Hey, hey! Wow! Thanks to all those that read, added me to their alerts, and favorite stories. I was humbled and motivated to pop this next chapter out before heading off to work for the day. Oh and also a special thanks to K-K for reviewing : ) very much appreciated.
So here is the next bit, kind of a second part to the intro if you will. Let me know what you think!
I don't own skins or anything of the sort.
Chapter II: Intro (part 2)
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Fireworks were going off all around Naomi. Literally. The mandatory mixer ended up being a gather of all the first years on the lawn of the president's house. Activities including listening to a speaker ramble on about new beginnings and great expectations, watching someone in the "Golden Knight" mascot suit run around, and witness a firework display.
The small campus was actually quite pretty, most of it running up a hill. Naomi stood in the evening light on the lawn looking around. Again noticing the lack of faces she knew. As she began to feel the anxiety of her decision to go somewhere new she saw a face she did recognize. Well a face she recognized from earlier that evening.
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Naomi sat down on the floor of the dorm hallway. All the students sat along the wall listening to their Resident Advisor, Janet, speak.
With her arms resting on her pulled up knees Naomi turned to her right to look down the hall only to see the slight brunette sitting next to her staring back. It was a slightly unnerving stare, as if her deep blue eyes were actually seeing deep into her.
The girls pallid face broke into a small smirk.
"How much do you think this bird gets off talking about how she's here for us, and in charge?"
Naomi laughed.
"I'm Effy," the brunette said.
"Naomi."
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Naomi walked up to the group of girls Effy was amongst.
"Hi," she said tentatively coming up to Effy's side.
"Hey Naomi," she replied. Naomi recognized the other two girls from their floor meeting though couldn't put names to their faces.
"Bit much don't you think?" Effy stated looking around.
"Yeah, it's a bit grand if you ask me," Naomi replied as the fireworks light up the sky.
Naomi learned the other two girls names were Holly and Sam.
"So what is this party you were speaking bout Sam?" Holly asked.
"A party? Where?" Naomi heard a familiar voice say as Panda joined the makeshift circle of girls.
Effy smiled at Panda. While Naomi had seen Effy smile more than once since meeting earlier that day she had a feeling it was a rare thing to earn.
The party was down in the town.
"Shall we go Naomi?" her roommate asked in a hopeful tone.
"Why not," Naomi shrugged.
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Fucking hell. The noise was persistently abrasive to say the least. Naomi stood up and called over to Panda who somehow did not seem to hear it.
"Panda," the dirty blonde did not move lying in her lofted bed. "Panda!" Nothing.
Naomi walked over to the girl shaking her slightly, past niceties. "PANDA!" the blonde yelled.
"Is it time for class already?" A sleep soaked voice mumbled from the covers. It was Sunday night. The first day of classes were the following day and Panda had gone to bed early in preparation.
"No, fire alarm's going off," Naomi explained watching the girl slowly come to. "C'mon we've got to go outside. Apparently we'll get fined if we ignore it. Greedy bastards."
Naomi grabbed a jumper as Panda hopped down from bed to chair to floor: her "step ladder" as she referred to it.
Together they shuffled out the room and down the stairwell next to it. The shrieking alarm was deafening in the hallway.
"So you're a heavy sleeper as well, yeah?" Naomi said rounding the first flight.
"Dead as a log says me mum," Panda smiled sleepily.
"Well shit," Naomi laughed.
"What?" Panda asked not getting the joke.
"Me as well," Naomi explained with a small lopsided smile, "We're fucked if there's actually a fire in the middle of the night."
"Well at least the buggers won't be able to fine us, seeing as well be dead and all."
Naomi let out a snort of laughter. Upon meeting her Naomi immediately knew Panda was funny, but until this moment she was not aware of her capacity for cynical humor. It surprised her. And she liked it.
All the students poured out of the flashing dormitory pooling in clusters across the adjacent car park.
Naomi found herself standing around faces she did not know as Panda had meandered off. Looking immediately to her right she noticed the girl standing closest to her. Even in the darkness of the night Naomi could see the brightness of her hair.
"First fireworks now a fire," Naomi found herself saying, "quite the welcoming, yeah?"
The smaller girl looked up surprised before a timid smile crept across her face, "Yeah."
"What I'm trying to figure it out is if it's just a drill or if someone was actually daft enough to start a fire first weekend in," Naomi didn't know where this sudden socialness was coming from but she decided to roll with it. What did she care? She'd never met the girl before.
The girl rewarded her with a chuckle followed by a mischievous smirk. Her eyes narrowing slightly looking up to meet Naomi's for the first time. "Based on the lot I've met so far," she said in playful husky voice, "My money's on the daft fire starter."
It was Naomi's turn to laugh this time, "Probably trying to make a cup a tea."
"Caught that water right on fire."
They were bantering. It was nice. Naomi smiled.
Just then Janet the R.A. was shouting. "Alright everyone, well nice job getting outside. It was just a drill. You can head back in."
"Good thing we didn't make a bet," Naomi shrugged turning back to the bright haired girl.
"Good thing," she smiled at Naomi, "Night."
She walked away back toward the dorms. Only then Naomi realizing she never got the girls name, never even introduced herself.
"Whizzer! Early to bed early to class!" Panda said coming directly into Naomi's line of vision. "Or some'in like that. I can never remember how those sayings go. Was that right?"
"Yeah Panda, sounds about right," Naomi said following her roommate back toward the dorms.