A Love for Ami
Chapter One – A New School
Ami took a deep breath and clenched the key in her hand before inserting it into the keyhole to her new dorm room. With a confident click, the door easily swung open, allowing Ami to see where she would be spending the next school year. She walked over to the desk closest to the window, which allowed ample sunlight into the room, even through the decades old blinds covering the window. Ami placed her first bag onto the desk and took in the rest of her surroundings.
The room seemed luxurious at the moment, due to the fact that nothing other than bare furniture was on the room. The two beds were nestled along opposite walls with their accompanying desks in between them and thus doubling as a nightstand. In each of the tiny closets there was a towel rack and a small dresser. Ami was disappointed to find that no bookcases were included in the dorm and there was little chance she would fit a properly sized bookcase in the nearly non-existent extra space. With a shrug, Ami went back to the hallway to gather the rest of her things and begin settling into her new environment.
As Ami unpacked, she listened to a mixed CD containing tracks from the Three Lights and new recordings from both Minako and Michiru. To say the least, it was a seemingly awkward mix of music, but it put Ami at ease. She felt a tug on her heart as she thought of her friends back at home who were all busy with their own plans and ambitions. Usagi had finally achieved her life's goal a few months prior and was settling down with Mamoru, who had finally finished his graduate school program and was establishing himself as a doctor. Makoto got admitted to a world-renowned chef school and was quickly rising to the top of her class. Minako finally caught a break in her constant idol auditions and received a role in a TV drama and a record deal. Rei, following in her grandfather's footsteps, began to take on a greater role at the temple and accompanied Minako in writing music in her spare time.
Ami looked up from her box of winter clothes, which she couldn't imagine wearing given the current state of her uncomfortably warm room, and gazed out the window. Below her seventh story window, Ami could see other freshman with their families bringing bags into their own dorm buildings. Most of them wore bright smiles on their faces, laughing as younger siblings attempted to lift a bag much too heavy for them. Ami smiled for a moment, wishing someone could be there to help her in the transition. Putting aside her box of winter clothes, Ami took out another box, unmarked. Forgetting what she had placed in the box, Ami cautiously peeled the tape off the top and pulled open the flaps. From the box, Ami saw a small pile of photographs of her friends smiling up at her. Ami carefully took the photos out and put them on the desk. Under the photos, Ami found other desk items, including a lamp, pencil holder, and journal. Against the side of the box, Ami found a painting of her father's, and not just any painting, but her absolute favorite. It showcased a crystalline lake with purple mountains in the background. Ami's heart jumped each time she viewed the painting and it later calmed her as she worked on her studies. She carefully hung the painting on the wall next to the window, noting that she should get curtains to prevent the painting from being bleached out by the sun.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Ami completed setting up her side of the room as she broke down the last box. Preparing to take her boxes to the building's recycling center, Ami was stopped in her tracks as a loud thud came from the other side of the door. With the rattling of the doorknob, Ami realized that her roommate had arrived.