Page 3 of That's Too Pucking Bad

“Remy.” I push my glasses up again, feeling awkward.

Maya tilts her head, studying me for a second. “Where are your bags?”

“Uh, I didn’t bring any. I live near here.”

Her eyes widen slightly. “Oh, no, no. You’re supposed to stay on campus. Didn’t they tell you?”

“Yeah, I just found out. I didn’t know boarding was part of the deal.”

“No biggie. I’ll show you our room anyway,” she says with a shrug, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “It’s super nice. You’ll love it. Come on.”

I hesitate for a second but then follow her. She seems nice enough, and I’d rather have someone guide me than wander around like a lost puppy.

“So, what’s your major?” Maya asks as we walk.

“Psychology.”

“Oh cool, I’m doing fashion design. My parents weren’t thrilled, but screw it, right? Gotta do what makes you happy.”

“Yeah, totally,” I say, though I don’t really relate. I picked psychology because it seemed like a solid choice. Something stable. Not because I love it.

As we walk, Maya gives me a mini tour, pointing out different buildings. “That’s the library. You’ll probably spend half your life in there. Oh, and over there’s the dining hall. The food’s actually decent. And that’s the arts center—they do a ton of events there.”

I nod along, trying to absorb everything. This place is massive. And fancy. Like,ridiculouslyfancy. Every building looks like it belongs in some high-end magazine. It’s a lot to take in, and it just makes me more aware of how out of place I feel.

“I’m in a huge fight with my friends,” Maya says. “They can’t decide if they want to go to Olivia Rodrigo’s concert or Taylor Swift’s. It’s, like, a huge drama right now.”

I try not to laugh. “That sounds... intense.”

“Right? I’m like,just pick one, but they’re all so obsessed with both. Honestly, rich people problems,” she says with a dramatic sigh.

I blink. Okay, that confirms it. Everyone here is rich. Even Maya. I’m suddenly glad I didn’t bring up the fact that my mom’s a nurse and we’re barely scraping by. Not that she’d judge me for it, but still... it’s awkward.

We finally reach the dorms, and Maya leads me inside. Hollister Hall is even more luxurious than I imagined. The common areas look like something out of a five-star hotel. Everything’s sleek and modern, with giant windows and shiny floors. The air smells like vanilla and fresh linen, and I swear I can hear soft music playing somewhere in the background.

“Here we are,” Maya says, stopping in front of a door.

She unlocks it and pushes it open, revealing a room that’s huge. There are two beds—one side of the room is fully decorated with twinkling lights, a fluffy pink comforter, and a million throw pillows. The other side is completely empty and barren, clearly waiting for me.

“That’s your side,” Maya says, pointing.

I nod, still processing everything. It’s bigger than my entire room back home, and definitely a hell of a lot fancier.

“I’ll leave you to get settled. If you need anything, just let me know!” Maya flashes me a smile and heads for the door. “I’ll see you around, Remy!”

“Thanks, Maya,” I call after her, still a little dazed.

I drop my bag on the bed and sit down, staring at the empty wall in front of me. This is... a lot. Everything about thisplace screams money, and I’m not sure I’m ready for it. But I’m here. Somehow, I made it.

I should probably call my mom. She might be asleep, but she’ll freak out when she realizes I haven’t called yet.

I’ll give it another hour. I toss the schedule on my bed and grab my phone instead.

I swipe through the home screen and look at the missed call from Collin.Of course. There’s a part of me that wants to call him back, but we’ve been arguing so much lately, it’s probably better to leave it. Another dumb fight about something stupid. Lately, it’s like everything sets him off, and I’m getting tired of it.

I throw my phone down, not dealing with that right now. I need to get out of this room and explore before I go completely insane.

Grabbing my bag, I walk out and wander around campus. The first day buzz is real, people everywhere, laughing, talking, and showing off their new outfits. Everyone looks like they’re dressed for a photoshoot. And then there’s me. I tug at my sleeve self-consciously. I know I look out of place. I remind myself that I didn’t come here to impress anyone.

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