Dena hurried toward lecture hall as the late bell rang. She had just made it through the door on the last ring. She made a mental note to herself about starting the coffee pot before getting in the shower so as to avoid another close call. She found her seat amongst the other students and prepared to head the professor's directions. There was one who was less fortunate than Dena it seemed, as a girl she had never seen before snuck into the room conspicuously. The amount of free seats had made themselves scarce, but one remained beside Dena. The new girl spotted it and crept over to claim it.
"You didn't just see that," New Girl joked. This earned a giggle from Dena. "See what?" She returned. New Girl looked pleased and offered her hand for Dena to shake. "Kim, your new friend?"
"Ladies in the back!" The professor called out, annoyed. They looked at eachother and stifled their giggles. "I'm Dena, your new friend." They shook hands and returned to note taking.
After the lesson had dragged on long enough, the two left and chatted together. They talked about the class, their majors, their goals, and their lives. Dena learned that Kim just transferred classes after switching her major. She learned that it was quite a hectic process, but Kim was grateful for it. The two happened to have one other class together and vowed to go together later. They parted ways until then.
Dena was left feeling bubbly as she headed off to her dorm. She hadn't had many friends in high school. It felt good to see a connection forming like this.
At her dorm, she worked on an essay and double checked her paper for her next class. She had a bit of time to kill, so she decided to catch up on that show she was watching. She wasn't entirely invested in the plot, but she would never miss a chance to see her favorite couple on screen. She envied their friends-to-lovers dynamic. Not that she would want that for herself, right?
It was almost time for class again, so Dena made her way out. She bumped into Kim and the two enjoyed some conversation before arriving. They agreed to get dinner together afterward.
Kim suggested they go to a nearby mom and pop sandwich shop. They both got her favorite menu item, the egg salad sandwich. Dena didn't like it as much as Kim did, but she appreciated the gesture. They laughed together and talked some more before the night ended. At last, they parted ways and said their goodnights after promising to meet up for class the next day.
Dena tidied up the dorm a little before getting ready for bed to burn off some extra energy. She turned out the light and drifted off to sleep under the softness of the covers.