36. Hunter

"You've got this," I whisper one last time, swiping sweat from my brow and tucking my hair behind my ears.

The AC is still out in my car, and if I sit here any longer, my makeup's going to melt right off my face.

My anxiety is rioting like it's in a mosh pit, and my stomach is taking most of the hits. I had to stop at the QuickieMart just to use the bathroom, even though I went multiple times before leaving the house.

Once I've retrieved my overnight bag from the back seat, I lock my car and scan the parking lot. There are a few people nearby, but the lot is only half-full. That makes sense. There are multiple orientation weekends offered throughout the summer, which means each orientation group is small and intimate. It's a perfect introduction to all that Lake Chapel University has to offer.

A thrill of excitement shoots through my veins as I hoist my bag onto my shoulder. I get to actually stay on campus in the dorms tonight. With a roommate and everything.

According to the agenda, we'll start the day with icebreakers, then go on a tour of the campus. Tomorrow I'll get to meet with my undergrad adviser to select my courses for fall semester.

Another wave of giddiness rolls through me, followed immediately by a period cramp.

And then comes the anxiety gas. Ugh.

Better here than in front of my new roommate, I guess.

With a slow breath out, I remind myself that this is the good kind of anxiety.

I'm branching out, creating new experiences. Even though LCU is so close to home, or what used to be my home, the campus itself is amazing.

Brick pathways and tall oak trees border the quad, and in the middle of the green space, a big white welcome tent has been set up.

"St. Clair, comma, Hunter," I tell the girl at the table under the tent when I get to the front of the line.

She looks up and rolls her eyes, clearly unamused.

Don't make Legally Blonde jokes on the first day. Noted.

"Hunter St. Clair?" She opens a manila folder with my name on it and leafs through its contents. "Here's your schedule and a map."

I take the proffered pages and scan one, then the other.

"Your room assignment is on the first page. The key card on top gets you into the dorms. You're in McMaster, so you'll want to head that way." She points to a stately building covered in ivy across the grassy expanse of the quad. "I suggest you wear your key card on the lanyard so you don't misplace it. You have to turn it in when you check out tomorrow, or a fifty-dollar fine will be added to your student account."

She rattles off a few more instructions, passing over another stack of papers and envelopes that I fumble to grab hold of.

With my bag on one shoulder, my pillow stuffed under my other arm, and now all my welcome papers in hand, I head in the direction she pointed.

I refer to my map, even though I've been studying one from the school's website for weeks, and eventually find McMaster Hall. With trembling hands, I swipe my key card and, miraculously, unlock the exterior door on the first try.

When I reach my assigned room on the second floor, I pause.

Should I knock?

Do I just go in?

Before I can decide the best course of action, the door flies open, and suddenly, I'm coming face to face with a tall, gorgeous redhead.

Lush, full breasts spill out of her tank top as she raises a hand to her chest. "Oh my god! You scared the shit out of me!"

"I-I'm sorry," I stammer while trying to keep my overnight bag hooked on my elbow. "I'm Hunter. And this is my room."

"Ah! Roomie! Here, let me help you." She takes my pillow from under my arm. "Come in, come in." With a flourish, she spins, her red hair floating around her, and moves deeper into the space. "I'm LouEllen Montbeck-Calhoun," she announces. "But you can call me Louie."

I exhale and let my bag drop to the floor. "Two first names and two last names?" I question. "I know a girl raised in the south when I meet her."

"Charleston born and raised," she confirms with a wide smile. "How about you?"

"I'm actually from here. I grew up in Lake Chapel."

"But you're living on campus?"

"Yeah, I wanted the full experience." I leave out the part where my dad has semi-permanently relocated to France and my mom recently moved in with a guy I've never even met.

"Speaking of full experience…" Louie skips to her overnight bag and pulls out two cans of hard seltzer. "We've got forty-five minutes until the first icebreaker. Drink up."

My eyebrows shoot to my hairline as she holds one can out to me. "You brought alcohol to orientation weekend?"

"Hell yes I did," she says far too loudly. "This is college, girl. I'll drink yours if you don't want it, though."

I bite my lip, considering. It's not like it's shots of eighty-proof liquor. With a shrug, I hold the can up and read the label. "What flavors are we drinking?"

We spend the next forty minutes dancing around the room, sipping sparkling peach seltzer, and unpacking the excessive number of toiletries and beauty supplies we both deemed necessary for a one-night stay.

I'm arranging my skin care routine in my bright pink shower caddy—with matching loofah, of course—as Louie goes on about her plans for fall. She's going to major in accounting and has plans to take over her family business in Charleston someday. First, though, she's going to travel. She's not actually starting classes until January because she's taking an extended gap trip to Europe this fall. She's here today because LCU doesn't offer the same pizzazz for spring semester orientation, and like me, she wants to experience it all.

I pull my phone from my pocket to check the time and discover a few unread texts waiting for me. "We should head down there in the next five minutes," I tell Louie. Then I tip back my seltzer to finish it off and set the can on my desk.

The first message is from Greedy.

Greedy: Miss you, Tem. I hope you're having the best time.

The next is from Levi.

Levi: Hope you remembered to pack your shower caddy. Greedy's grouchy without you around. His dad's making him do all sorts of father-son bonding.

I reply to both guys, then stash my phone and slip my shoes back on.

Louie reapplies her lip gloss in the mirror by the door, then smacks a kiss at me. "Ready?"

"So ready." Key card and wristlet in hand, I follow her out the door to my first official Lake Chapel University orientation event.