I looked up at the school in front of me. “Well, I finally got here and got away from those girls.” I shudder at the thought of my two bullies. They weren’t academic, so they wouldn’t bother attending college. I left my boxes in the car and went to the office to get my room number and key. The park in the center of the college was filled with students hanging out either between or before classes, especially at the fountain in the very center. I shook my head, I need to focus and get to the office. I pulled out the map and hurried there.

Apparently, I passed it when I went into the center. It was an unimpressive building with its sign on the ground. I walked in and got hit with a nice breeze from the AC. The office looked as plain as outside, but I didn’t really care as I headed up to a woman with a plaque in front of her that said her name was Ms. Snow. She was working on the computer as she moved her bang behind her ear with the rest of her raven hair in a bun. She jumped and rolled back when she noticed me, then she smoothed out her black suit. “Hello, what can I do for you?”

“Hi, I’m here for my room. First name is Michael, and last name is Stone.” She nodded and turned to her computer again. I thought I saw something glint on her chest, but I didn’t see anything when I looked at her chest..

I quickly turned my head just as she turned to me. “Well, I would have to say you’re either lucky or unlucky, you are in one of our triple rooms. You will have your own living space, kitchen, and bathroom. Your accommodations have already been taken there,” She held out the key. “You are in building 4, floor 1, and room 13.”

“Okay?” I said with confusion, “No one told me about this, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

I went to take the key from her, but she pulled it back and said as she narrowed her eyes, “Just so we’re clear. I don’t want to hear any complaints from the other students. If I hear one, then I’m pulling you out of there and putting you in a common area, or expelling you.”

“Isn’t expelling me a bit harsh?”

“Do I make myself clear?” She leaned over the desk and stared me down. When I nodded, she slid the key over to me on top of a paper and added, “This is the schedule of everything you will need to know, and be sure to thank your roommates, they’re the ones who set you up with the suite.”

I said as I took the key and schedule, “Thanks, Ms. Snow, and you won’t hear a complaint.” She just waved me off as she got back to work. I was about to walk out when I remembered something, “Oh, do you have anything I can use to move my stuff?” She just pointed to a spot on the map that was next door without taking her eyes off the screen. I sighed and left the office; she could at least be a bit more friendly.

It took me around 45 minutes to get a cart, put my boxes and bags on it, and find building 4. I maneuvered the door and got the cart inside. I looked over the paper, “Okay, 13, should be easy enough.” I pushed her cart down the halls as I counted the doors until I got to 13, then I went to put the key in, but stopped when I heard familiar laughing from inside, my heart sank as I realized that happened, the two bitches that I was going to be rid of was on the other side. I sighed and opened the door to see them sitting in the living space with the tv playing some stupid reality drama show. 

Jess was in her biker outfit with her dirty boots on the glass coffee table, and Sarah had her blue hoodie unzipped and was barely on her shoulder. Jess turned to me with her blue spiked hair covering one of her eyes. She gave me a vicious grin, “Look who showed up, it’s Mikey.” 

Sarah looked at me with a delighted grin, “Good, I was hoping our Buddy would come.” I hated that she put emphasis on buddy. She got up and walked over to me with her black hair swinging back and forth behind her in a ponytail. She walked up to me and said as she put her hand on my shoulder, “Be a dear and cook us something, we are incredibly hungry.” 

I swatted her hand away and said, “Do it yourself, I’m not your slave. I don’t care what you picked up on me back then.”

Sarah pulled her hand back and looked at me with a bitter look. Jess got up and stormed over to us, then she grabbed my shirt and pinned me to the door, “Look here, you shithead, you are ours to do with as we pleased,” She sneared at me, “That’s why you are in this suite. Or we can file assault on you, and get you fined, expelled, and possibly arrested. There’s a lot we can do with Sarah’s makeup to make it believable.”

I gritted my teeth until they hurt, I worked my ass off to get a scolarship to this college and I’m not going to lose it now. I spat through gritted teeth, “Fine, but it’s going to be an hour, I need to get my stuff in here.” 

She smiled and patted me on the head, “Good boy.” They walked back to the couch and plopped down like nothing had happened. I sighed as I pulled the cart in and found my door without a doorknob. “Oh, I almost forgot,” Jess called out to me, “Your door knob was stuck, so we had to remove it, but you don’t need privacy, do you, Virgin?”

I said as I walked to my room, “Virgin is long ago, ask your mom.”

I could hear her anger as she said, “Whatever.” I walked into my room to see it’s layout. The bed was pressed against the corner, the dresser at the foot of the bed, and a large box in the center of the room. I pulled the cart into the room and parked it in front of the doorway, then I opened the box. The desk I requested and paid for was in pieces, with the instructions on top. I reached into one of my bags and got started as I grabbed my screw driver.

I was lost in myself as I put the desk together and unpacked my stuff. The desk was something close to sci-fi; it was pure metal with a cutting mat-like top, a lamp built into the back panel, and a set of outlets built in. I would have to get a chair, but at least this is done.

Just as I was about to stand up, I felt a hand grab my shoulder and pull me up. I turned around to see Jess standing there. “Do you know how long you've been unpacking?!” She screamed at me.

I looked at my watch to see that it was 4:46. “It’s only been an hour and fifteen minutes.”

She leaned forward and said with something bad on her breath, “I don’t fucking care. You said an hour, and that's what time I gave you. Now get into the kitchen and cook before I ruin your life.” She tossed me back into my desk and walked out. 

I sighed as I went into the kitchen to see Sarah munching on some chips. I walked passed her as she said with a mouthful, “You took your time. I had to resort to snacking.” I just ignored her and looked through the fridge and cupboards to take inventory. With what I brought, I could easily make one of my favorite meal, plus add some spice with some hot sauce in the fridge.

After I was done, I had made something close to lo mein, but with hot sauce mixed in instead of meats. I turned off the stove and made myself a bowl, and sat down. Jesse was the first one to come in and get her a bowl, then came Sarah.  

I sat down as Jesse took the first bite and started coughing as pain and shock flashed on her face, “What the fuck is this? It feels like my mouth is melting.”

I looked at her with confusion and took a bite myself. It did have a kick to it, but I wouldn’t consider it to be super spicy. I swallowed the bite and said, “It’s not that hot, maybe you just are weak to it.”

She glared at me and said to Sarah, “Back me up, this is way too spicy for consumption.”

Sarah took a bite and said, “It’s not that hot.” She shrank a bit from Jesse’s glare, “What? You know I enjoy spicy things.”

“Doesn’t matter!” Jesse exclaimed as she pushed her food away from her, “We’re going to a party, you can come if you want to. Maybe you’ll see something you won’t get at all.”

I scoffed as I twirled my fork, “What, go watch you be a slut to jocks while drunk or drugged? No thanks.” Jesse scowled as I put a forkful of my noodles into my mouth. I slurped it up and added, “Why the fuck are the two of you here? You’ll get expelled if you don’t have any classes.”

Sarah shrugged and said as she lifted the bowl to her mouth, “Your loss, college parties are supposed to be amazing, you could’ve found a girl to talk to and get rejected by her.” She slurped up the rest and ran off to her room, probably to get ready for the party.

Jesse got up and said as she dumped her food into the garbage, “Don’t take that tone with us, this is your last warning. And for your information, we do have classes. I have a bunch of classes for automotive and Sarah’s here for cosmetology.” She stormed off to her room as well.

I shook my head and finished eating, then I put the rest of it in the fridge and headed back to my room. It looked the way I had hoped, so that was one silver lining with this mess of clouds. I opened one of my boxes to see a wooden box that held my project. I was trying to make a collar that allows anyone to control a computer via brain signals to Radio frequencies. I pulled the collar out and grimaced at the horrible sight of the prototype. It looked like a band of iron with a clasp on the back, a few wires sticking out where the covering was missing, and some padding in the center. I set it down on the desk and pulled out my laptop and started working on the coding.

I was so wrapped up, that I didn’t notice them leaving or the time as it passed until I heard them being loud as they came back from the party. I looked at the collar to see that all I had done was add an insert for a gem on the front and reduce the number of wires sticking out of the black leather covering that I was slowly pushing into the metal. I didn’t want to deal with them, so I turned off my lamp and crawled into bed. I had a lot to do the next day to get ready for the day after.

I woke up from a soundless slumber with my phone’s alarm going off, I quickly silenced it to not wake up the others and got up, I had a dozen stores I needed to go to and don’t need Jesse and Sarah questioning my business. They would try to get in the way of that, and somehow would succeed. I got dressed, grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys, then I sprinted out the door.

Jesse woke up with a nasty hangover and groaned as she rolled out of bed. She doesn’t remember much of the ending of the party and afterward. She walked out ot see Sarah walking around the kitchen like a lost puppy as she looked for something in the cupboards. 

Jesse sat down at the table and groaned, “Can you please bring careful with the doors, my head is pounding.”

Sarah sighed as she sat down, “Sorry, I was hoping that virgin left some coffee for us.”

Jesse nodded, “Same, but I assume there's none?” Sarah shook her head, making Jesse get up and stumble away. “He probably has some things for us to borrow.” She heard Sarah’s chair slide back as she hurried after her. Virgin should be up to serve them, but he's not and if he isn't here, then he won't mind us looking around his stuff.

She walked in to see the bed made and the place was spotless. She thought about trashing it to get at him, but her eyes landed on the collar sitting on his desk.

Before she could grab it, Sarah picked it up and looked at it more thoroughly. “What a tacky piece of accessory.” She put it around her neck and struck a pose, “How do I look, like some slut that loves wearing trash?”

Before Jesse could answer, Sarah eyes widened as her body frozen with her standing incredibly straight. “Uh, Sarah? Are you okay?” Jesse said as she put a hand on her shoulder. This was way too strange for her to act.

Sarah shook her head and said, “Yes, Mistress, what do you want me to do for you?”