Hello there. My name is Gilroy. I never liked that name, so everyone just calls me G. I'm 18 and just starting college. I'm from a small town in Ohio, but I applied and got accepted to a university in Texas. It wasn't my top choice, but I really just wanted to get as far away from this shithole as I could manage. Which is typically what most teenagers and young adults want to do when they turn 18.
Even though I wanted this, I was still nervous about starting someplace new so far from my friends and family. I had a girlfriend until recently, so I was still recovering from that. We had dated for 2 years. We loved each other very much, but I was moving to Texas for school and she got accepted to a school in New York. We both agreed long distance wouldn't work, so we decided to just part amicably and go our separate ways. I still think it was the right thing to do given the circumstances, but I still missed her terribly.
So at the end of a work-filled summer, I packed my stuff in the car, hugged my family, and started the long trek to Texas. After two and a half boring days, I finally made it. New school, new town, new friends. I was still nervous, but mostly excited now.
I was hoping to find an apartment close to campus, but that would not be an option for a while. New students were required to stay in the dorms on the grounds for the first year of schooling. Then you have the option of living off-campus from your second year on. It's dumb, but it is what it is. I find my dorm hall finally. I park my car in my assigned spot and take some of my stuff to my room. It's on the 3rd floor and I didn't see an elevator. So stairs it is. Great.
I finally find my room. The door was already open and someone was unpacking his stuff on one of the beds. He turns and sees me try to shuffle in with some of my stuff.
"You must be Gilroy. Here, let me help."
Before I say anything, he reaches over and grabs 2 of my bags I lugged up and sets them on the empty bed. I follow his lead and throw the rest of my bags down.
"Thanks. Call me G, by the way."
I reach out my hand to him. He meets my hand with his for a firm handshake.
"Mark." He says as a warm, welcoming smile breaks out across his face. There was something about that smile that made me smile back. It was almost....infectious.
"Looks like we're roomies." Mark said, bringing me back to reality. "Is that all your stuff?"
"No." I replied. "I have one more trip to make. Maybe two."
"I'll give you a hand if you like." Mark offered.
"Thanks, man. That would be great."
We both head down to my car, chatting along the way. He tells me a little about himself. He's from Texas, just a few hours from here. He's an Engineering major and it's also his first semester in college. I tell him a little about me as we carry my bags into the hall. How I'm from Ohio, I'm majoring in Sound Technology (this school had one of the best programs for it, which is one of the reasons I picked it other than it being far away from home.)
We make it up to our room and drop all the bags at the foot of my bed when I say, "Thanks alot, Mark. Appreciate it."
"No sweat, G." He replied. "I was thinking of checking out the cafeteria. I'm pretty hungry. Want to tag along? Maybe tour around the campus?"
"Sure. I could eat." I said. I was going to unpack everything before I checked out the rest of the school, but there was something about Mark that made me want to be around him more than I wanted to unpack.
So we head to the cafeteria and grab some food. We sit down to eat and chat some more. We talk about our high schools, friends, hobbies. Then we talk about our love lives, or lack there of. I tell Mark about how my ex that I was crazy about and how we had to split since we're both a few thousand miles apart. He said he could relate. He had a serious girlfriend he broke up with about halfway through his senior year, so he understood what I was going through.
"Don't worry, G. It will get better." He gives me a soft pat on my back and says, "I promise." He breaks out another smile.
