1. New Life, New Me.
"Does this look okay? I mean, am I looking like I'm trying too hard?" A nervous Libra tugged at her new white and black striped blouse and carefully inspected her black skinny jeans.
She had gone through four outfits that had been laid out the night before, assembled by her roommate and friend Sophia. To anyone at this school Libra was just another fashionable and eager college freshman that wanted to start off the first semester looking gorgeous â but for anyone who truly knew her that was the furthest from the truth. Three days before arriving at her new college Sophia had taken her on quite the shopping spree. Surprisingly it had taken Libra 18 years to even want to go on a shopping spree but she had walked out with countless bags, mostly Sophia's choices, and now it was time to put the clothes to good use.
Sophia sat on the edge of her bed rating the outfits that lay before them and finally gave her the thumbs up for the final outfit Libra had tried on. Striped blouse it was!
"You are trying hard and that's a good thing for you, at least that's what Mel said." Sophia chuckled as she recalled the Skype conversation she'd had with Libra's half-sister the night before.
Melanie was doing her second year at Seattle University where she's studying Management. Knowing her half-sister well she had called to instruct Sophia and Libra how to deal with first year of college life.
"...and Sophia; please don't let Libra retrieve back to her old ways...or clothes. She needs to try as hard as she can, that's the only way she's going to get over what happened."
Libra nodded to Sophia and recalled the same conversation so she turned back to the mirror. Sophia had helped her with everything these past 3 days; shopping, mental training and decorating their new apartment. They had been rather lucky to have found one of the last available apartments at The Arc. Well, they had received some help from their support group leader who apparently had helped several students at Columbia College, before.
Quickly she forced any thought of Dr. Fine from her mind and went back to focus on herself and her new clothes. When she looked in the mirror now she didn't see a hint of the old Libra, the one person she had come to both love and hate over the years. Instead; before her stood a beautiful, fashionable and eagerly nervous college student that was simply trying on clothes with her roommate. If only they knew the darkness that lurked underneath...
Nobody here needed to know that both Sophia and Libra met at their support group, for survivors of a traumatic experience, and that they had been sent here together to help each other get through this year. Dr. Fine had made it very clear that they had to room together and despite taking different classes, they were always to check in on each other during the day â he would know if they hadn't. Sophia was the only person who knew why Libra was making this dramatic change and the only person at the college who what had happened to her.
"Are you thinking about it again?" Sophia said and was now standing directly behind her. With one spin Libra was turned toward her friend and was being stared at with narrowed eyes. "You looked like you were a million miles away."
Sophia knew her friend too well and that was both a blessing and a curse. While Sophia seemed mostly troubled at night, with dreams of terror making her hiss and pant in her sleep â Libra's fear set in whenever she was forced to step in to an elevator or any small space that could lock. Libra could be at assistance during evenings and calm her down, but Sophia couldn't always be there for her and at times it was stressful to be reminded of that.
"I'm sorry; I guess I'm just a little nervous about today. Aren't you?" She had listened to Sophia's nervous panting tonight and had helped her back to sleep, so she knew something was bothering her.
Sophia nodded and returned a shy smile as she fiddled with Libra's sleeve, "Of course I am but a part of me is excited too. We have kind of been given a second chance and I am looking forward to making something of it, if I can."
Libra took one last look at herself in the mirror and gave herself a wide smile. Maybe it was time for her to think as positively as Sophia and go out there and conquer the world. Or at least college life. Nobody knew them here and no one knew their stories â so they could be whoever they wanted.
"Alright; let's get to class so we won't be late. Do you have your schedule?" Libra asked while reaching for her new leather back pack.
"It's in my bag and saved on my phone, too. Now, if you are done mothering me we should go. After classes I can meet you at the coffee shop at the end of your shift." Sophia reminded her.
As if classes weren't enough she was starting her new part time job at the College campus Coffee shop. Dr. Fine had agreed to the idea when she'd suggested it. Libra knew how hard her mother and Robert had saved up for Melanie and her to go to college, so she wanted to do whatever she could to contribute.
"Thanks Soph, but you really don't have toâ"
"Yes I do and stop making a fuss about it. We're here to help each other, right?"
"Yes that we sure are." Libra smiled at her roommate and new best friend. She had no idea what she would do without her.
"Plus; you have to stay home with me tonight. There's a huge party on campus and I'm just not ready toâ"Sophia quivered at the last sentence and Libra put her hand up to stop her from going any further.
Considering what had happened to her at her high school Libra understood why she was hesitant to go to a party tonight, or any night for that matter. So the least she could do would be to stay home and make their first night a fun night in.
"Say no more. We'll get some snacks on the way back home this evening and we can have a good ol' Netflix marathon."
With their arms linked together they walked out of their apartment and headed for the elevators. Although Libra's heart was beating faster than normal she knew she'd be fine. Today was the first day of her new life and she already looked the part. Nobody knew the old Libra Jones and no one ever would.
If only she knew how wrong she was.