Rebecca Turner couldn't remember another morning quite as lovely as this. She leaned back and took a deep cleansing breath, the sun warming her face and making her feel like the mistress of a new domain. Back in Idaho, she'd still likely be wearing shorts on this late August day, but before long it would be wool hats and heavy sweaters and zero-degree temperatures and all other matter of awfulness. It was already in the mid-70's in the East Valley of Arizona, but the thought of winter back home sent a shiver up her spine anyway.
She smiled at an image of her best friend Dean through the frost on her bedroom window, scraping her car windshield because he didn't want to be late for school, secure in the knowledge Rebecca would hit snooze at least twice before dragging her butt out of bed. Rebecca glanced at her watch. "Ten more minutes," she thought, sipping her coffee and surveying her new classmates at Arizona State walking through the amphitheater at the center of campus.
Some were upperclassmen, strolling along in groups and already planning the week's social calendar. Some were obvious newbies, glancing nervously at paper printouts, unsure if their first class was ahead of them or behind them.
Rebecca was an incoming freshman, but she'd been in town over a week, and a day hadn't gone by when she hadn't thrown on her running gear and jogged around and around these grounds, anxiously awaiting this morning. She knew exactly where her Studio Production class was and the quickest route around the Walter Cronkite building to Principles and History of Journalism. No first day of school stress for her today, she was a ball of excitement.
She stepped off the natural grass step and brushed off her shorts. As she set off down the hill toward Studio Production, she thought of the one source of stress she did have. Being an incoming freshman at the age of 22, and really wanting to hit a home run with her studies, she wanted no part of residence life. Not that she was uptight, far from it, but she wanted the solace of an apartment for her peace of mind.
Problem was, she couldn't quite afford a nice, clean single close enough to campus for her liking. So, she'd sought out a partner online and, after a lot more work than she'd anticipated, settled on a girl named Tamara returning for her junior year who claimed to be easy-going, clean and focused on her studies.
Tamara sounded so during their pair of phone conversations, but Rebecca was nervous nonetheless. Steeling herself, she brushed off her worries and quickened her pace, anxious to finally start the life she'd dreamt of for so long.
Hours later she emerged from the hall feeling as if she was walking on air. Her professors were engaging and kind, the material was fascinating, and she'd already made something resembling a friend or two. As she started toward the parking lot, she heard her name and spun around. Katie, from her Grammar for Journalists class was smiling at her and waving a phone.
Rebecca's hands went to her pockets and she shook her head. She started jogging in Katie's direction. "Stay right there," Katie called, "I'll come to you." As she caught up to her, she slapped the phone back into Rebecca's hand and giggled. "You're some lucky you sat beside me or those pictures you have on there would already be on the internet." Rebecca's eyes widened purely as a reflex and Katie smiled wider. "Wow, I was joking, but I got a freak on my hands do I?"
"Don't get excited," Rebecca replied, "you just made me think for a second there." She unlocked her phone just to make sure Katie was indeed joking and saw that Tamara had texted her. She was letting Rebecca know she'd gotten all her stuff moved in and was heading out to grab a bite with her parents and looked forward to meeting her later.
Katie flashed a grin. "So, I didn't know what to expect from grammar and now I'm scared to death, how about you?" Rebecca texted a quick ok back to Tamara and put her phone away, turning her attention back to her new classmate as she reversed course toward her car with Katie close behind.
"I know, you need 80% just to pass, it's intimidating right? Still, I don't even care right now, I've been looking forward to this for wayyyy too long." She launched into her life story as they strolled along, detailing for Katie her upbringing with strict parents in Idaho who wanted her to be safe with her education. When she'd told them she wanted to be a sports journalist, they refused to help pay for it, thinking that would be the end of that. When she called their bluff, got a job and moved out after high school, they thought it would be temporary.
It took four years, but she finally had enough saved to avoid going TOO far into debt. She owed nothing to her parents or to anyone else. Everything she'd gotten, she'd gotten on her own, including her 7-year old Toyota emerging ahead of her in the lot. She was proud of that car and of herself for getting here. She unlocked the vehicle and realized Katie hadn't said a word in a very long time. "Let me guess, yours is the Lexus," she asked, grinning and waving at the shiny new model next to her.
"Oh no, I live off the other end of campus," Katie replied, spinning and motioning way back across the grounds in the opposite direction. "I was just along for the walk."
Rebecca laughed and shook her head. "Sorry, didn't come up for air there did I?"
"Oh shut up," Katie replied. "You didn't hold me hostage, I was just listening to my new friend tell a story. I'll manage the ten minutes back to my room fine."
"New friend eh? My mommy will be so proud of me."
"Be nice, or I won't hide my yawn next time." They smiled at each other for an awkward moment and Katie started to wave goodbye.
"Hey, you said you're a local right?" Rebecca opened her door and felt the midday heat spill out. Katie looked back over her shoulder.
"I'm a valley girl for sure."
"Ok then. Wanna show me where I can find good pizza around here?"
Katie nodded. "I could eat."
Chapter 2
"I'm not making another move around here without you," Rebecca said, taking a sip of her beer to wash down her last bite of thin crust Hawaiian.
"Imagine how much you'd like it if you ordered actual pizza."
Their waitress arrived with their bills and told them there was no hurry. "For the last time, pineapple is a real topping and Bud Light isn't real beer." Rebecca motioned at Katie's drink and swiped her check in one motion. "But you get a thank you anyway."
"You don't have to, but I'll allow it as long as you let me get you back."
"Deal." Rebecca put her credit card down for when the waitress returned and rubbed her full stomach.
