My Other Me

It was a chilly fall day when I arrived on campus. All of my belongings were already in my dorm except for the one I was cradling under my left arm. I shivered when a gust of wind blew by so I tried to wrap my jacket around me with my free hand. The campus was huge as I looked up at the main building; it reminded me of an old English building. Granted, the University of the Pacific has been around for almost a century. The red bricks had faded in color over the years and had cracks which gave it character. The roof was a dark brown, a bit tattered from the weather. It looked haunted against the dark gray sky.
I looked to my left and headed for the stone steps that led to the housing building. It looked like a smaller version of the main building, except wider. When I got in the building, the hall was large and to the left and the right led to smaller halls. The floor was a dark brown tile which offset the blindingly white walls. It made the room look brighter than the hanging lights ever could do justice. I dug out a piece of paper in my front pocket that had the information that I needed. I turned to a hallway on my right; it was full of people talking amongst themselves and getting their own dorm rooms set up. A red head to my left was laughing obnoxiously louder than she needed to and a guy zoomed passed me on a skateboard so I moved out of his way as fast as I could as more people a head of me yelled profanities as he passed by them too. He only gave a glance back with a mischievous smile on his face while his curly hair bounced with his momentum.
I glanced at my paper again and deciphered where I should go. I haven’t been here for months, so I’m not sure where everything is. “Well, you look lost,” A voice said next to me. A guy with shaggy brown hair and blazing blues eyes leaned against the window pane. The gloomy sky cast shadows around his face.
“Who? Me?” I pointed to myself as I glanced around to see if there was anyone else he could be talking to, but there wasn’t anyone. They were all minding their own business.
He smiled and let out an airy laugh. “Yes, you,” he pushed himself off of the window pane and strolled over to me, “Let me see if I can be of some assistance,” he said and held his hand out for my paper. I gave it too him. He skimmed the crumbled paper and handed it back. “You’re dorm is this way on your left” he pointed down the hall. “It’s right near mine. Can I walk you?” He asked making eye contact with me. His blue eyes looked as though a storm was passing through them.
“I’d like that,” I replied with a smile and I took my paper back.
We started walking down the hall. A few people looked at us and then went back to what they were doing. “Let me take that box for you,” He offered.
“Oh, thank you,” I said as I handed the box over to him and he cradled it under his arm in the same fashion I did. We started walking again.
“So what’s your name?” He asked.
“Scarlet,” I replied.
“You don’t have a last name, Scarlet?” He emphasized on my name.
I couldn’t help but smile, “Malone. Scarlet Malone,” I replied, brushing the hair out my face.
“Nice to meet you, Scarlet Malone, I am Xavier Sorren,” He extended his free hand for me to shake. I took shook his, hoping I wasn’t blushing like mad.
“Where are you from?” He asked, but mainly for small talk to ease the silence.
“I’m from New Hampshire.” I replied, “How about yourself?”
“I’m from San Jose. I moved to Stockton for school.” He said, “How are you liking the weather?” He joked.
“Colder than I expected.”
“Yeah, Its like that here in the Fall and rainy in the Spring. But it gets really hot in the summer. That’s the valley for you.” He shrugged as stands of brown hair fell over his face. “You’ll get used to it though.” I nodded in reply. “You’re either really shy or you just don’t talk much.” He commented.
I laughed, “I’m just shy when I’m out my comfort zone,” I said and he stopped walking. He gestured to the door behind me and I looked.
He moved passed me and reached for my door knob to open it. “Well, Scarlet Malone, I hope you get more comfortable around her. I’d like to talk to you more.” He said as he walked into my dorm and sat my box down on the floor. My roommate was already there. He gave her a friendly nod and she returned it. He turned around, walked passed me, then stopped at the door and turned around again to face me. “It was nice to meet you. My dorm is two doors down if you need me,” He smiled and closed the door behind him. He was awfully confident.
“Already caught the eye of Xavier I see,” The blonde girl commented with a smile on her face. She was sitting down on a desk chair.
“He was just being nice,” I laughed and sat down on the bed on the opposite side of the room.
“Sure he was,” She smiled with a gleam in her eye, “I’m Dakota, nice to meet you.”
“I’m Scarlet,” I replied. I noticed some of my boxes were near the desk she was sitting by, but couldn’t really tell where my others were, “I’ll get those put away fast.” I gestured towards them.
“Don’t worry about it. They’re already empty except for your clothes. I hope you don’t mind, I just wanted to help you out some.” She spun around in her chair; it squeaked as it moved. I noticed her hair wasn’t fully blonde as strips of brown flung about with her movement. It made her hair shinier. “It’s all organized over there,” She pointed at a wall full of black shelves with all my stuff on it. It was way more organized than I thought I could ever make it.
“Wow, thanks. It looks great”
“Yeah, I’m pretty anal,” She laughed. “I saw your boxes and I had to do it. I hope you don’t think it was an invasion of your privacy,” She stopped spinning and looked at me to see my reply.
“No, it’s fine. There wasn’t anything personnel in what I sent here. Only in that box” I pointed to the one Xavier set on the floor. His smile flashed in my head and I immediately pushed it away.
“Ah, I see,” She smiled like she saw the image flash in my eyes and she started spinning in her chair again. “He’s quite the charmer.”
I let out an uncomfortable laugh, “I suppose.”
She didn’t push the subject further, “You hungry?” She asked.
“Starving! Do you know anywhere to get some good food?”
She stopped spinning again, “Stick with me, kid. I have a lot to show you,” She got up and grabbed my hands to pull me up.
I think I might like my new roommate.