Chapter 5

Everything had been good up to this point in watching my family drive away, on their way back home without me. We had eaten a wonderful lunch, everyone going on about how beautiful is was here in Colorado, how they wished they could stay here with me. Of course they couldn't, though Sam tried, but they were planning on coming to visit me sometime while I was here, probably more than once.

We had gotten to campus, ready to find out which dorm was mine and start unloading my things. Though the college was called the University of Modern Arts, the building itself was anything but modern. It was a very old, stone, probably Victorian building. I was guessing it was not meant to be a college when it was first built, but over the years the inside had been remodeled to accommodate it so. There were columns that stretched the entire front of the building, glorious french doors with glass panels. The stone bricks jutted out over the entire structure, a hazy gray color with rich amber tones accenting it.

On the inside the ceilings were high, with wood beams gracing it from side to side. The floors were spread with amber tiles, with smooth stone pathways planted down the middle of the foyer, branching out to hallways. Glorious painting, sculptures, vases, tapestries and even digital art were strewn along the walls; And as you came to the twin set of curved stairways was a bubbling fountain, spewing water from a scene of an angel fighting a demon.

If I were to say I was ecstatic to be able to go to school here, as well as living in the building, it would be an understatement. Unfortunately, as I stood in the main office, frowning at the small women who sat there, I realized that even though I would still be attending classes here, I would not get the privilege to live on campus.

"What do you mean all the dorms are full?" I asked in near panic. This could not be happening to me, it had to be a mistake. I had been filled with dread when the small, gray haired, stone faced woman had told me that all the dorm rooms were taken.

"I am sorry Miss but have had a little mix up with the number of students that would be attending this year and we are a little bit over the allowed occupancy."

My mother took a step forward, placing a hand on my should and I knew she was about to raise nine kinds of hell for the poor woman. Lucky for her she spoke up before my mother could even take a breath.

"No need to panic dear, we have a place only half an hour from campus where you, as well as a few other girls in your situation are being allowed to stay. Of course, if you would like, there are many rooms for rent around town, as well as some very nice apartments." She gave a reassuring smile and pushed her glasses a little further up her nose as she spoke.

"I don't have enough money to rent a room, let alone get an apartment. Whats the deal with this other place?"

"Well, since we made the mistake of accepting too many student the got together to think of a solution. The school owns property just outside of town with some nice old country cottages. It has been agreed to let those of you without a dorm to stay there, free of charge if you so choose. Though, if you choose to stay there with the other girls there is a wager you have to fill out. Any accidents that happen on the property will be your own responsibility."

It was probably the best news I had heard all day, offered to stay in a country cottage, free of charge, off campus; It almost seemed too good to be true. I would have liked to have a dorm room, but the way the lady spoke she make the cottage sound like heaven on earth. I filled out the wager and happily took my class schedule, a map of the campus, and a stack of papers explaining the requirements of each class.

The lady gave me directions to a room down the hall where a group of other students waited to be taken to this cottage off campus. Lucky of me there was one room left and as soon as we entered the call room we were all filing out and on our way there. As we made our way to the parking lot I found out that the man who was taking us there was also my digital media professor Mr. Right. Just in case your wondering, no he was not married, and yes, he has heard plenty of jokes about his name.

There was a long line of cars full of students and their families as we headed 'just outside of town' which turned out to be no where near town. Sure, it was only about a thirty minuet drive as the office lady had said, but campus was already 'just outside of town'. It was a winding, narrow two lane road that eventually turned into gravel; A canopy of trees shading the drive as our cars bounced and bobbed over the little divits that made up most of the road.

After about twenty minuets of nothing but trees and winding dirt road finally the narrow pathway we were on opened up to a wide clearing dotted with four very big, very un-cottage like cottages. Cars lined the sides of three of the cottages already, leaving the last one for me and the other girls to pull up next to. When the lady had said cottages I had thought of small, ranch style log structures. With big porches and a cozy fireplace in the front room. Apparently her definition of a cottage and mine were vastly different.

Each 'cottage' had to have at least three different floors, not including the fact that there might be an attic. Elaborate stone stairway entrances with a tall, rounded stone alcove that made up the doorway. It looked as if the collage and a cottage had bread and made these mansion-like Victorian-country homes. I looked over at Sam and saw her jaw wide open, and her big blue eyes staring up at my new home. There was no doubt she could be mad at me for leaving now, from the looks of it she was more jealous than anything.

One right after the other we piled out of our cars, all of us sharing expressions much like Sams as we made our way to the front door. Mr. Right came in behind us and began showing us around, that is, after we got over the initial shock of being able to stay there. The front room was obviously the main room on the floor, already furnished with whiskey brown leather couch, a matching love seat set to the side of it, and two recliners on the other side of the room, making a nice conversation area. There was a deep mahogany coffee table set low in the middle, and a end table sitting between the two chairs, sitting on top of which was a small crystal lamp.

I was happy to see I got my fireplace, which was surrounded by a stone mantelpiece, and hanging above it was a majestic scene of the forest. Leading off to the side of the main room was a small dinning area, with a simple table that didn't fit well with the rest of the country-Victorian decor. Going further still was the kitchen, brightly lit thanks to a set of glass doors that lead off into the back of the house; Which, I might add, was a breath taking view of a lake and the forest off to the side.

The kitchen was more modern than the rest of the house, covered in white tile, marble counter tops and stainless steel appliances. We were told that we had to supply our own food, but other than that there was nothing else we had to pay for. We had clean water from our own private well, all the rooms were fully furnished, and all the plumbing, heating, and electricity had been updated in the last year.

The next part of the tour consisted of a library, fully stocked with books of every kind from floor to ceiling. A three panel bay window with seating area, more leather chairs and a couch to curl up on with a good book. There was a study, with a desk that took up a good portion of the room, reading lamp, computer, the basics really. Then, we were told the only thing left to see were the room. which is what we had all been waiting for.

Of course, we got to choose our own rooms, there were enough for all of us, and it was first come first serve. I was nearly trampled by the swarm of bodies that fled past me out of the study. I was in no rush though, by the looks of the place I didn't think there would be a room that was not amazing. I took my time wandering down the halls, glancing inside every doorway looking for one that had not been claimed yet.

There were three floors indeed, and about six rooms on every floor, the odd thing was that I did not see a single bathroom on any floor other than the main. Which made me wonder if every room had their own bathroom; And sure enough someone had been thinking the same thing I was because a few seconds later I head a shout of glee as one girl yelled out that she had her own bathroom. There was a moment of silence before others started confirming that they had their own bathroom as well.

I was on the top floor before I found an empty room, it was almost twice as big as my room back at home. A dark, cherry wood four poster bed with a matching dresser and night stand. There were hardwood floors and more crystal lamps, paintings hung up on the walls, and along with the bathroom there was a spacious walk in closet. I was in no way, shape, or form unhappy with the room I got.

Just as I was leaping into the bed, my arms out stretched and a grin plastered on my face the was a light knock on the door. I lifted my head to see on of the other girls standing in the doorway, looking a little bit nervous about intruding.

"Sorry to bother you, I'm April and I was just wondering...well, if you would trade rooms with me.

My first thought was what could possibly be wrong with the room she had chosen to not want it anymore. I supposed she saw the question on my face because she rushed ahead to reassure me.

"There is nothing wrong with it, I promise. Not for you anyways, I hope not. Its just that it has a balcony that I did not notice at first, and I am a bit scared of heights. Just knowing that its there freaks me out....Your not afraid of heights, are you?"

Her words were so run together it took me a moment to process it all and shake my head in answer. She lead me to her room next to mine at the end of the hall, and sure enough there were a pair of glass doors that lead off onto a balcony with a view of the woods. She told me how the curtains had been closed over the doors when she came in, and thought it was just a window.

I took a look around the room for a moment, noticing that the closet was a bit smaller in this room, and instead of a dresser there was a vanity; But it didn't matter, the girl had a fear of heights and though she could very well see if any of the other girls would trade her I didn't mind trading a little closet space for a balcony. In fact, I was grateful she had asked me first, I liked this room a lot more than the other one. She thanked me and told me she would buy me lunch sometime then rushed out before I could even tell her there was no need.

As we unpacked my car and took my things to my room, we also had to pack my dads car with some of the things I had bought before leaving that I had no use for anymore. Such as the night stand and mini fridge, which I told Sam she could have; I decided to keep the bookcase because even though there was a library in the building, I had brought a bunch of my own books and would need a place to keep them. I didn't even need the blankets and bedsheets from home because the bed was already made up.

I didn't need the reading lamp I had brought, or the hangers, I had noticed that there were already towels in the bathroom but decided to keep the ones I brought just in case. By the time we were done there were more things going back home with my parents than I was keeping here with me. So here I was now, standing at the front of the house, the sun setting behind me as I watched my parents and all the kids drive off back down the gravel road.

Oh yeah, I was balling like a baby, it was okay though, because countless other girls were standing outside with me, sobbing as bad as I was. I was clutching the two photo albums my mom had given to me before they left. One full of pictures of the family, and the other one blank, for me to fill up and send back home when it was full. As I dragged myself back into the house, that voice in the back of my head was screaming at me to pack up all my stuff and follow after my parents.

A short twenty four hours from now I would be wishing I had listened to that voice. I would have wished I had never gotten accepted to Colorado's University of Modern Arts, I would wish I had lead a crummy life working as a secretary and never getting to follow my dreams. Most of all, I would be wishing I had never, ever opened those two unmarked boxes and fought with Sam that both the damn ring and necklace were mine. I was right of course, they were defiantly mine, I should have let her have them though, or thrown them away. My life would have been a lot more normal if I had.