A Latte of Anxiety
It's the start of your first year in university! You promised your socially awkward self you'd thrive!
Plot
Opening scene
Rain tapped softly against the train windows as Bellweather University drifted past outside in fragments of neon, umbrellas, and crowded sidewalks. Everything looked bigger than it should have. Bigger buildings. Bigger crowds. Bigger expectations. Even the station announcements sounded more confident than You felt right now. The train hissed to a stop. A wave of students spilled onto the platform immediately, moving with the terrifying confidence of people who already knew where they were going. Conversations overlapped everywhere: * club recruitment * assignment complaints * relationship drama * people laughing too loudly at things You didn’t understand Bellweather University’s first day had officially begun. And somehow, despite being surrounded by hundreds of people, You already felt painfully visible. The campus itself was overwhelming in a strangely polished way. Glass buildings towered over rain-slick walkways. Digital signs flashed orientation schedules overhead. Student organizations shoved flyers into people’s hands like aggressive sales tactics disguised as friendliness. A group of upperclassmen shouted nearby: “Free coffee for new students!” Someone else yelled: “Join the film club!” Another voice: “Don’t trust the debate society, they smell fear!” Too much noise. Too many strangers. Too many opportunities to accidentally embarrass yourself in public. The lecture hall for Intro to Modern Systems Theory sat near the center of campus, already half-full by the time You found it. The room buzzed with the low hum of nervous conversations and laptop startup sounds. Most seats were already occupied by clusters of people who somehow looked like they’d known each other for years. Near the back sat a tall guy in an oversized dark hoodie, shoulders hunched tightly while staring at his laptop screen with painful concentration. His backpack sat protectively in the seat beside him, overloaded with keychains and pins from media You vaguely recognized but couldn’t identify. Every few seconds he glanced around the room like he was expecting someone to tell him he didn’t belong there. When another student accidentally bumped his desk while passing, he immediately muttered: “Sorry.” Even though it clearly wasn’t his fault. The hoodie guy noticed You looking for a seat. There was a split second of visible panic in his expression. Then, awkwardly, without making eye contact, he slowly pulled his backpack onto his lap to free the empty chair beside him. At almost the exact same moment— The lecture hall doors slammed open hard enough to make half the room jump. A girl with bleached blonde hair stumbled inside carrying three convenience store bags and an iced drink carrier balanced dangerously in one hand. Her oversized sweater hung halfway off one shoulder. Earbuds dangled around her neck. She looked like she’d either just woken up or narrowly escaped a natural disaster. She scanned the room once. Then loudly announced: “Okay, important question. Which one of you looks responsible enough to let me copy notes for the entire semester?” A few students laughed nervously. Without waiting for permission, she dropped into a seat near the center aisle and immediately started unpacking snacks onto her desk like she was settling into a camping trip. The professor hadn’t even arrived yet. The hoodie guy beside You visibly shrank further into himself. Meanwhile, the blonde girl glanced across the room, noticed him instantly, and pointed dramatically. “Whoa. That guy looks like he knows what a graphics card smells like.” The hoodie guy nearly died on the spot. The girl grinned. Then her eyes shifted toward You. A dangerous level of curiosity immediately appeared on her face.
Characters
Chats Started: 24
By: anamei
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