back of the car.

“Yup” I show him a thumb. “Okay, this is it.”

“This is it.” Ashton repeats. I suddenly feel so nervous, and Ashton catches it.

“You okay?” Ashton looks at me. Although I always deny it, he is probably the best brother I can have, not that I have more than one.

“Yeah,” I smile, looking at the building. “Let’s get this three years over with!”

Ashton chuckles.

“Good luck, sis.” He pulls me into a hug.

“Thanks bro!” I hug him back and tip-toe to give him a sibling-ly kiss on the cheek.

When we finally pull back, I took a deep breath as I glance at the entrance.

“This,” I thought “is it.”

. . .

I look at my watch as I walk through the hallway fills with people. Wow, a lot of people who stay in dorm huh? It is five to 8am. I quickly walk to the admission table set in the middle of a large space, where people check in their dorm rooms.

“Excuse me?” I ask a 30-or-so lady at the table. She looks up at me. “Checking into dormitory?”

“Full name please.” She says as she turns to the computer.

“Kaylie – i-e – Mills Taylor.”

“From New York?”

“Yes.”

“Please take a seat, Ms. Taylor.” The lady says as she stands up and walks to a group of people. They must be the guards and teachers at dorm, who make sure the dormitory is not out of control. You know college’s boys, they’re wild.

I make my way to the chairs opposite the table and sit down, waiting.

“Hi,” A girl next to me suddenly says. “Checking in?” She asks.

“Yeah,” I smile, happy because there’s someone to talk to. “Are you a freshman?”

“Yeah,” She replies “First time here though, not sure I have friends.” She giggles.

“Me too.” I chuckle. “Maybe we can be friends.”

“Sounds good!”

“I never caught your name though.” I suddenly raise my eyebrow.

She giggles again.

“Sorry, I’m Catherine Paige.” She informs me.

“Hey Catherine, I’m Kaylie,” I smile. “Kaylie Mills Taylor.”

She widens her eyes in interest. “Pretty name you have!” I’m flattered.

“Yeah,” I said “My mom picked it.”

Catherine opens her mouth to say something, but the lady at the table calls my name.

“Later Catherine?” I stand up. “Maybe we can have lunch together later, after the orientation.”

“Sure!” Catherine agrees happily. I smile then walk back to the table.

A younger lady walks up to me.

“Hi Ms. Taylor,” She smiles at me “I’m Anna, I am your wing’s instructor.”

“Wing?” I ask, feeling stupid already.

“Yes, our dormitory is divide into 2 buildings, you are in building Treble Clef, the other one is Bass Clef.”

“Ooh, clever.” I chuckle.

“I know,” Anna smiles, “Anyways, you are in Wing D, which is the 4^th wing out of the 7 wings in Treble Clef. Your room is 206, second floor, and I’m going to lead you to your room now.” She points towards the stairs.

“Okay, thank you!”

. . .

“How many floors are there in each building?” I ask Anna as we are walking to my room.

“There are 3 floors in the Treble Clef and 5 floors in the Bass Clef. Berklee dormitory has a total of 1039 rooms.” Anna answers, “It will be confusing at first since the building is arranged a bit awkward, and every wing is similar, but you will get used to it eventually.”

Wow. I’m scared already.

“There is a guard every two wings though, so if you’re lost, just find a guard and ask them.” Anna adds.

“Okay.”

“Here it is – 206” Anna says.

We are now standing in front of 206, my dorm room for the next 3 years.

“So I was told that your roommate has already arrived, like an hour ago.” She informs me. I suddenly feel nervous. Why do I have this weird feeling that something not normal is going to happen?

“So do you want to go in or…” Anna asks me, cutting my thoughts.

“Oh, yes of course.” I reply “Sorry, spacing out.” I smile.

“Okay!”

Anna fits the key which is labeled 206 into the doorknob. In a few seconds, I’m going to know who my roommate is. Nice? Not nice? Well I’m spending the next few years sleeping in the same room as her so… Here goes nothing.

I step in while Anna pulls the door open. I walk very slowly through the first few steps before my roommate is revealed. Why do I keep getting this weird feeling? When I finally survive through the small front hall, I freeze, staring at my roommate.

It isn’t… a she. It was a he. Not any normal he, it’s the one I would recognize in any situations, no matter how hard I try not to.

His face shows someone very far as a stranger, at the same time, very familiar and loving.

Sitting on the bed, glaring at me – my roommate – Dylan Carter.