Page 2 of Hailey Goes to College

With a cold latte in hand, I begin to people-watch, taking in the diverse mix of students. Some hunched over laptops, typing furiously, while others sit and chat with friends. I spot a flyer in the middle of the table about a student club fair happening tomorrow on campus. Intrigued, I make a mental note to check it out. It seems like a perfect way to dive into campus life—to fully submerse myself.

As I sip my latte, I let my mind wander. I think about the classes I’ll be taking, the new people I’ll meet, and the experiences I’ll share with Kelsey. A surge of excitement and a touch of nervousness washes over me. This is a new chapter, a fresh start. My parents, God love them, but they never gave me any freedom of choice. My days were fully mapped out for me. What I’d eat, what activities I could be involved in, what outfits I could wear. But not here, not now. Now I have choices—freedom. I eye the flyer on the table one more time.

I’m lost in thought when I hear a loud crash nearby. Startled, I turn to see a guy already kneeling on the floor, surrounded by the remnants of what looks like his meal. He’s muttering something under his breath, clearly frustrated with himself.

Feeling a wave of sympathy, I get up and walk over to help. As I bend down to pick up a spilled cup, I finally recognize him. It’s Ryan, the guy I collided with just a half hour ago.

“A bit of a klutz?” I say, bending down to help.

“I would say I’m simply oblivious to my surroundings,” he retorts as he grabs some napkins to sop up the mess. “But I must say I don’t make a habit of slamming into pretty girls.”

“So just me then?” I bite my lip. “Well, you didn’t bump into me this time. Your nemesis seems to be a pillar.” This is the most I’ve flirted in a long time, and the sideways grin he rewards me with causes butterflies to go wild in my stomach.

“I feel like I should buy you a coffee or something,” he confesses as we stand up. I hesitate for a moment, then nod. “Sure, why not?” The one I was drinking was pretty much done anyway.

We order our coffees and I lead him back to the table by the window. As we settle in, Ryan looks at me curiously.

“So, where are you from, Hailey?” he asks, sipping his drink.

“Phoenix,” I reply. “The land of endless sunshine and cacti. How about you?”

“Right here. Well, upstate really,” he says with a hint of pride. “Grew up on a farm, actually. It’s quite a change from the rural life to this big city.”

I smile, intrigued. “A farm? That’s so interesting. What kind of farm? Did you have cows?”

“We had a bit of everything—corn, soybeans, a few cows, chickens. It was a lot of hard work, but I loved it,” he explains, his eyes lighting up as he speaks about his home.

“That sounds amazing. I’ve always lived in the city, so that’s like a totally different world to me,” I say.

“Yeah, it was a great place to grow up. But I wanted something different for college, so here I am,” he says with a grin.

“So, what are you studying?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“Business major. Pretend I’ve said something witty when in reality it’s really cliché and I’m going to end up helping the farm.”

“Well, I think that’s great. I don’t have a major yet. Exploring my options is what I told my parents.”

“Smart.”

We talk for what feels like hours, sharing stories about our high school experiences, his first year of college last year, and our families. The more we talk, the more I feel at ease around him. He has a way of making me feel comfortable and understood.

By the time we finish our coffee, I realize that this chance encounter might just be the beginning of something special. And as Ryan walks me back to my dorm, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement for the adventures to come.

The next morning, I wake up early, excitement from the previous day still buzzing in my veins. Kelsey arrives today, and I can’t wait to show her everything I have already discovered. I check my phone and see a slew of text messages from her updating me on the progress of her getting into town. While I flew here, Kelsey chose to drive and bring her car. She wanted an adventure even before getting here but long car rides make me sick so hard pass. When I get to her last text I see she’s only about thirty minutes away. I jump out of bed and quickly get ready then head downstairs to wait for her.

As I stand outside Hamilton Hall, I spot her familiar car pulling up. Kelsey’s face lights up when she sees me, and she jumps out of the car, rushing over to give me a big hug. “Hailey!” she exclaims, squeezing me tightly. “I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, Kels!” I reply, hugging her back just as tightly. “Welcome to Chicago!”

We spend the next hour hauling her luggage up to our dorm room and catching up on all the things we hadn’t been able to cover over the phone. Kelsey is just as enthusiastic as I am about this new adventure, and her excitement is contagious.

“I want to hear all about the drive out! I can’t believe you did it all by yourself.”

“Well you know I’m an independent woman and all that. Plus being trapped with my mom for that long would drive me crazy. Did you know all the other states have so many trees? What a concept! Anyway, how about you? Did you go out last night?”

I blow a raspberry. “Yeah, right. The only time I left the room was to eat. Actually,” I mock whisper, “I literally bumped into a guy in the hall, then again at the café and ended up hanging out with him.”

“Oh, that sounds fun. Is he single?”

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