Move-in day

4:00 PM

Serena's POV

After five of the most agonizing hours of my life, our flight has finally landed. I told my parents that check-in time was at 1, but they didn't take that into consideration when they booked our flight. Now I'm going to be stuck with the top bunk and the least amount of closet space.

All of my belongings were shipped a week ago and are already in storage at my campus. If only I could have gotten to them in time. It's 4:00. I could have been settled in by now.

My parents and I have been looking forward to this day for as long as I could remember. When they imagined their daughter going to college, they imagined me going to Harvard and continuing the legacy. At Harvard I was supposed to join my mother's sorority and meet a nice boy from my father's fraternity so we could get married and buy a house in a neighborhood not too different from the one I grew up in. Our kids would attend the most expensive and, therefore, the best schools and then grow up to perpetuate the cycle. I, on the other hand, imagined things a little differently. Ever since I was ten my one goal in life was to be nothing like my parents, which meant not going to their alma mater and not marrying a nice Harvard boy.

When I told them I wasn't going to Harvard, they were furious. For added shock value, I told them I was going to Yale and they threatened to disown me. I guess they just don't understand my sense of humor. After a month of arguing, my parents finally accepted that I wasn't going to budge. Once I submitted my intent to register, my mother began looking at different sororities for me and found that her sorority is at my school. She has been preparing me for Rush since I was a toddler and there is no way she will let me go through college without being in her sorority.

"You will have the time of your life in Kappa Gamma Phi," she tells me. "That's how I met my dearest friends."

I'm well aware of who these "dearest" friends are and if those are the kind of people I'm going to meet in her sorority, I'd prefer to stay as far away from the Kappa house as possible.

I played tennis in high school and I was excellent, but when I told my mom I want to play at the college level, she told me that sports would get in the way of school and sorority life. "Being in a sorority will help you get into law school," she told me. "Tennis will do nothing for you." I haven't even attended my first class as an undergrad and she's already thinking about me getting into law school.

I'm meeting my roommate today and I'm starting to get nervous. I spent the whole summer wondering what she's like and hoping we'll get along. I've known people who became best friends with their freshman roommate and I've also known people who end up hating their roommate. I've only spoken to Abbie once, but that one conversation was enough to know that she's nothing like the girls I went to school with.

Our cab pulls up in front of the residence halls and I quickly get out so I can head over to where everyone is checking in. "Serena Southerlyn" I tell the girl at the desk and she hands me a folder with my name and room assignment on it. The ninth floor? Ugh! And I have to share a bathroom with the girls next door? My parents told me they paid for a private bathroom. This must be their way of getting back at me.

I look around the courtyard and witness the tearful goodbyes of other families. They're hugging and saying "I love you" while my parents are telling me they can't stay long because they have reservations at a restaurant downtown.

"Can you at least help me bring the boxes to my room?" I ask.

"I suppose there's time for that," my dad says and then smiles at me for the first time today. I know me moving away is hurting him a lot more than he'd like to believe.

We start loading the boxes into bins with wheels on the bottom to eliminate the need for more than one trip up to the ninth floor. Most parents want to prolong the moving-in process so they can spend more time with their son or daughter, but not mine. They want this process to be as quick and efficient as possible.

Once we reach my room, I punch in my code and open the door. The first thing I hear is country music coming from my roommate's computer. She's already here. I knew she would be. Okay, Serena, step in. Remember, you're going to be living with this girl for the next nine months of your life so try to be nice. Her taste in music isn't the same as yours, but maybe you won't be too different after all.

Before I work up the nerve to walk over and introduce myself. My mom steps in and quickly steps out. "Why would they pair our daughter with someone like that?" I hear her say to my dad as the two of them walk away from my room.

Did she actually just say that? What am I talking about? Of course she did. I look at Abbie and expect her to be offended, but she starts laughing instead.

"You must be Abbie," I say hesitantly as she gets up from her bed.

"Abbie Carmichael," she says as she smiles wide enough for me to see her dimples. "Pleased to meet ya."

"I'm Serena," I start to say even though I know it's lame. Who else would I be? "I'm sorry about my mom. She can be a bit—"

"Don't worry about it," Abbie quickly replies. "I get that all the time."

Get what all the time? I want to ask her, but I find myself unable to speak. I start to really look at Abbie for the first time. She's dressed simply and she seems to put no effort into her appearance. She's wearing a white tank top and a denim mini skirt with flip flops. Her long black hair is straight down with absolutely no curls on the bottom and I can't see a single accessory on her. Abbie is the type of girl who is naturally beautiful and either she doesn't know or she doesn't care.

I glance down at my own ensemble and start to wish I would have worn something else. I had planned this outfit for weeks, but now I feel so out of place. I'm wearing white skinny pants, a yellow polo shirt, and a light pink cardigan. Around my neck is a set of pearls I borrowed from my grandmother and my hair is in a high ponytail with curls.

"Is everything okay?" Abbie asks. Shit, I've been staring too long. So much for making a good impression. She's probably judging me already.

"I'm fine," I say and attempt to smile. No, I'm not fine. I feel like a total geek compared to this girl. "I better go talk to my mom," I say and turn to make my way to wherever my parents may be.

"Mom! Dad!" I shout once I see them standing next to the exit.

"Did you really have to say that?" I ask my mom once I catch up to them.

"Serena, did you see the way she was dressed? That girl has no morals. She's going to be a horrible influence on you," my mom says to me.

"You glanced at her once and you're already judging her?" I snap.

"Serena, we better get going," my dad intervenes. "We'll be downtown until tomorrow. Call us if you need anything."

"I will," I tell them even though it's a lie. "I'll miss you both." Yet another lie.

As soon as my parents leave, I decide it's time to gather up the courage to talk to my roommate.