The University of Oz

I've decided to do my own spin on the Wizard of Oz (who hasn't?) with my own characters. The protagonist, Derek, a socially-awkward college nerd, is on a desperate quest for his first girlfriend. Follow his story as he finds himself in a magical University filled with sexy party babes, slackers, an evil jock, and so much more. Each chapter will be relatively short, and it will most likely only span 7-10 chapters at most, as this is just something I'm putting together on my free time between work. This is my first attempt at a Fanfiction story, so I'd love some feedback! I know my writing can use a lot of improvement!

Hope you enjoy!

- Ann

WARNING: This story contains depictions of marijuana use and under-age alcohol consumption, as well as references to sexual assault. I believe that these topics are discussed subtly enough to give this story a T rating rather than M, but I figure I should warn you guys anyway.

Chapter 1: The Not-So Social Network

Its 10 PM on a Friday night as Derek sits diligently at his computer, obsessively clicking away. His prescription glasses sit in front of his baggy, tired eyes. The bridge of his nose red and indented from the pressure of the spectacles pressed up against it. His light-brown mop of hair rests as a frizzled mass on his head, as if someone had taken a sweaty wig and slapped it on his scalp. The hair by his forehead appears to be the only portion he cares to take care of, as it functions as a cover-up for his already-receding hairline.

While most other college juniors are out looking for a party, Derek spends his night desperately scavenging Facebook. He refreshes his news feed every ten seconds, each time hoping that a notification will somehow magically appear. Specifically the response of any one of the dozens of girls he had messaged earlier in the night, striking up conversation with a "hi there", "hey how are you?", or a "you doin anything tonight?" So far each attempt has had the same outcome, as the words "Seen at 9:37 PM, Seen at 10:04 PM, Seen at 10:21 PM" pop up across each open chat window with no sign of a response in sight.

"Maybe they're just thinking about the best way to respond" he thinks to himself, attempting to keep his spirits up. However in the back of his mind he knows the futility of his attempts. After all, this is the same thing he did last week, and it would have been what he did the week before that if he didn't decide to turn one of his computer games into a drinking game all by himself.

Usually he brushes off the failed attempts and moves on with his life, but this night is different. This is his last weekend at school before summer break. He knows that if he doesn't meet anyone now, he'll be spending another summer as "that single nerd who can't get a girl". His frustration escalates exponentially as each girl he tried to contact signs off. Sweat drips down his forehead, glistening in the glowing aura from the computer screen, which is the only source of light in his dark dorm room. As statuses from friends boasting about their night bombard his news feed, he begins to slam his fist on the desk.

Soon enough, out from nowhere comes a giant photo of Sabrina, a girl he fancies quite a bit. She is clearly wasted out of her mind judging by her disheveled appearance. Her stance is so crooked that she would undoubtedly be sprawled across the floor if it weren't for the fact that she is being held up. Holding her is a tall, muscular guy with perfect hair and a tight shirt showing off the logo of the school's football team. His left arm curls around Sabrina's back as his right arm holds up an empty bottle of vodka, most of which he had most likely convinced Sabrina to consume. His sinister grin toward the camera and the way he is clenching Sabrina is reminiscent of a hunter showing off the game he had just killed. The caption of the photo reads, "gonna be a good night!"

Derek rises to his feet.

"Rob!" he shouts through his teeth. He could recognize Rob's menacing grin anywhere, and the sight of him holding the one girl Derek thought he ever had a chance with is too much for him. For a split second he sees red. Unable to control his actions, he cocks his fist, and in one swift motion he flings it toward the screen. Before he has a chance to think about what he's doing, his fist collides with the brand new, 27-inch screen he had just purchased. He instantly brings his hand to his chest, holding it in pain while shouting obscenities to himself. He stumbles back, trips on his chair, and knocks himself into his bookcase. Heavy books begin to rain down beside him as he slumps to the ground. He has no time to recover as one particularly beefy book falls right on his head, knocking him out cold.

It's 11:28 PM on a Friday, and Derek is lying motionless in a pile of his own books in a dark room.