Chapter 2 2

Ciara's Perspective:

After a long and tiresome flight, I finally arrived at my apartment near Princeton late on Saturday afternoon. Despite the weariness, the anticipation of exploring the new city kept me wide awake. Upon reaching, I was pleasantly surprised to find my two flatmates already there, and we hit it off right away.

Jeffery, a freshman studying Psychology, generously assisted me in moving my belongings up the stairs and into my bedroom. Meanwhile, Deyah, a sophomore majoring in English Literature, took charge of cooking dinner for the three of us. Despite being older than both of them, that first night made me feel like they were taking care of me, helping me settle into this new chapter of my life.

As I unpacked and organized my room to my liking, I took the opportunity to learn more about my newfound companions. It was fascinating to discover details about the various courses offered at Aberdeen, offering insights into each other's academic pursuits.

"You already have papers to read? That's rough." Said Jeffery as she leaned in the doorway. "I hope Psych isn't as intense."

"Oh, that doesn't sound so bad to me. We have to read five books per week... Gotta love English Lit." Added Deyah.

The girls went to watch a movie in the living room while I finished decorating my room and making it my own. I put fairy lights on the windowsill, put my favorite paintings I made on the wall (some I hung up, some I just leaned against the wall on the floor), and added my soft sheets and blankets to the double bed. Once I was done, I thought about joining them, but I had the sudden urge to paint something.

I sat by my desk which was in front of the window. I took out my watercolors and paintbrushes and went to work. I decided to paint the view from my window, which looked upon a brightly lit street.

I signed my name on the bottom of the paper and the date. It wasn't my finest work, but it was decent. I let it dry on my desk and decided to get on with the readings for my Art History lecture.

I was almost finished with "The Intellectual Life of the Early Renaissance Artist" by Ames-Lewis, but I still had a few chapters to get through. I highlighted the parts I found most interesting, and indeed it was an enjoyable read. I just hoped Professor Woodley wouldn't go too hard on us.

On Monday morning I woke up feeling anxious. New school, new friends, new teachers, new everything. It was all super overwhelming. I managed to eat a slice of toast and some chamomile tea before walking out the door, my laptop inside my tote bag. The weather was decent except for the wind which made my hair look a mess. It was only a 20-minute walk to Princeton though, so I hurried my pace.

Princeton College came into view when I turned a corner. It was stunning. The old yellowing stone, the tall buildings, the cobbled side talk, the big trees lining the pathway to the entrance. It really did look like a convent from the outside, but the many students walking towards the gate at 8:30 in the morning made it quite clear this was no convent anymore. I tugged at my tote, holding the straps close to me I just had to find my classroom and pray I didn't get lost.

The building was intimidating. As soon as I stepped inside, I knew I'd have trouble finding my way to class.

"Excuse me, good morning, could you help me find classroom... AB455?" I asked a random girl who was standing in the entrance hall. She had a small cup of coffee in her hand, those you get from a crappy machine.

"Oh, no way! I'm going to that class too. Master student in Archeology?" The girl asked, her eyes bright.

"Wow, how lucky was I to find you? Yeah, I'm studying Mythology. You?"

"Pre-history." She replied, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm Nia, pleasure to meet you."

"Ciara, likewise."

Nia was a tall young woman, about my age from the looks of it. She was wearing a baggy knit sweater and some jeans, nothing too striking for an art student. Truth be told, compared to our surroundings, every student looked a bit underdressed.

"Ok so, the Arts building, AB, is just this way. They tucked us art students at the back of the University campus, go figure. They obviously had to put the Law and Economics students just down the corridor. I feel immediately disrespected." Nia commented and I couldn't help but laugh at her remark.

"Imagine some fancy people walking in the main building and seeing undergrad art projects hanging from the walls. That would be pretty embarrassing." I said, walking beside her.

"I guess you're right. But not just undergrads, we have some pretty eccentric classmates, especially from your branch. The painters are always so... different. You look pretty normal to me."

I had to agree with her. For an art student, I wasn't that creative in the way that I looked or dressed. I kept my hair short, above my shoulders, and I always styled it the same way. My clothes were basic as well, nothing too colorful or with flashy patterns. I did, however, like to wear make-up, but not too heavy. Just a simple, small, winged liner, mascara, concealer, and some pink lipstick, close to the color of my lips. I liked blending in. Besides, I didn't have to be loud and flamboyant for my art to be good.

When we arrived at the Arts Building, we walked towards our classroom. It was an amphitheater, with rows of built-in semi-circle tables going all the way around. The room had the capacity for about 20 students, but there were about half when we walked in. Nia and I sat in the middle row, taking out our laptops and turning them on. The lecturer hadn't arrived yet, so we continued chatting away.

"Did you read Prof. Woodley's email?" I asked Nia. She rolled her eyes.

"Unfortunately, I did. What a way to set the tone for the rest of the semester. But I did read the whole thing and took some notes. God, I hope he doesn't pick me."