Status: a restart that will take some time
Exchanged Romance
CH 3 - Room 260
I crack my back and roll my neck as I stumble down the bus steps, Liam tumbling behind me. The campus was big, around us people were bustling around with suitcases, and boxes, with people lining up into the administration building.
“Okay guys, this is the Huntsman Village, now as you can see with the crowd, the joy of being the last group is well, everybody else is moving in now”
“No shit” mumbled Liam, I chuckled, nodding in reply.
“But you’re lucky because there’s only seven of you” Charlie claps his hands together, “so, I’ll just walk in grab the final exchange folder and we’ll sort you out right here” Charlie turns away from us to head to the Administration building, and to the annoyance of everybody in line Charlie moved in front and headed straight in.
Liam lets out a low whistle as he turns a three-sixty, observing every detail. “Wow mate, this is big, and look at everyone”
A smile tugs at my lips as I look around with him, “Yeah mate, it looks like Polos are ah, very popular”
“An understatement my friend”
It was an understatement, it looked like every guy here wore polos, all with their collars flipped up.
“Hey Ben, is it just me or ah, is there a lot of popped collars”
“Liam, it’s not just you mate” Some of the students moving in looked at us as they headed to their rooms. Like animals in a zoo, observing, telling that we didn’t belong.
“Holy crap man, when did we arrive?” I turn to see an Aussie bloke stumbling from the bus, flicking his Ray Bans on.
“About ten minutes” a stranger replied. She was Australian too, most likely Queensland, judging from her accent. Nodding his head and giving a yawn, the newly awakened bloke stretched and stumbled behind me.
Charlie jogged back with a large yellow envelope in his hand, I saw a woman jogging along with him with her own envelope. “Okay everybody, I want you to meet Michelle”
“Hey guys” Michelle’s accent seemed thick. I have no idea where from. Maybe it was just me. “Now Michelle will be taking some of you to your dorms. Who will you be taking?”
Michelle smiled at Charlie and grabbed a list from the envelope. “Okay guys, can I have Andre Did-ri-ksson” Michelle tried to pronounce his name properly, “Adamo Rossi, and Claire Wilson” Three people walked up to her, “Okay cool guys, can you just grab your bags from underneath the bus and then follow me to the West Wing building” Andre, Alva and Claire went to the bus. Charlie looked at his list, “That means can I have Bertoldo Gallo, Thomas Martin, Liam O’Connell, and Benjamin Mann; lets grab your stuff and head up to the East Wing”
Duffle bag over my shoulder we follow Charlie up the stairs.
Liam and I were the last to be placed into our dorms. We continue to weave around the people moving in around us, everybody was chatting, occasionally looking at us as we passed them. A couple of feet away from us Charlie stops with two keys and envelopes in his hands.
“Okay, Liam you are here, room two-fifty, and here is your key” Charlie chucked the keys into Liam’s hands, then handing him a small white envelope, “and here’s all the information for meet ups, you need to read it so you know what’s happening”
“Thanks”
“See you soon mate” Liam nodded, gave a smile and cautiously walked into his dorm.
“Right-io Ben, you are just down here” Charlie looked at the door numbers as we wandered further down, “here we are, two-sixty” Charlie gave me my keys with an envelope that had my name scribbled on the front. “Same thing Ben, all the information is there, give it a read”
“Thanks mate, have a good one”
Charlie looked confused, “Uh yeah, a good one? I will?” With that Charlie disappeared in the crowd, and I stood in front of the door that would open to my home for the next six months.
In the dorm there were twos of everything; two beds, two desks, two chairs and two closets. The bed by the window was already taken with an empty suitcase laying on the bed, and posters stuck up around a cluttered desk. Throwing my duffle bag on the bed next to me, I looked around the room some more. It was nice; clean, cream walls, no air-con though, but there was a roof fan so I should be good; I just had to remember not to lift my arms when the fan was on.
“Oh sorry, didn’t know anyone was here” I turn to the door and see a decent looking bloke; his hair cut short, straight nose, light faded freckles on danced on his nose and cheeks. He was a looker I’d give him that.
“Yeah-nah mate, I literally just got here, so...”
“Oh okay, I’m Quinn, nice to meet you” Quinn pulled his hand out, I happily shook it.
“Ben, you’re the other room mate I’m guessing”
Quinn nodded his head with a smile, taking his hand back, “Yeah I am eh; you’re an Australian right?”
“Yep, here on exchange, you’re American?”
Quinn shook his head, giving a chuckle he moved to the bed by the window, moving his suitcase under the bed, “No, no I’m Canadian”
“That explains the ‘eh‘ I guess”
Quinn’s head popped up with a surprised look, “No way! I didn’t say ‘eh’”
I laugh, “Mate, you said ‘eh’”
“Ah man”, Quinn placed his hands behind his head and chuckles, “I am not helping to fight against the stereotype”
“Yeah-nah, don’t worry about man” I kicked up sitting on the desk chair. “So are you on exchange?”
“What, a Canadian can’t live in America?” Quinn replied mockingly.
“Ah mate, I didn’t mean-”
“Ha ha, man I’m joking, but yeah I’m a full time student; my dad is American, I moved to the U.S when I was Seventeen”
I observe him as he sat on the bed, it looked like the subject was a touchy one, so I didn’t want to push it; I wanted to make friends, not alienate them with questions.
The silence was starting to get awkward. Normally I would be happy to talk but I was so jet lagged it wasn’t funny.
“Well this is getting awkward eh” Quinn, scratches the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly. “Yeah man, I’m sorry. I’ve got some serious jet lag happening”
“Oh man don’t worry about it, I can uh, help you unpack, put some music on, or something”
“You are a friendly bloke, but I haven’t got that many clothes with me, but you can put on music if you want; I’m not bothered” I grab the envelope and rip it open, looking through the papers I saw a timetable.
The Clash starts to flow through the room, I nod to the beat and in approval.
“What’s that?” Quinn asks I stand up and head to my duffle bag, preparing to unpack.
“It’s from the Exchange Councilors, timetables of orientation for exchange students”
“Oh yeah? Anything good coming up?”
I look in my duffle and see the Aussie Emergency Kit, I smile and look up; “There’s a welcoming Barbie tonight, you wanna come?”
“Okay guys, this is the Huntsman Village, now as you can see with the crowd, the joy of being the last group is well, everybody else is moving in now”
“No shit” mumbled Liam, I chuckled, nodding in reply.
“But you’re lucky because there’s only seven of you” Charlie claps his hands together, “so, I’ll just walk in grab the final exchange folder and we’ll sort you out right here” Charlie turns away from us to head to the Administration building, and to the annoyance of everybody in line Charlie moved in front and headed straight in.
Liam lets out a low whistle as he turns a three-sixty, observing every detail. “Wow mate, this is big, and look at everyone”
A smile tugs at my lips as I look around with him, “Yeah mate, it looks like Polos are ah, very popular”
“An understatement my friend”
It was an understatement, it looked like every guy here wore polos, all with their collars flipped up.
“Hey Ben, is it just me or ah, is there a lot of popped collars”
“Liam, it’s not just you mate” Some of the students moving in looked at us as they headed to their rooms. Like animals in a zoo, observing, telling that we didn’t belong.
“Holy crap man, when did we arrive?” I turn to see an Aussie bloke stumbling from the bus, flicking his Ray Bans on.
“About ten minutes” a stranger replied. She was Australian too, most likely Queensland, judging from her accent. Nodding his head and giving a yawn, the newly awakened bloke stretched and stumbled behind me.
Charlie jogged back with a large yellow envelope in his hand, I saw a woman jogging along with him with her own envelope. “Okay everybody, I want you to meet Michelle”
“Hey guys” Michelle’s accent seemed thick. I have no idea where from. Maybe it was just me. “Now Michelle will be taking some of you to your dorms. Who will you be taking?”
Michelle smiled at Charlie and grabbed a list from the envelope. “Okay guys, can I have Andre Did-ri-ksson” Michelle tried to pronounce his name properly, “Adamo Rossi, and Claire Wilson” Three people walked up to her, “Okay cool guys, can you just grab your bags from underneath the bus and then follow me to the West Wing building” Andre, Alva and Claire went to the bus. Charlie looked at his list, “That means can I have Bertoldo Gallo, Thomas Martin, Liam O’Connell, and Benjamin Mann; lets grab your stuff and head up to the East Wing”
Duffle bag over my shoulder we follow Charlie up the stairs.
Liam and I were the last to be placed into our dorms. We continue to weave around the people moving in around us, everybody was chatting, occasionally looking at us as we passed them. A couple of feet away from us Charlie stops with two keys and envelopes in his hands.
“Okay, Liam you are here, room two-fifty, and here is your key” Charlie chucked the keys into Liam’s hands, then handing him a small white envelope, “and here’s all the information for meet ups, you need to read it so you know what’s happening”
“Thanks”
“See you soon mate” Liam nodded, gave a smile and cautiously walked into his dorm.
“Right-io Ben, you are just down here” Charlie looked at the door numbers as we wandered further down, “here we are, two-sixty” Charlie gave me my keys with an envelope that had my name scribbled on the front. “Same thing Ben, all the information is there, give it a read”
“Thanks mate, have a good one”
Charlie looked confused, “Uh yeah, a good one? I will?” With that Charlie disappeared in the crowd, and I stood in front of the door that would open to my home for the next six months.
In the dorm there were twos of everything; two beds, two desks, two chairs and two closets. The bed by the window was already taken with an empty suitcase laying on the bed, and posters stuck up around a cluttered desk. Throwing my duffle bag on the bed next to me, I looked around the room some more. It was nice; clean, cream walls, no air-con though, but there was a roof fan so I should be good; I just had to remember not to lift my arms when the fan was on.
“Oh sorry, didn’t know anyone was here” I turn to the door and see a decent looking bloke; his hair cut short, straight nose, light faded freckles on danced on his nose and cheeks. He was a looker I’d give him that.
“Yeah-nah mate, I literally just got here, so...”
“Oh okay, I’m Quinn, nice to meet you” Quinn pulled his hand out, I happily shook it.
“Ben, you’re the other room mate I’m guessing”
Quinn nodded his head with a smile, taking his hand back, “Yeah I am eh; you’re an Australian right?”
“Yep, here on exchange, you’re American?”
Quinn shook his head, giving a chuckle he moved to the bed by the window, moving his suitcase under the bed, “No, no I’m Canadian”
“That explains the ‘eh‘ I guess”
Quinn’s head popped up with a surprised look, “No way! I didn’t say ‘eh’”
I laugh, “Mate, you said ‘eh’”
“Ah man”, Quinn placed his hands behind his head and chuckles, “I am not helping to fight against the stereotype”
“Yeah-nah, don’t worry about man” I kicked up sitting on the desk chair. “So are you on exchange?”
“What, a Canadian can’t live in America?” Quinn replied mockingly.
“Ah mate, I didn’t mean-”
“Ha ha, man I’m joking, but yeah I’m a full time student; my dad is American, I moved to the U.S when I was Seventeen”
I observe him as he sat on the bed, it looked like the subject was a touchy one, so I didn’t want to push it; I wanted to make friends, not alienate them with questions.
The silence was starting to get awkward. Normally I would be happy to talk but I was so jet lagged it wasn’t funny.
“Well this is getting awkward eh” Quinn, scratches the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly. “Yeah man, I’m sorry. I’ve got some serious jet lag happening”
“Oh man don’t worry about it, I can uh, help you unpack, put some music on, or something”
“You are a friendly bloke, but I haven’t got that many clothes with me, but you can put on music if you want; I’m not bothered” I grab the envelope and rip it open, looking through the papers I saw a timetable.
The Clash starts to flow through the room, I nod to the beat and in approval.
“What’s that?” Quinn asks I stand up and head to my duffle bag, preparing to unpack.
“It’s from the Exchange Councilors, timetables of orientation for exchange students”
“Oh yeah? Anything good coming up?”
I look in my duffle and see the Aussie Emergency Kit, I smile and look up; “There’s a welcoming Barbie tonight, you wanna come?”
♠ ♠ ♠
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