College Life 101, page 1
College Life 101: Freshman Orientation
The College Life Series, Volume 1
J.B. Vample
Published by Jessyca Vample Publishing, 2015.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
COLLEGE LIFE 101: FRESHMAN ORIENTATION
First edition. December 18, 2015.
Copyright © 2015 J.B. Vample.
ISBN: 978-0996981712
Written by J.B. Vample.
Dedicated to my sister Jawhara—my first and most loyal reader—Thanks for staying on my back about these “documents”.
College life 101;
Freshman Orientation
J.B. Vample
Book One
The College life series
COLLEGE LIFE 101-FRESHMAN ORIENTATION
Copyright © 2015 by Jessyca B. Vample
All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2015
ISBN-10: 0996981713 (eBook edition)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9969817-1-2 (eBook edition)
For information contact; email: JBVample@yahoo.com
Book cover design by: Najla Qamber Designs
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 1
“Hey honey, do you need any help with anything?” Mrs. Howard asked. She stood for a moment, watching her youngest child and only daughter pack.
“No Mama. I’m fine,” Sidra replied, satisfied as she placed the last of her meticulously folded and expensive blouses into an oversized suitcase. Sidra liked wearing the best brands, and – thanks to her family’s upper-middle class status – she indulged quite often. The pretty brown skinned eighteen-year-old was considered the epitome of class and style: elegant, ladylike, well-mannered, but never hesitating to curse a person out if she had to.
“I’m very proud of you, you know,” Sidra’s mother gushed. Their close relationship wasn’t hard to work at; being the only two women in the house, it came naturally.
“I know that Mama. You’ve told me about a hundred times already,” Sidra responded, a trace of frustration in her voice.
“Well. I am,” Mrs. Howard reiterated with a big smile as she sat down on her daughter’s perfectly made bed. Sidra had always been a bit of a neat freak, a trait that she had picked up from her mother. “And maybe it’s my hearing, but do I detect a bit of frustration in your voice?”
Sidra sighed and sat down next to her mother. “I’m sorry Mama. It’s just that I’m so nervous about going away to college. Virginia seems so far away from Wilmington. I’m not saying that I don’t want to go, but still...”
“Sweetie, I know how you feel. That’s how I felt when I went away for the first time. But despite how you feel, it’ll be a great experience. You’ll learn new things, you’ll make great friends, and you might even meet your future husband there,” she replied. Sidra smiled at the thought of meeting the love of her life. “But Princess, you better finish school first before you get married and have children, do you hear me?” She continued sternly.
“Mama, calm down. I don’t even have a boyfriend yet, and you’re already talking about marriage. Can I get to the school first?” Sidra said with a laugh.
“I’m not playing with you Princess,” Mrs. Howard continued.
Sidra kept laughing as she put her arm around her mother and hugged her.
“I hear you,” she replied, putting her head on her mother’s shoulder.
“Sidra I’m serious – don’t come home with any babies,” her mother warned sternly.
Sidra’s head popped up “Mama!”
“I can’t wait until you’re out of my house for good.” Brenda Parker sneered, making no attempt to mask her hostility.
“That makes two of us,” Chasity mumbled angrily.
Arguments were nothing new in the Parker household. Eighteen-year-old Chasity had never gotten along with her mother; she was always told that she was never liked and never wanted. Whenever she could, she escaped to her aunt Patrisha in Florida or her grandmother in Pennsylvania. Now she was packing up the remainder of her things. She knew that she wasn’t going to be returning home to Tucson any time soon. She was leaving for Pennsylvania the next morning and from there she would drive to Paradise Valley University. Chasity would be taking everything she owned, one bad attitude, and a very bad temper.
“What? I didn’t hear you, smart ass. What did you say?” her mother questioned angrily.
Chasity tossed her bag on the bed, turned, and looked at her mother. “I said that makes two of us,” she spat. “I can’t stand you and your screwed-up attitude.”
“My attitude? My attitude?!” Brenda Parker screamed in outrage.
“Who else am I talking to?” Chasity retorted smartly.
“Please, bitch; you’re the one with the damn attitude. Walking around here like everyone owes you everything.”
“Bitch? See, that’s the stuff I’m talking about. What mother stands there and calls her daughter a bitch?” Chasity countered, folding her arms. “I’ll tell you what kind, Brenda. The kind who’s a miserable, lazy, pathetic, life-wasting drunk. You’ve treated me like a mistake my whole life, and you wonder why I have such a bad attitude. Screw you.”
“Oh, spare me the sad story, Chasity.” Chasity rolled her eyes at her mother’s nasty tone. “You have everything any girl could want – good looks, nice clothes, money. You’re just an ungrateful, spoiled brat.”
“Yeah? And not one of those things that you just mentioned was given to me by you.”
Chasity looked her mother up and down. She was right; the money and all of her possessions had been given to her not by her parents, but by her aunt Patrisha. Chasity didn’t even look much like her mother – more like her aunt. Brenda and her aunt were both tall, but Chasity had Patrisha’s long black hair, light-brown skin, delicate features and slender frame. It was no wonder that Chasity was wanted by guys and hated by girls. She didn’t care.
“Just shut the hell up and get out my house now!” Brenda screamed.
“You yelling at me isn’t gonna make me move any damn faster,” Chasity spat. “I’ll leave when I’m done; now get out of my face.”
Brenda grabbed her daughter’s arm and gave her a cold look. Chasity returned it in kind, one of the few traits they shared.
“If you don’t take your hand off my arm, I will hurt you,” Chasity threatened in a low tone.
“You try it, and I’ll break your arm, right here and now.”
“What? Is that supposed to scare me?” Chasity asked, casually glancing up and down her mother’s tall, solid frame. “You can’t beat me anymore; now let go,” she demanded, not blinking once.
Her mother dropped her arm and stood there as Chasity pushed past her and walked out of the room.
In a large single-family house in Baltimore, Malajia Simmons danced around her bedroom, singing along at the top of her lungs to the music blasting from the radio. Excitement overwhelmed her as the day had finally arrived. She was packing, getting ready to leave for college. To celebrate, she’d dyed her naturally brown hair a deep wine color, and had it cut into a short, trendy bob. She was hoping the style would make her look more sophisticated.
Malajia’s older sister Geri stomped into the room and turned off the radio just as Malajia was in mid-scream. “God girl. You so cannot sing,” Geri said with a laugh.
“Girl please, it sounds better than your singing,” Malajia shot back playfully. Of her six sisters, Malajia was closet with Geri.
“You can hear that music half way down the block,” Geri replied as she flopped down on the bed.
“NO!” Malajia screamed, causing Geri to jump up quickly.
“What!”
“You sat on my brand new dress,” she complained, before rescuing the short, sexy, burgundy strapless dress from any harm.
“I take it that Dad hasn’t seen your new wardrobe,” Geri said.
“Are you crazy? He would kill me if he saw my new clothes. Either that, or he would take away my rights to his credit card, which would be like killing me,” she replied. Their father was very protective of his daughters. If he only knew
With six sisters, Malajia craved attention growing up. She didn’t care what anyone thought of her, as long as they thought of her. She carefully selected her wardrobe to show off her figure in ways her parents would never in a million years consider appropriate—short miniskirts, bustiers, crop tops, plunging necklines, and backless halters. If a story or event was lame to her, a little exaggeration never hurt. Friends and family never quite knew whether her stories were accurate, or enhanced.
Geri shook her head and smiled. “The new hair color looks good on you.”
Malajia spun around and struck a pose. “I know right?” she boasted. “Doesn’t it complement my complexion?”
Geri narrowed her eyes at her sister. Sure the color complemented Malajia’s brown skin tone and brought out her big brown eyes. But the girl never could take a complement without adding her vain comments. “Never mind, I take it back.”
Malajia giggled at Geri’s nasty tone. “Too late, you already said it,” she teased.
“So are you finished packing yet?”
“Nope. Oh yeah, give me the hairdryer,” Malajia said as she held her hand out.
Geri looked at her with confusion. “What hairdryer?”
“The white one.”
“Heifer, that’s mine!” Geri exclaimed.
“So what if it is. You don’t need it, you have braids.” Malajia argued
“So what, that’s not the point. It’s still mine, and when I take these things out, I would like to have my hairdryer around.”
“Just give it to me, and hurry up; I need to run to the mall for some last minute accessories,” Malajia prodded.
Geri looked at her for a second. “Fine, if I let you borrow it then...You have to let me try on your new dress.” Geri snatched the burgundy dress off the bed and bolted out of the room.
“Noooo,” Malajia whined, chasing after her sister. “You can’t fit your big butt in it!”
“Jazmine, why do you always have to treat me so bad? I never do anything to you. Even though we share a room, I’m never in your way,” Emily replied softly.
Emily Harris never got smart or raised her voice, this girl was too afraid to stand up for herself. She always worried that she might get her feelings hurt, or worse – get hit.
“Emily, whatever. I can’t stand your whining. You act like a big-ass baby. You need to get it together and grow a damn backbone; you make me sick. Hurry up and get out,” Jazmine said angrily.
“You—you know, you really h—hurt me when you talk to me that way,” Emily struggled to say as her eyes started to tear up. Jazmine was right. She’d never had the backbone or confidence to stand up for herself in the family. It wasn’t just Jazmine who picked on her; her brothers did too. Maybe, she thought, it was because she was the baby of the family, or maybe because they suspected that Emily was their mother’s favorite.
“Aww, what’s the matter Pasty face? You about to cry?” Jazmine taunted.
Emily looked down at her hands, she hated that nickname. Her sister called her that because of the simple fact that Emily’s complexion was so much lighter than that of her brown skinned siblings. “Can—can you please not call me that?”
Jazmine frowned at Emily’s soft voice. “Girl, just shut the—”
“What’s going on in here?” Ms. Harris asked as she walked in the room, interrupting Jazmine.
“Oh nothing Mom, just helping my dear baby sister pack,” Jazmine lied. Emily just looked at the floor.
“Jaz, get out.”
Jazmine shrugged, but obeyed the command without any comment.
“What’s wrong Emily?” Ms. Harris settled down on the bed next to her daughter.
“Nothing, I’m fine,” Emily lied. How could she tell her mother that she was afraid of being on her own at college, with no one there to look out for her?
Ms. Harris pulled Emily close. Deep down, she wished that Emily didn’t have to go. If it was up to her, Emily would be going to a college closer to home. There are plenty of good schools right here in Jersey, she thought. She was so worried about this shy, quiet child who always hid in long dresses, sweat pants, and baggy shirts. Not that they ever had much left over after paying the bills to splurge on fashion fads. Money was tight, but they did okay in the finance department.
“Your father called today,” Ms. Harris said after a while.
“Really? What did he say?” Emily asked, a glimmer of hope slipping through her voice. Perhaps her dad could come and see her off after all. Even though he lived several states away, the man was still a big part of her life.
“He said that he’s sorry that he can’t see you off,” Ms. Harris answered carefully. “But he promises to send you something in the mail,” Emily smiled, but deep down she wanted to unpack everything and crawl into bed. She didn’t want to be anywhere else but in her mother’s arms.
The doorbell barely finished sounding when Alexandra Chisolm threw open the front door to her parents’ small row house in West Philadelphia. Her two best friends had promised to drop by. In a few days, Alex would be leaving for Paradise Valley University, and they wanted to say goodbye.
Stacey and Victoria rushed in, talking immediately by way of traditional greeting.
“Alex, we just looked up the Paradise Valley campus online,” Victoria said with a huge grin. “And we talked to some of the girls who go there, and they said that the campus is gorgeous, the dorms are big, and the guys down there are sexy.”
“Going to college isn’t just about the men, Vicki,” Alex scolded, watching her friend set her bag on the couch.
“Um hmm. Coming from an old married woman,” Stacey teased.
Alex laughed, “Paul and I haven’t been together that long.”
“Sure,” Victoria commented sarcastically, “I mean it’s only been three years.”
“Oh, whatever,” Alex replied with her trademark nonchalance.
“You do know that he’s gonna start acting all weird and jealous right?” Stacey added. She looked at Alex and thought her friend was enough to catch any man’s eye—tall and curvy, but toned, with a mane of shoulder-length wavy dark hair, and glowing dark skin. Paul might be justified if he started acting weird.
“Probably, but who cares,” Alex responded as she twisted her thick hair into a bun. “If he had graduated on time, he could’ve been going to college too. So that’s on him.” The comment came as no surprise to Stacey or Victoria. Alex was bold, smart, and confident—and very opinionated. Sometimes her forthrightness got on their nerves, often because it turned out she was right.
“I’m really gonna miss you and that tell-it-like-it-is attitude, girl,” Victoria confessed, “but I’m sure you’ll put it to good use up at school.” Stacey and Victoria often teased Alex about her maternal streak. The oldest of three children in a close-knit family, Alex slipped easily into the role of mother figure, protective and caring. And even though some thought that her protectiveness was sometimes overpowering, she made friends easily.
“I’m gonna miss you guys too, but you can always come down and visit,” Alex said happily.
“Just let us know when, and we’ll be there,” Stacey said with a smile. “And now we are going to go and let you get back to packing.”
“Okay, I’ll call you two when I get settled,” Alex grinned as she walked her friends to the door. “I love you both.” Alex watched them leave with a broad smile on her face. She was really going to college.
It had been a close call.
Her family didn’t have any money; Alex had always worked to help out and pay for her own things. Her wardrobe mostly consisted of jeans (preferably wide-legged or boot cut), and various tops. Although no one could call her shirts “trendy,” she had flare and managed to develop her own personal style on a meager budget. Without the generous scholarship, she wouldn’t be going to Paradise Valley. Student loans wouldn’t have come close to covering all of her expenses. She’d still have to watch every nickel and dime, but it was going to be the greatest time of her life.
