left myself at home

chapter one: welcome to mills

THE LATE SEPTEMBER WIND blows through my hair as i get out of the car that came from the boston logan international airport.

"have not been back in america in a while." i say quietly, only intending for myself to hear.

i grab my luggage out of the back seat and thank the driver. the bags cling up the small staircase that laid below the school building. my eyes turn to my phone, which reads 11:21.

the flight from paris was around 8 hours, making me wake up around 4. so it's already been a long day for me even though it's barely past noon. i head into the building and towards what looks to be the main office.

"excuse me?" i say as i approach a front desk.

"how may we help you?" the middle-aged desk-lady asks.

"uhm, i'm checking in as a student, a late-registration" i say remembering school actually started about a month ago.

"it should be under rose, valeria." it's weird hearing myself say my full name rather than the nickname of val. the only person who uses it is my parents, and also an old friend.

"yes, i'll be back to grab your dorm key." says the woman as she turns around into a small room behind the desk.

my eyes turn to a jar of mints on the far side of the desk. my hands gravitate towards the jar, and reach for a single candy. as i quickly pull it away, the lady comes out from the back room.

"you're dorm number is B28, so on the B wing, which is where the girls dorms are." says the desk-lady.

"perfect, thank you." i say grabbing the key out of her hand.

i roll my suitcase towards the sign reading: B WING: DORMS AHEAD.

it's one long hallway that i continue down until i reach a door with a 28 beside it.

the key slips into the whole and turns to the left, unlocking it. i step inside revealing a large bedroom along with a desk, window seat, and television. this place is definitely legit.

there's a door on the right side, which i presume to be the bathroom. i hear a noise from the inside of it and open it to see a girl in the mirror washing her hands, with cruel summer by taylor swift playing from her phone on the counter.

"i'm so sorry i didn't realize we share bathrooms."
i say, slightly scaring the girl.

"oh! uh it's no problem." says the girl, seeming unharmed.

"i must have forgot i was getting a roommate today. well—a kind of roommate. we just share a bathroom." she says, pressing pause on her music.

"i'm sofia." the girl announces as she turns around from the mirror holding her hand out.

i shake it.

"i'm val; valeria, but i go by val." i tell her, correcting myself.

"well val, welcome to mills." sofia says.

"sof i'm ditching study hall for this so where are you!?!" i hear being called from outside the door that led to sofia's room.

"i'm in the bathroom!!" she yells out the door.

"hey so i have gym next and—who's this?" says a boy in a positive tone as he notices me while he stands in the bathroom doorway.

"kris this is val, my new kind-of roommate." says sofia.

"yeah i'm val." i announce trying to introduce myself.

"well i am kris, and happy to have you here." he says grabbing my hand to shake it.

"the gluten free options in the cafe suck." kris says as he makes his way back into sofia's bedroom.

sofia follows him into there and i go with her, inviting myself in.

"if we ditch to go to the city we'll probably be late for 6th period though." says sofia as kris flops on her loveseat.

"you're allergic to gluten?" i ask kris, sounding like an idiot.

"yeah but i don't talk about it much to avoid seeming inferior." kris expresses sarcastically.

"i don't have any allergies luckily." sofia announces, smiling to annoy kris.

"i'm allergic to spearmint. it's rare but—"

"then why do you have a mint in your hand?" sofia asks noticing the mint candy in the clasps of my fingers.

"do we have gym?" i ask.

"yeah...?" sofia says, confused.

"then this will come in handy." i say smiling.

"i like you." says kris happily.

"i have to get back to study hall, i left my backpack. i'll see you at lunch, bring the new girl!!" kris continues as he heads out sofia's door.