Amara adjusted the strap of her handbag as she stepped through the wide gates of Westbrook University. The air was warm, filled with a restless energy that only the first week of a new semester could bring. Students hurried across the campus lawns, some laughing loudly, others dragging suitcases, while a few stood still, staring at maps or their phones.
She drew a deep breath. So this is it, she thought. A new school, a new life. Biology had always been her passion, and now, she was finally here to study it.
Amara wasn't the type who craved attention. Her beauty was quiet, almost understated smooth dark skin, eyes that seemed to hide more than they revealed, and a way of carrying herself that made people look twice without knowing why. She was bold enough to speak her mind when she needed to, but she preferred silence over unnecessary words. Wild in spirit, yet introverted in manner, she often felt like she lived in two worlds at once.
Dragging her suitcase behind her, she made her way to Dormitory C, Room 207. Her heart skipped lightly as she turned the knob.
The room was already alive with voices. Two girls looked up as she entered.
The first, a short girl with curly hair and a bright smile, jumped off the bed. "Heyyy! You must be our third roommate! I'm Lara. Welcome!" She hugged Amara before she could even set her bag down. Her energy was infectious, almost overwhelming.
Amara smiled politely. "Nice to meet you. I'm Amara."
The second girl, sitting by the window with a novel in her hand, simply nodded. She had long braids and an air of calm about her. "I'm Elena," she said in a low but friendly voice. "Glad you're here."
Amara dropped her suitcase by the empty bed. "Thanks… looks like I'm the last one."
"Yeah," Lara said, flopping back onto her bed. "We've been here since morning, trying to 'settle in.' But don't worry, you didn't miss much just a lot of running around."
Elena chuckled softly. "Speak for yourself. I've been fine just sitting here and watching."
The three of them laughed, and Amara felt a small knot in her chest loosen. For the first time all day, she didn't feel like an outsider.
As the evening settled, they talked about their courses, their hometowns, and the chaos of moving into university life. Lara talked the most, Elena spoke only when necessary, and Amara found herself in between listening, smiling, and occasionally adding her own thoughts.
When the lights dimmed and the campus noise softened, Amara lay in her new bed, staring at the ceiling. A whole new chapter of her life had begun. She didn't know what it held, but she felt a strange certainty that something or someone was waiting for her in this place.