EPISODE 1 & 2

Tessa Young is an 18 year old college student with a simple life, excellent grades, and a sweet boyfriend. She always has things planned out ahead of time, until she meets a rude boy named Harry, with too many tattoos and piercings who shatters her plans.

"Tessa!!" I hear my mom's voice call from downstairs. I groan to myself and roll out of my tiny, yet comfortable bed. While neatly tucking the corners of my bed sheet into the headboard, I take my time because this is the last morning that I will be competing the task for months.

"Tessa!!" She calls again.

"I'm up!" I yell back. The cabinets open and close downstairs, the sounds of her frantically preparing breakfast. The knot in my stomach grows with each step to the bathroom, by the time I start the shower, it's nearly unbearable. I spent the last few years nervously anticipating college. My weekends were spent studying and preparing for this day while my peers were out getting drunk, wasting their time and jeopardizing their futures. The day my acceptance letter to Washington State University came I was thrilled, I expected it but that didn't take any of the excitement away. My mother cried for what felt like hours, and I have to admit I was pretty proud of myself. All my hard work finally paid off. I had once considered leaving Washington for college but eventually decided against it.. I like familiarity and routines just like my mother.

The hot water loosens my strained muscles, how long have I been in here? I hurry and wash my hair and body, lazily running a razor over my legs to remove the small stubble that has appeared over the weekend.

As I wrap the towel around my wet body, my mother calls my name again. I ignore her, I know she is nervous for my arrival day at college but I have had this day planned down to the hour, for months. My boyfriend Noah will be here soon to ride with me and my mother. He is one grade younger than me and for hundredth time I mentally scold his mother for putting him in Kindergarten a year late. Noah keeps a perfect grade point average, he is brilliant and will be joining me at WSU next year. I do wish that he was coming now, especially considering that I won't know a single person at college. I just need a decent roommate, that's the only thing I am asking for.

"Theresa!"

"I am coming down now, please don't call my name again!" I yell as I walk down the stairs.

Noah is sitting at the table across from my mother, dressed in a blue polo shirt and khakis, his normal attire. His blonde hair is combed and lightly gelled to perfection.

"Hey college girl," He smiles a bright, perfectly lined smile while standing to pull my into a tight hug.

"Hey," I give him an equally bright smile and pull my dirty blonde hair into a bun once he releases me from his grip.

"Honey, we can wait a couple minutes while you fix your hair," My mom says quietly, running disapproving eyes over me.

I make my way to the mirror in the hallway and nod, she is right. My hair needs to be presentable for today, and of course she did not hesitate to remind me. She never does.

"I will put your bags in the car." Noah offers and picks up the keys from my the table. With a quick kiss on my cheek, he disappears from the room.

The butterflies in my stomach dance around as I walk to the car, at least I have two hours to make them disappear. I have no idea what college will be like, will I make friends?

"Here we are!" My mother squeals as we drive through the stone gate and into the campus.

The campus looks just as great in person as it did in the brochures and online, I'm impressed. The buildings are old and elegant. Hundreds of people, parents hugging and kissing their children goodbye, clusters of freshman, dressed head to toe in Washington State University gear, and a few stragglers, lost and confused, fill the area. The size of the campus is intimidating but hopefully after a few weeks I will feel at home. The orientation is short and I sit alone, my usual forte. A seemingly nice middle aged woman gives me my dorm key and sends me on my way. I already feel more freedom than I have in the last eighteen years.

"I want to see your dorm room before I go honey. I just can't believe you are in college! My only daughter, a college student, living on her own. I just can't believe it." She whines and wipes her eyes, careful to not mess up her makeup. Noah follows us, carrying my bags as we navigate through the corridor.

"Now, just be sure you remember everything I told you, you don't want to do anything to ruin your future," she checks the time on her watch, a watch that she certainly couldn't afford but purchased anyway.

"It's B22.. we are in C hall," I tell them. Luckily, I see a large B painted on the wall. "Down here," I instruct and they follow. I'm thankful that I only brought a few clothes, a blanket, and some of my favorite books with me, giving Noah less to carry.

"B22," my mother huffs. Her heels are outrageously high for the amount of walking we have just endured. I slide the key into the old wooden door, it creaks open and my mother gasps. The room is small, with two tiny beds and two desks. My eyes travel to the reason of my mother's suprise. One side of the room is covered in music posters, mostly bands I have never heard of, the faces on them covered in piercings and tattoos. The girl laying across the bed has bright red hair, eyes lined with what looks like inches of black liner, and her arms are covered in tattoos.

"Hey," the stranger says, offering a smile. Her smile is quite intriguing, much to my surprise. "I'm Steph," she says and sits up on her elbows.

"h..hey.. I'm Tessa," I choke, all of my manners flying out the door.

"Welcome to WSU, where the dorms are tiny and the parties are huge," the crimson haired girl grins. Her head falls back into a fit of laughter. My mother's jaw is resting, wide open on the carpet, and Noah shifts uncomfortably. Steph walks over, closing the gap between us and wraps her thin arms around me. I am taken aback by her affection but I return her kind gesture. A knock sounds at the door as Noah drops my bags onto the floor and I can't help but hope that this is all some sort of sick joke.

"Come in!" My new roommate yells, the door opens and two boys walk inside before she finishes her greeting.

Boys inside the female dorms on the first day? Maybe Washington State was a bad decision. I assume by the pained expression covering my mother's face, she is thinking the same. The poor woman looks like she may pass out any moment. I wouldn't blame her.

"Hey, you Steph's roomie?" The blonde boy asks. He doesn't have as many tattoos as the other boy, but he has them.

"Um.. yea. My name is Tessa," I manage to say.

"I'm Niall. Don't look so nervous, it throws people off." He says with a smile, reaching out to touch my shoulder. "You'll love it here," his smile is warm and inviting despite his harsh appearance.

"I'm ready guys," Steph says, grabbing her thick, black bag from the bed. My eyes shift to the tall brown haired boy leaning against the wall. His hair is a mop of waves on his head, pushed back off of his forehead and he has metal in his eyebrow and lip. My eyes travel down his black t-shirt to his arms which are covered in tattoos as well, not an inch of untouched skin is seen. I expect him to introduce himself but he doesn't, instead he rolls his eyes in annoyance and pulls a cellphone from the pocket of his tight, black jeans. He definitely isn't as friendly as his blonde friend.

"See you around Tessa," Niall says and the three of them exit the room. I let out a long breath. To say that was uncomfortable would be an understatement.

"You are getting a new dorm!' My mother yells as soon as the door clicks shut.

"No, I can't." I sigh, It's fine mother," I do my best to hide my nerves. I don't know how well this will work out either but the last thing I want is my overbearing mother causing a scene on my first day of college. "I'm sure she wont be around anyway," I try to convince her, along with myself.

"Absolutely not, we are going to switch now," her long blonde hair is flipped to one shoulder, "you will not be in a room with someone who allows males into her room, those punks at that!" She shrieks.

"Mother.. please," I look into her blue eyes then to Noah, "let's just see how it goes. Please," I beg. She looks around to the room again, taking in the décor covering Steph's side and huffs dramatically.

"Fine." she spits, much to my surprise.

To be continued.