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Chapter 2
Two WeeksLater
Welcome to Lander University!" The outcry could be heard from every corner of the Lander campus. It echoed in the open spaces. It wasn't a big place to begin with, but it looked like every student in attendance was out and about with their families on Move-In day. Clarissa moved forward in the line of cars, getting closer and closer to the brick building with a small, black, hanging sign proclaiming it to be "Chipley Hall.” I yawned as the car inched forward, covering my mouth as my lips stretched wide. Jesus, I needed some decent sleep. I hadn’t gotten much in the last few weeks as the guys and I had rushed around preparing everything we needed to get ready for the semester and more importantly, theinvestigation.
“I’m sorry the boys couldn’t be here to help you move in,” she said quietly as the car inched forward in the procession of waiting vehicles. “I’m sure they’ll stop by once they get the others settled into the house. It’s only a block or soaway.”
I nodded and kept my eyes glued to the girls getting out of each vehicle with their parents, toting large bags of clothes and books and other things, wearing Lander University and Greek Life t-shirts. In the back of Clarissa’s van, I had the basic necessities. Clothes. Toiletries. Blankets and pillows. The computer Marv had given me before, and that was about it. It looked like some of the girls were bringing entire houses to the dorm. When we finally pulled up and stopped, I gotout.
“Hi there!” a bright, cheery eyed woman in an equally bright yellow t-shirt with the word Lander stretched across the front, stopped before us holding a clipboard. “What’s yourname?”
“Um… Harlow Hampton.” I shifted on my feet as Clarissa smiled warmly at the youngwoman.
“Harlow Hampton…Harlow…Hampton…ah! Here you are.” The woman checked something off on her clipboard and then directed us towards the building. “First floor,” she said. “You’re lucky. We don’t have an elevator. It’ll be room 107. You’ll get your keys just inside the door at the table and you can go ahead and set up. I think your roommate is already here. Have a great day and welcome to LanderUniversity!”
I bobbed my head even as she moved away to the next girl that stepped out of the car. “Come on, dear, let’s get your things,” Clarissasuggested.
I grabbed a few bags and my laptop and followed Clarissa dutifully inside the building. Just as the woman had said, there were tables run by similarly dressed girls. I retrieved my keys and then followed Clarissa around the corner. The halls were larger than I had expected. Someone had placed their entire desk out in front of their door, but there was still room to squeeze by, even with the bags Clarissa and I held. The door to room 107 was ajar and soft classic rock music filtered out as a girl with shoulder length, pink hair flitted from one side of the room to theother.
“Oh, hi!” she said when she noticed Clarissa and I standing outside. “Are you myroommate?”
Clarissa nudged my back. “Um…” I stepped inside. “I guess so. I’m Harlow.” When the girl held her hand out, I looked down at my full arms and quietly turned to set my bags on the unmade bed at my side before returning and taking herhand.
“Lizzie,” the girl announced. I blinked at her bright smile. Everything about this girl screamed outgoing—from the bubblegum pink hair to the soft blue eyes to the toothpaste commercialsmile.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Lizzie,” Clarissa said from behind me. I pulled my hand away and moved to the side so that Clarissa could move around me and set her loaddown.
“My family already left. I hope you don’t mind that I took this side of the room,” Lizzie said, nodding to Clarissa and me as she gestured to the already made bed and the posters ofThe BeatlesandPink Floydon the white brickwalls.
“I don’t mind,” I said, peeking around. The room was bigger than my room at the guys’ house, but it seemed small with all of the stuff crammed inside. There was double of everything—twin beds, desks, dressers, and even closets. The only thing not doubled was the mini-fridge and microwave shoved between the twodressers.
It looked like Lizzie had jacked up her bed so that she could slide trunks and containers beneath it. It would have been neatly hidden if her comforter wasn’t too short. As it was, I could see the lower half of two plastic bins and a trunk towards the end of her twinbed.
At that moment, two girls in Greek Life t-shirts knocked on the open door. “Hi!” they said in unison. “We’re just dropping off the rest of Harlow’s things fromoutside.”
Clarissa thanked them, and Lizzie’s eyes widened. “Is this all you brought?” sheasked.
Inodded.
“I tried to tell her she might need a bit more,” Clarissa said teasingly. “Knix wouldn’t haveminded.”
“Knix?” Lizzie’s brows lowered inconfusion.
“I don’t need anything else,” I assuredthem.
Lizzie shook her head. “You might regret that, unless you have a car. Did you even bring any kitchenstuff?”
“Why would I need kitchen stuff?” I asked. “Isn’t there acafeteria?”
Lizzie laughed. “Oh, boy, you’re gonna get sick of that after a week! I’m a sophomore, I shouldknow.”
“Well, what’s done is done now,” Clarissa said when she saw the uncertainty and worry on my face. “Why don’t we finish getting you set up, so I can move thecar?”
It didn’t take long at all to open the new comforter and sheets and make my bed. As I did that, Lizzie offered to help Clarissa hang clothes. “Alright,” Clarissa said stepping back as she gently set my computer down on the desk designated as mine. “Looks good. You need anything else,honey?”
I looked around the room, wondering the same thing, and shook my head. “I don’t thinkso.”
“Are you sure?” Lizzie asked, looking at my barren side of the room with obviousskepticism.
