Page 6 of Baseball and Shifters

Looks like on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have Visual Arts, Film Studies, and Self-Defense. Then on Wednesdays and Fridays, it’s Math and English. I shudder at the thought of taking self-defense, but I shudder harder at the idea of having to ask someone to change it.

Maybe this place will be just what I need, despite the overwhelming male population. The boys’ dorm isthree timesthe size of the girls’. I’ll have to just pray none of my mates are here. Because I’m not letting this opportunity pass me by.

I’ll keep my head down like I always do. No one will even notice I exist.

Except for my three roommates.

I think I’m even more nervous about meeting them than I am about any potential mates or classmates. Everyone else, I can just ignore. But I don’t want a strained relationship with the girls in my dorm. I may be used to walking around on eggshells, but I’d like at least that part of my living arrangements to feel… different.

I push open the door to the dorm lobby and instantly freeze. The chaos of the lobby is unlike anything I’ve experienced before.

Some of the girls have so many suitcases and boxes they can barely manage them by themselves. A few are laughing, some are bickering, and one is full on ugly crying as she hangs onto a tall older man. I try to make my way through the crowded area towards the correct elevator when it hits me.

The reason there are so many people in this room is that almost all of these women have at least one parent if not both here to help them move in. My chest aches at yet another reminder of the love I don’t get from my father and that my mother never had the chance to give.

If my mother were still alive today I just know she would be here to help me. I definitely wouldn’t be left alone to drag both of these heavy bags to my room alone. Scanning the room I notice that it looks like some of these girls have more than two parents. It’s a bit shocking to realize that so many shifter species can have multiple mates but what’s more shocking to me is the way the majority of the families interact. There doesn’t appear to be any male posturing and definitely no fights over their mate’s attention. I even spot one particularly interesting group of parents standing near the elevator I need. There is a tiny womanwith incredibly platinum hair surrounded by two men who seem to be trying to convince her to leave.

Making my way over to them I realize that it will be nearly impossible to press the call button with how they are standing. Deciding against asking them to move, instead I try to appear as if I am paying them no attention as I stand by my bags and patiently wait for them to move.

“Come on Andrea, dear,” the taller of the two men, with silver streaked hair and broad shoulders says. “We got Aubree and Dallas up to their room and squared away, now it is time to leave.”

“Yeah, babe,” the second man, with a scruffy beard and a friendly smile joins in. “You know they will be fine. They have always taken care of each other and that won’t change now. Plus we will see them in just a few months when we are back to watch the Nightclaws win the baseball tournament for the fourth time in a row.”

He bumps shoulders with the first guy who casts him a knowing look and a friendly smile. “Exactly what Art said, dear, you know we never miss a chance to support his team.”

That finally brings a small smile to her face. She looks up at her tall mate and plants a sweet kiss on his cheek.

“You’re right of course, Drew. Art wouldn’t let us miss the tournament for anything.” She swipes at the tears on her face again before making direct eye contact with me. “Oh my goodness, dear, are we in your way?”

She reaches over smacking the call button before rushing her mates out of my way.

“I’m sorry about that, dear, I was just coming to terms with leaving my babies behind.” She gives me a small smile.

“No problem, ma’am. Thank you for pressing the button for me.” As I finish thanking her the doors to the elevator slide open with a ding.

A look of concern overtakes her face as she watches me attempt to wrangle my bags onto the elevator alone.

“Art, Drew, help that girl get her bags on the elevator before she’s bowled over by them, please.”

The men help me with the bags, getting what would’ve taken me another three minutes to do, done in seconds. A blush takes over my face and I thank them profusely until the door slides shut again. I take the elevator up to the seventh floor of Tower One. I spend the ride glancing back and forth between the card in my hand with my room number on it, and the elevator doors.

I hope it’s not hard to find my room.

My worries turn out to be unfounded because when I step off of the elevator there are only two doors available. One labeled “stairs” and one with a little plaque to the left that says 701.

This is it. Where I’ll be living for the next year.

Using the provided key card I open the door, hesitantly stepping inside. Straight ahead is a large living area with a huge plushy grey couch and sitting on it are two girls having an animated conversation. Once the door clicks shut behind me, both their heads snap in my direction.

“Oh, awesome! The new girl’s here!” The dark-haired girl exclaims.

She jumps off of the couch and bounces over to where I’ve frozen like a deer in headlights, or a fox as the case may be. Her dark brown eyes hold only kindness as they scan me appraisingly.

“Oh, another shy one? That’s okay. We’re going to be best friends before you know it!” she chirps. “Here! I’ll show you your room. Sorry, you didn’t get to pick, but they’re basically all the same.”

“Dallas! Leave the poor girl alone. Oh my God,” the pixie-like blonde girl on the couch groans.

She looks just like the lady from downstairs.

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