Akira

Yale.

It is my first step toward my dream. Away from my home, Kent. I have been waiting for this day as long I can remember. My first day at Yale university. I'm so so excited that I can't even begin to express it.

My major is decided from start and I'd be majoring from arts. Art is my passion and my escape. I'm going to do my best to make my dream come alive. Since I'm here on scholarship, we don't have the money that could get me admission in Yale, I'm going to use every bit of it.

Grandma always says that my parents would be proud of me. I can only hope, wherever my mummy and daddy are, they can see me, and see that I'm following the path they dreamed for me.

I miss you mummy, daddy.

And I miss you too, Jake.

Come on Ira lets do it!

"Holy shit, this place is huge." My best friend Logan exclaims, whistling.

I grin, "I know."

"You are so going to rock, I tell you."

I turn to him, feeling a lump in my throat as I stare him. Logan is a next-door type of boy with dirty blond hair and soft amber eye. I've known him almost half of my life. He has been there for me during every high and low.

Oh, I'm gonna miss him.

"Logan, I love you, you know that right?"

"Yeah yeah." He waves his hand, dismissing me, but I see his eyes turning soft.

"Hey, you were supposed to say it back," I fire at him.

"When pigs will fly, love." He mocks back.

I smack his head narrowing my eyes as I walk past him, glancing around. It really is beautiful here and so huge that I could easily get lost here. The campus is splendid from every corner.

"Come on, lets find my dorm room. I wonder how my roommate would be like, I don't want any wild or party type girl though. You know me and my obsession with clean and organized place, Logan?"

I notice that he hasn't interrupted me while I was speaking about my habit. He loves to make fun of it, knowing how much it irritates me. When he still doesn't reply, I turn around and only to find him missing.

Where the hell is he?

Looking around the crowd for him I return to same path, sensing my rising panic. Just as I turn at a corner, an abrupt collide to someone has my eyes shut tightly.

A sudden shock of awareness shoots through my body as I feel someone's hard arm around my waist to steady me. I gasp slightly at its intensity and unfamiliarity but before I can even open my eyes, its gone. Confused, I frown looking about, when I move to spin around to see the mysterious stranger, my eyes lock with a grinning figure of Logan.

Irritated and distracted from earlier encounter, I approach him with a angry scowl. I see his mouth wide open as he gawks the football players. I know what is he thinking and the thought tightens my gut painfully. Ever since his knee injury he is prohibited to play football. He would never admit it but I know how much he misses playing. It had been his life for time being until Bella came along.

Gazing around I catch a group of girls standing by the players, eying them and an idea pops in my head. Looking back at Logan, I pinch his arm to gain his attention.

"Ow!" He winces grabbing his arm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing staring those girls?" I try to distract him.

At first he looks confused and glances at the girls. I know I succeed in averting his sad thoughts when a charming smile forms on his face, "I was just admiring them. Fuck, they are hot, like seriously mouth watering hot." He wolf whistles.

"You have a girlfriend, you idiot." I hiss as I try to appear angry.

His girlfriend Bella is a sweet and charming girl, well aside from her sex life descriptions. I don't even understand how she put up with him and his filthy mouth. Maybe people are right when they say, 'opposite attracts because only they can balance each other.' He loves her though, with everything he has. I sometimes wish to have what they both have but then I think not now, when the time is right.

There is no perfect time to fall in love.

Though I know the little voice is right, I ignore it effortlessly. I can't think about it now.

Logan's voice pulls me back, "So what? Having girlfriend doesn't mean I have to ignore any hot eye candy." He is lying. I know it and so does he.

I give up because there is no point of arguing him and there is no way I will win against him, not when he is going to use colourful words and imaginations from his brain. Surely not when both of us are arguing on a non existing matter.

"Alright, alright, can we please go and check my dorm room?" I ask irritably.

He glares me but doesn't say anything and starts walking. Once we are in front my dorm room. I release a sigh of relief as I open the door. Finally.

Oh my,

This is big and elegant with historic touch. There is two different room in each side of this big room, I guess that is our room. There is small kitchen at side and two couch and TV. Everything is looking cozy and expensive but then again what did you expect from Yale.

"Fuck, its like dream coming true." He grins at me.

I am too busy in gaping, I almost forgot that he is still here. Awestruck, same as me.

Hope lots of hope, develops inside me.

"I know," I wink back.

Then his face turns serious and I know what is coming.

"I know, I told you this before but I'm repeating it. No party, no drink, no boys, only study. This is what you came for and this is what you are going to concentrate on, you understand?" He says trying to be stern.

I roll my eyes, "Yeah mom, now you listen to me, you are going back home and you are going to take care of my grandma for me."

"You don't have to ask for it Ira, she is my grandma too. Now go inside and arrange your things, you freak."

My eyes water as I go to hug him, "I love you, Logan. Thank you for always being there for me."

He returns the hug and wrap his arms tightly around me, "I love you too babe. Take care and call me if you need anything and I mean anything."

I sniff, letting him go, he frowns at me as if I have somehow offended him. I narrow my eyes, "What?"

He smiles teasingly and taps my nose, "Stop crying or I'm going to cry too, you know how I cry and then Bella is not going kiss me whole day, she will bitch about not blowing my nose clean".

We both laugh at his silly attempt of joke and he pecks my forehead before he turns to leave. Once he is out of sight, I turn toward my room and prepare myself for everything.

Here we go.

As I enter, I'm welcomed with loud music and here goes my decent roommate. I look toward noise, its coming from other room. I'm about move for my room, I hear a light squeal and I see a tall model like brunette coming toward me. She is pretty, really pretty with pale green eyes and stunning figure.

God, she looks almost perfect.

I clear my throat, "Hey I'm Akira. You must be Sydney, my roommate, I was told about you."

She smiles beautifully, hugging me briefly. "Yeah I am Sydney, your awesome roommate."

She starts explaining about rooms and other things, as time of laundry and main hall.

"Do you need some help to unpack your things?" She asks.

Oh hell no. I like to do my things in certain way and I can never be satisfy until it's according to me.

I shake my head, "No, thank you. I'll manage."

She nods, "Oh okay, after you are done, let me know. I can give you a small tour of campus if you want."

I nod back, "That'd be great. Thanks Sydney."

She gives me a wink, "You are cool. I can tell we are gonna be best friends."

Best friend, I'm not sure but friends yeah. She looks wild and I'm not. She looks party type and I'm not, but she seems good.

I smile, "Yeah we are going to be great friends."

Then I go inside my room, my inside feels giddy and touchy. I mean, I have dreamed about this moment like million times, now when finally this is becoming true, I can't wrap my mind around it. It still feels like a dream.

I guess 'dreams come true'.

I move to my bed and start unpacking, after what seems like whole day, I'm done. I have unpacked my things and everything is arranged accordingly, hence I'm satisfied.

Why I'm feeling like I'm forgetting something, something important?

Because you are.

Yes, but what? As far I remember-

Oh Crap!

I forgot to call my grandma. I was supposed to call her as soon I entered my room. She must be furious. I quickly pull out my phone and shit, there is seven missed calls and all from grandma. I call back, she picks up in second ring like she was waiting for my call.

This is not good. Not at all.

"Akira Mary Ray! Its about time you call me, young lady." My grandma screeches from other side.

I cringe and pull my phone away from my ear, "I'm so sorry, grandma. Please forgive me. I know I forgot, I wa...,"

"You forgot! You forgot to call when I had reminded you like thousands time." She scolds, again.

That was the problem back in home. Elizabeth Ray, my lovely grandmother. She always tries to dictate my life according to herself. I know she loves me, maybe too much love. I'm the only one she has left but still some times it gets too much and it suffocates me, like wear this, don't do that, you are a lady behave like one and so on.

"I'm sorry grandma." I sigh softly.

She also sighs, a long calming sigh, "Its okay dear, just don't to this again. You know how easily I worry when it comes to you. You are only one I have."

"Yeah, I know and I'm eighteen now. You don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. I'm big girl now." I tell her.

She snorts, "You will always be my little girl, weather you are eighteen or eighty. So how is everything there?"

This is again a problem, whenever I try to tell her that I'm big girl. All she'd do scoff and change the subject.

"Everything is awesome here. My room is very big and I have separate bathroom too. We have a kitchen and living room as well and college is so big that anyone can get lost here. Sydney said she is going to give tour of it."

"Wait, who is Sydney and how is she?" Great, she is already suspicious.

"She is my roommate and she seems fine." I mutter suppressing a groan.

"Alright, I will let you go now, enjoy but not too much. No party and-"

I cut her off, "No boy, no trouble. Yeah yeah I get it. Bye. Love you."

"I love you too, Akira. Take care."

After cutting the call, I look at myself in mirror and cringe at the sight, my hairs are all out of place and my dress is dirty and wrinkled. I think I should change before we go for tour.

I pick out my blue shirt that matches with my eye and black tight jeans, after changing I keep my hairs down as it was and just comb it. My hairs are natural blonde and straight.

Phew, now I look good, presentable.

Though I'm not very stunning or anything but I'm good enough with petite figure, curvy body and striking blue eyes. My eyes are the best damn part. They are just like my mothers and I love them more for it.

There is knock on my door, "It's open." I call back.

Sydney comes inside, wearing shorts that seem too short for my taste and a tight strapless top.

"We are going for tour, are we not?" I ask her confused.

"Yeah, of course we are going. Why do you ask?" She frowns as if I'm being silly.

Am I? I don't know.

"Its nothing, you look good." I comment.

"Thanks. Luke, my boyfriend loves it, when I wear shorts. So I always try to tempt him and You look cute too."

Cute, jeez.

I blush and mutter a 'thank you'.

Once we are outside, I see she is not only one who is dressed in shorts, many or almost every girls are wearing same kind of dress.

So I guess I'm the odd one.

'Of course, you are.' My inner self pipes again.

Shoo away!

I'm good the way I am. I don't need to change myself just because I'm here, I try to make myself feel better so I could stop this weird and uncomfortable feeling that I don't belong here.

"Come on, lets show you what we have." She pulls me out of my thoughts.

As we walk, I am amazed by sight of every class, lab and office. Everything looks magnificent. She shows me some of my classes, main hall, main gate and now we are going toward cafeteria, where I think her boyfriend and friends are waiting. I don't want to intrude but she insists that it would be fun and I should join them, so I agree.

Lets just hope you made the right choice.

Yeah, I can only hope.