The Little Life

Chapter One

Today was my first day at Woodberry Community College. I sat on the bed in my tiny one-bedroom apartment, packing my Beauty and the Beast backpack for my first day of class. I grab my teddy bear, Shakespeare, and place him in the front zipper pouch of my backpack and zip it up. I've always been very indecisive, but my parents always pounded in my head to do something with my life. I don't really have any plans or desire to do anything specific at the moment. I've wanted to go to school for music ever since I was a little girl, but I know I'm not good enough to even attempt to get into a music program.

School has always been quite easy for me, other than my disastrous social life. I've always been too mature for my age but childish at the same time. I'm mature in every way that matters, but at the end of a long day, I prefer to watch cartoons over a sitcom or reality TV. This has made it difficult to make friends most of the time because I prefer certain things that others find weird or stupid. I don't mind, because I like who I am and I don't see anything wrong with liking things from my childhood at twenty.

After I finish stuffing school supplies and books into the main section, I head out of my apartment and to my first class of the day and the semester: Intro to Computer Technologies. I grab my backpack and keys to head out the door, but first I say goodbye to my cat Salem. He's black with piercing blue eyes and a small white patch of fur on his tummy. The vet says it's very abnormal for a cat like him to have blue eyes, but I think it makes him even more perfect. I noticed him the moment I stepped foot into the shelter. I noticed his odd combination first because he was like me with black hair and blue eyes.

"You be a good boy today, buddy. I'll miss you," I say as I stroke his head and head out the door, locking it behind me.

I hop into the driver's seat of my pale yellow 1972 Volkswagen Beetle and plug in the address of the school into my GPS before leaving my complex. After putting on a Spotify playlist my friend Tasha made for me, I put my car in drive and made my way to the school.

Traffic is light so I get there within fifteen minutes. Although, at 11am there probably isn't much traffic anywhere. I pull my car into a parking space at the back of the lot in front of the first building and turn off the ignition. Since I arrived a little early, I decided to sit in my car to relax a little before heading into class. After playing Hole.IO for a few, I decided to go inside and get my place.

For a community college, this campus was pretty huge, with six different buildings. A cafeteria with a sushi bar, a Starbucks, a library basically the size of my apartment building, and a full size gym with an Olympic swimming pool. It took me a few minutes to find my classroom, and by the time I arrived most of the class was ready and prepared for the lesson. Luckily the professor hadn't arrived yet. I looked around before I decided to take a seat in the very front, next to a cute blonde haired boy with a single dimple.

"Hi! My name's Calysta. Is this your first semester, too?" I asked as I sat my backpack on the table in front of me. Intro to Computers was usually for first semester students, so I figured it was a good conversation starter.

"Ashton. Nice to meet ya. Yeah, first semester. You look a little young to be in college. Nice backpack," he chuckled but not in a mean way, more of a fun way.

"Thanks! And I get that a lot. I'm actually twenty," I say, half expecting him to ask for an I.D like most people do. I get it, I'm small. I just wish people wouldn't comment on it so often.

"Huh. You're older than me. Would never know it," he shrugged and opened his backpack taking out a notebook and pen.

Not knowing how to keep the conversation going, I decided to do the same and get out a notebook. I chose my plain black and white composition notebook and pink glitter pen. As I was preparing the first page for my notes, the professor walked in.

"Good morning, class. My name is Ms.Tarran. Just to make sure everyone is in the right place, this is ITE 101. Introduction to Computer Technologies. If this is not the class you're supposed to be in, I suggest you get your things and find the correct classroom," she said nonchalantly as she stood in front of us, glancing around the room. As she spoke, two or three students got up and left.

"That would suck, ya know? Going to the wrong class on the first day," Ashton laughed as he wrote in his notebook.

I guess it's not as awkward as I thought, I think to myself as Ms.Tarran hands me the attendance sheet. I find my name and sign beside it, then pass it to Ashton who does the same.

The rest of the class was boring and introductory. Saying a fact about ourselves and what our majors were, things like that. It gave me and Ashton time to get to know each other a bit. His mom told him it is good to make a friend on the first day, and he said I was the only person he thought looked tolerable in his classes. I learned he is 19 and his boyfriend is a professor at the college. Ashton was very much a 'pretty boy' with his blonde hair and blue eyes and muscles. It didn't surprise me that he could pull a professor at his age.

"Do you have any plans for lunch?" He asks me as he places his supplies back into his backpack.

"Mm, I have History 101 at 12:30 then that's it for the day," I answer as I look in my planner. I may not have my shit together but my entire life is in a planner to give me the illusion that it is.

"Sweet! I have Anatomy at 12:30. We could meet up for lunch after, if you want?" he said questioningly.

"Yeah! That sounds awesome. Here, put your number in my phone and I'll text you after class where to meet up," I say as I hand him my phone with an empty contact open. He puts his number in and texts himself then hands my phone back. We say our goodbyes and go our separate ways to our next classes.

History was more or less the same. Very introductory. The professor's name was Alex Tolj, and he asked to be called Alex instead of Mr.Tolj. It was pretty weird to me, but he was sort of a hippie. This was definitely a new experience compared to high school.

After history I pulled out my phone and texted Ashton while sitting in the courtyard.

Calysta: Hey I'm in the courtyard. I'm actually not from here so I don't know where to go lol any suggestions?

Ashton: Coming. Just got out. Yeh I got a place. Meet you in five. Xx

A few minutes pass before I see his blonde hair jogging towards me.

"So, what's the place?" I ask, standing up and grabbing my backpack off the bench.

"It's a club but it's got great food. It's called Fallout" he said, smirking at me.

We decided to take separate cars so neither of us had to drive back to campus, and the club was surprisingly close to my apartment. I unlock my car door and hop into the front seat, turning the radio on my Broadway station. I put it in gear and make my way to the front of campus, looking for his silver Hyundai to follow. I spot his car at the front entrance and get behind him, then we head to the club.