Prologue

Well, the first day at Columbia University...I can say it didn't go bad at all.

I have been practically invisible, as I have for the last three years of my life, the lessons passed quickly, and after the last hour I met Miss Melville, the vice principal.

She's a tall, slender woman, she wears a flawless mouse-gray suit, her black hair with streaks of silver here and there is neatly gathered in a bun at the nape of her neck and a pair of eyeglasses slides over her slightly crooked nose, she probably broke it when she was young, I think as I look around the corridor with cream walls, we stop in front of a mahogany door with the number 416 written in gold lettering.

She accompanied me on a tour of the campus showing me my room last, the latter is well... Cozy, it's small and has two beds, one is under the window overlooking the garden and the other is close to the wall. I put all of my things on the latter because I notice that the other is already unmade and with clothes scattered all over the place.

I feel agitated at the thought that I will have to share a room for the next few years with another girl, not that I have anything against it, but I don't like being constantly under "observation" so I hope this girl doesn't like to lock herself in the room surrounded by books of all kinds.

I admit that I chose this university above all for the huge library it has, I love to read, get lost in the words of the pages of a book, my only friends are paper characters that have come to life only in my mind.

"Behind that door there's a small bathroom, and behind that ..."

Explains the vice principal pointing to the door adjacent to the bathroom

"A small wardrobe that you can share with your roommate"

Between the two doors, close to the wall, there is a wooden desk, but noting that it is already occupied by an enormous quantity of books on chemistry, physics and literature of all kinds.

At this point I decide mentally that I will study leaning on the small chest of drawers-sofa near the window

"Well Miss Smith, you know the lesson times, this is the program of sporting events and competitions that our school offers, if you need information the secretariat knows where it is, in the next few days you will be given the documents for the scholarship"

She concludes by leaving the room.

I was able to afford this university thanks to a scholarship, my grades never went below the B and I am proud of myself for it, because despite everything, this is the only thing in my life that has not been shattered, and I swore to myself that I will never let anyone take my life from me again. I will work hard, I want to graduate in psychology, I know it sounds almost contradictory given my situation, but I want to do it more for myself, I want to be able to do for others what psychologists have not been able to do for me, I have to at least succeed in this.

The door closes behind her and I am left alone in this room. I start to put my clothes in the closet, I don't have much stuff with me, I don't like to dress flashy, I always wear my sweaters, loose, comfortable and opaque, I have at least a dozen, I also put my pairs of jeans, a pair of black ballet flats and my running sneakers along with a few sweatshirts and a pair of sweatpants in the unoccupied part of the closet.

I open the drawer to put away the underwear, but I realize that it is already occupied by red lace thong and non-wired bras also in lace of various colors, definitely the opposite of what I am wearing, I have nothing even remotely sexy in my wardrobe, I don't need it.

Actually only now do I realize that my roommate's clothes stored in the closet are all very flashy, nothing too bare, but quite tight and offer a wide range of colors. I put away my last things without thinking about it anymore and I decide to go and take a shower.

The bathroom is small and cozy like the bedroom, fortunately it is clean and there is a pleasant smell of lavender in the air given off by the small diffuser attached to the socket next to the mirror.

I close the door behind me, put the clothes in the laundry rack and enter the shower adjusting the water jet.

When I leave the bathroom I stop on my steps, seeing a girl sitting on the bed in front of me

"Hey, you must be my new roommate er ... Isabelle Smith, right? I was informed of your arrival."

She says, she has long curly hair, much more curly than mine which in comparison seem to have only a few curls at the end, of an orange tending to red, you can notice that they are his natural color since they perfectly match the fair complexion of the face sprinkled with freckles, on which two hazel-colored eyes stand out framed by long lashes made black by mascara.

She is wearing a Queens t-shirt and a high-waisted skirt that reaches just above the knee, on her feet a pair of Vans.

"My name is Coraline anyway, but everyone calls me Cora"

She adds with a dazzling smile as she gestures to each word as the numerous bracelets on his right wrist jingle.

"H-hi ... It's ... It's nice here"

Suddenly realizing that I have not yet uttered a word, blown away by her ... Vivacity

"Yes, well of course it's always like that on the first day, then you too will start to realize that high school was much better, you know, you didn't have to wash your clothes alone, lunch at home, with real food ..."

She smiles starting a list of everything she doesn't like here at Columbia, but on the contrary I think that whatever is better than high school, I still get the chills when I think back to those last years.

Here, however, no one knows me, I can rebuild a life, be who I want, no one knows anything about me or my past.

I smile when she tells me that her first day was quite pitiful as she tripped on the first step of the canteen and fell in front of the whole school, but that someone promptly helped her to get up and threw it all in laughter, saving her reputation, from that day that boy had become his best friend and then that friendship had turned into something more.

I admire her ability to open up so easily to people, I would not have been able to do anything more than introduce myself in front of a complete stranger and in fact after listening to her I sit on my bed and with the excuse of the long journey faced this morning I say I have need some rest.

When I wake up it is already half past four in the afternoon, Cora is not there and I take the opportunity to start reading for a while in front of the window sill.

I get lost in the pages as it happens every time, I become part of the story, I become the protagonist of that book, I see myself doing things that in reality I would never dream of doing, I can be whoever I want and I have a normal, perfect life.

Someone knocks on the door and like every time I am dragged out of my perfect world.

I turn the key in the lock and as soon as I open it in front of me a girl with ash blonde hair gathered in a high ponytail and pitch black eyes stands out, she is about the same height as me, or about one feet taller.

She wears a pair of blue jeans ripped at the knees and a red tank top that can be glimpsed under the white mesh sweater

"H-hey, you must be Cora's new roommate, she warned me you were coming"

She says taken aback. She probably expected to find her friend in my place

"Er...Yes, yes...My name is Isabelle, Isabelle Smith"

I stammer introducing myself, it's always so embarrassing, I hate myself when I behave like that.

"Well, very pleased, I'm Cassidy, but you can call me Cass"

She presents herself with a smile that shows off her perfectly aligned white teeth as she holds out a hand that after a brief moment I am convinced to shake

"I'm Cora's best friend anyway, in case you were wondering since I swooped in here without warning"

She adds with an embarrassed chuckle, I smile not knowing what to add. Relating to people is not my strong point, but until now these people seem kind and nice to me so I try to be nice to them too

"Er...Do you want, do you want to enter while you wait for it?"

I ask politely moving to the side to allow her to enter, she nods and goes to sit on Cora's bed, while I close the door and join her sitting on my bed

"So...Did you arrive this morning, right?"

She asks trying to start a speech

"Yes, it's been quite a long journey, but so far it has been worth it, here it all seems so... Different"

I don't know what other word to use, here everything is different from home, no paranoia, no obsessions or memories, just me and my new life.

"Well you will get used to it, the nice thing here is that this year the school offered a much wider choice regarding extracurricular courses, for example this year there is a photography course that the other years was not planned."

She explains enthusiastically. From the way she talks about it she must be a photography enthusiast and, in fact, the words she says afterwards confirm my thoughts.

"You know, I love photography, my room is so full of pictures that my roommate freaked out every time she saw a new one hanging, well...Now ex-roommate, I guess you understand the because"

She chuckles saying that now he has a new roommate who happens to love photography too and that for this reason their room looks more like a photographic studio.

I laugh listening to her talk about her adventures, these girls are really nice, I would never have thought that, who knows...Maybe one day I too can be like them.

I force myself not to get lost in these thoughts and as I fight against myself to chase that feeling away the door opens and a red-haired top enters the room with a dazzling smile

"Cass, but where were you? I've been looking for you all over campus!"

Cora jokingly rants against her friend

"But, if it was you who told me to come and call you at six thirty sharp in your room!"

Cass defends herself by raising her hands in surrender.

I smile amused as they continue to quarrel jokingly and I don't realize that I am not even listening to them anymore except that I see them both turning their attention to me, which puts me in awe.

"What's up?"

I ask hesitantly, darting my gaze from one to the other

"Tonight there is a party for the Lacrosse team that won...Do you want to come with us? We will have fun believe me"

Cora says enthusiastically

"Yes, it's a fairly small thing, they do it at the boys' brotherhood, but it's a blast believe me I've already been there a couple of times and the parties there are incredible"

Continue Cass.

I can feel my stomach turn at the mere idea of ​​all those people and the soft lights

"N-no thanks, thank you girls, but the parties... Here, they are not what for me"

I chuckle in embarrassment

"Look, you're going to miss a big thing eh"

Try Cass again

"I'm really not the type, thanks again"

I repeat with the voice that trembles slightly.

With a shrug, they drop the subject as Cora changes the subject and starts talking about Mike, her boyfriend.

I listen to them talking all evening, intervening sometimes just to participate, until they get up to go to dinner and propose to go with them

"Um ... I actually ate a whole box of cereal for a snack and so I'm not very hungry ... You go, maybe tomorrow"

I suggest making up the cereal excuse, they nod and say goodnight while Cora warns me that she will be back late because of the party.

I nod and when they close the door behind them I slide against it, realizing that the first day was not bad at all.

It's a good start.