Single post in Sleight of Heart -- [COMPLETED]

School sucks… and no matter how much older you get, that doesn’t change. Why do I say that? I find myself mulling over the inescapable truth while standing amongst a large group of strangers in the lobby of McFadden Hall… my new bedding spot for the next seven months. While the resident advisor introduces himself and suggests—eh, more like requests—we do the same, I try to focus on the positives. Positive number one: I am out of high school. Absolutely nothing can ruin that fun fact. Positive number two: I managed to snag a room in a coed dormitory with a friend from high school. Well… number two is arguably a positive. Believe me, I’m glad that I don’t have to room with a stranger, but Darryl became the closest thing to being one the moment we stepped onto campus. He seems to be drawn to anything with curves in a skirt. The boy had already tried to chat up five females in the past couple of hours—three of which currently stand in this very lobby. If I had known he would go this girl-crazy, I probably would’ve written a different name on the dorm application under “suggested roommate.” Oh, well. Can’t change what’s happened. But I am determined to make the best of this situation for the—wait, I think I just missed something. “My name is Marilyn Summers,” says a braided blonde sitting on the arm of the scarlet and gold striped couch in front of me, “freshman, and I’m not sure what my major will be.” For some reason, that doesn’t shock me. I know a lot of freshmen haven’t decided yet what they want to be in life, but that’s not where my mind goes. I watch way too much television, and my opinion on blondes is horribly skewed. Hopefully, spending time among real ones will do something to repair that damage. “I like puppies,” she continues, “long walks on the beach, and world peace.” Then again… Several others laughed, but I just silently hope Ms. Marilyn wasn’t being serious. Gosh, I really am pitiful. I start to shake my head when I notice the RA’s gaze upon me. “Oh, sorry,” I start. Make the best of the situation, right? “The name’s Karl Stevenson. I’m a freshman too, and I like video games, basketball, and prowling the rooftops at night to defeat the forces of evil.” I get a few chuckles of my own, including a grin from Ms. Marilyn, which makes me feel a little less uptight. Guess the room loosens up a bit as well because my roommate follows up with, “My name’s Darryl Anthony, roommate to the Batman here. I’m gonna be a business major with a minor in engineering. So, by the time I get my degrees, I’ll rule the world.” Maybe it was the sound of laughter and chatter, but I feel a smile coming on… and that hasn’t happened since graduation. But this start isn’t bad. If I can mentally separate this new dorm life from actual class work, it may not become the evil dread I’ve been envisioning these past three months. I don’t really want to think of this place as a new—but very temporary—home, but if that might make school suck less… “Hey, Batman,” comes a whisper, snapping me out of my thoughts. Ms. Marilyn had ducked her head back and stared at me upside-down with the clearest pair of blue eyes I’d ever seen not on television. “Can you bring peace to my world?” I blink. I wonder if she knows that the way she leans back exposes her cleavage greatly. So much so that for the briefest moment, I wish she wasn’t wearing that pink bra beneath the low-cut yellow top. However, I don’t want to let on where my eyes venture, so I quickly respond with a whisper of my own, “I can try.”