002

I should be careful or I would be the victim of more bumps throughout the day. Of course, I hadn't told Peter about this yet, but I was a master at disasters of this kind. Naturally clumsy and inattentive. 

I worked at it constantly, but here I am, at university, and nothing has changed. I am still a walking slowpoke.

"My room is 308. Thanks so much for the help with the suitcase and... nice to meet you. Really, really nice to meet you. That's it.”

"Mine, let me see... is 105. I'm going to stay on the first floor anyway, which is a relief for my knees.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course he could only be joking, talking like that, like an old man. 

"Thanks for the company. I no longer consider myself a lonely fledgling.”

"Take it easy, okay. We're not friends…”

" Yet." We said, together.

"Yay! Bye, Peter!". I dragged the suitcase into my possession again, turning my back on him. 

No more goodbyes. We both knew that we would bump into each other many, many times on that campus.

***

Yeah, I know. Peter is so cute. And of course it crossed my mind to invest in a more...er...deep friendship with him. But that was before.

Before my eyes met that pair of ambercolored eyes. 

Before I knew that my life would be, in many ways, literally fucked.

But going back to my arrival on the first day, after Peter, the second person I met was Loretta, my roommate. 

I walked up the three floors dragging the huge suitcase and dragging myself. Peter insisted on taking her for me, but by this time I thought it was a bit much to take advantage of the good will of someone I had barely met.

I made sure that I could handle it.

I got screwed. But pride was bigger.

I arrived at 308, and the bedroom door was unlocked. I knocked a few times and as there was no answer, I pushed slowly and went in. 

There were three single beds, three small dressers, and an even smaller table. 

It wasn't difficult to know which bed would be assigned to me. It was the only one with nothing on top of it, including sheets and pillows. 

I remembered my conversation with Peter about being prepared. Thank goodness I had brought my own set of sheets after all.

I quickly sat up in bed to catch my breath and start packing my things. The freshman introduction class would start in twenty minutes.

I was almost finished emptying the rolling suitcase when Loretta came in.

"Uhm, I see you've settled in nicely.”

Had I used up all my beginner's luck in meeting Peter and would I get off on the wrong foot with my roommate?

" Oh, it's just that the door was unlocked, so I thought…”

" Relax, babe. You did the right thing, make yourself at home. Literally the house is yours." 

She let out a seemingly sincere laugh and sat down on her bed. " My name is Loretta and I arrived last semester. 

" Aria”.

" I saw downstairs that you arrived with a kitten with glasses. Your boyfriend?”

" Hello? Ah... Peter. No, no. He's a freshman too. I met him not even an hour ago.”

"So you have a gift for making friends. I already like you.”

I smiled, not knowing what to say. I still couldn't tell what to expect from Loretta.

"I really needed to meet new people, you know.". She continued.

I didn't answer unless it was a question. But she didn't seem to mind. I guess I was ahead of someone who was more talkative than I was. Oh, God.

"Mellanie is nice, you'll meet her too. But a little unsavory, not into everything, you know. A bit of a pansy.”

I started to fear that I was in an authentic After scene. 

Only for those who have references. Without going into the merits of whether it is a good or bad reference, people.

I answered with a "hmm".

" Well, I'll leave you to it. We'll meet at the freshman presentation, aka the most awaited moment for the seniors.”

" You're not telling me that here we have…”

" Hazing? Yes, of course there is! But you don't have to be afraid, I will be there and I will defend you. My roommate with a musical name.".

Loretta said excitedly, giggling sarcastically and closing the door behind her.

At some point I was supposed to tell you that the name Aria also meant a person who is disoriented, who doesn't know which way to go.

This is exactly how I felt at this moment.

***

The auditorium was much larger than I imagined. I felt once again like in a teen movie. I was overwhelmed.

And anxious to see all those padded chairs occupied by students. Freshmen and seniors. 

Would hazing be something embarrassing?

I checked my clothes one last time. It was okay for the first day. A pair of tight jeans that emphasized my curves, a white, slightly low"cut T"shirt with a small print of the young titans. And the basic black all star, with no piping, completed the look.

All stars are still in fashion, right?

I looked around, trying to plot an escape route in case I found out in advance. 

The students came in, little by little, and occupied the entire U"shaped auditorium, which closed with the small lectern for the professor.

I checked the e"mail on my cell phone with the schedule of subjects for the first week. Linguistics I.

My imagination already expected a gray professor, with a somewhat protruding belly, wearing something stinking of mothballs.

Don't ask me why. My imagination can sometimes be limited. Even more so if I am not getting my ten hours of sleep.

I notice that someone has sat down next to me, a soft jasmine perfume invades my nose and I remember that I had smelled it a few minutes before.

It is Loretta. She has that same excited expression on her face, maybe even too excited, a little face like she's ready to get up to something soon.

 "I told you I would protect you. Hi, Aria." She says, in an almost childish tone.

" Okay, but... what exactly are you supposed to protect me from?”

Then she comes closer and answers with a whisper.

" Sometimes some guys go overboard with hazing.”

" What do you mean? " I asked, curious, speaking louder than I would have liked.

" You'll see. " Loretta blinks.

I didn't have time to ask any more questions. The door opened again and the professor entered, under a beam of light, like a triumphal entry. 

"Good morning to you all. " His hoarse voice resounded throughout the auditorium.

Loretta nudged me again.

" I was looking forward to this class. He's a real cat." She sighs, unashamedly.

"Didn't you take Linguistics I last semester?”

" No. No one did. He was on leave. Shh, I'll tell you later." Loretta, the same one who had nudged me, now called for silence.

The professor was already on the pompous varnished wooden platform and was waiting for the last students to enter.

Perhaps it was my nearsightedness, or the beam of light accompanying him from the sun streaming in through one of the auditorium windows. 

I could not see his face clearly from the distance.

I looked again to the side, spotted Peter a few rows away, and he waved at me, smiling.

I smiled shyly back. 

But I was still intrigued. I took off my glasses, wiped them on my shirt, and put them back on my face. Only then, as if in a magic moment, did the beam of light come from the professor's direction and I could clearly see his features.

And what features.