Something I Need

It was a new semester at Concordia and I was excited. My first semester had gone well, but it was stressful. Moving to a new city is a huge change, especially at 18 years old. New people, new environment, new everything.

The January air was cold as I trekked through the snow on campus, keeping the collar of my peacoat up over my face before entering the building. It was a break between classes and I was in desperate need of a coffee. As I handed the cashier a five dollar bill, I heard someone call my name behind me.

"Lena!" I received my change and gave the cashier a quick thank you and grabbed my coffee. I turned around to see my roommate Tammy, too many books in her hand, glasses on top of her head and her red hair pulled back but visibly wind blown from the winter air.

"Tammy, how are you?" I sat down in the student area and she sat next to me.

"Good" she sighed, "How did you do with the reading assignment?"

"Good. I honestly finished it this morning, I fell asleep in my books last night" I sighed, "I'm still trying to catch up on sleep after the holidays"

She nodded in agreement, "It's understandable. I noticed a few like that in my sociology class this morning."

"So is there something you need?" I asked, unwrapping my scarf and taking a sip of coffee.

"I locked my key in the dorm room...again" I just sighed and reached into my purse, "I'm assuming you need in before class?" I asked.

"I just forgot my other book in there and I was in a rush this morning. I'll meet you in class and give it back to you, alright?"

I handed it over to her and she sighed with relief, "Thanks so much Lena" she stood up, "I'll meet you in class in an hour" she ran off, struggling to keep her books in her hand and she disappeared around the corner.

The hour passed and I was soon sitting in class, Tammy coming in not too far after me, sitting next to me with a long breath. There was some small chat with each other before the professor started talking. I took a few notes here and there but I found myself distracted, still missing home a bit.

I grew up in Sarnia with a younger brother and two older sisters. I was somewhat in the middle, and always felt it. My oldest sister, Tina, was the smart one, already graduated from York university, on her way to get her Masters in Business Administration. Lara was in the states, playing hockey for the University of Michigan. And my younger brother, Jack, was in his senior year of high school, playing basketball. Surely on his way to a scholarship. I was smart, I knew that, but it was never really acknowledged. Tina already did it, so mine was a small feat.

So you ask why I miss home after knowing that? When we're all together, especially over the holidays, even though I don't feel acknowledged by my parents, my siblings are my best friends. We are close, to a degree, but there's no family feud there, so I'm lucky.

I was knocked out of my thoughts when my name was repeated and I looked at my professor blankly, not knowing exactly what he'd asked me, luckily before I could answer, he'd noticed time had gone over and class was dismissed.

I watched Tammy run off to her next class as my pulled on my mittens and pulled up my collar, trekking through the snow back to my dorm since my classes were over for the day. I was glad, the distractions weren't doing me any good. I missed more than just home. I missed him.