Settling In

"You must be Kathrine," he said, holding out a hand to me.

"I am," I replied, letting him shake my hand. "This is my dad Garrett."

"Nice to meet you, Sir," he said, shaking my dad's hand. "My name is Dr. Skottie Gyro. I am the head of the Neuroscience Division."

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Gyro," Dad said.

"If you'll follow me, I'll see that you are settled. We'll have your interview tomorrow morning." He turned down the path to his left and we followed.

"You didn't tell me this was only an interview," Dad said to me. "I assumed you had been accepted and needed to come right away since school begins soon."

I didn't respond.

"Rest assured, Sir," Dr. Gyro said. "Your daughter has been accepted. The interview is so we can get to know the student's personality and know where the teachers can work to improve the skill set they bring with them."

"Well, that's a relief," Dad chuckled.

I kept my attention on our surroundings and the many paths that ran between 10-12 different buildings. I knew where the photographers stood to get the shots that were in the flier. They had picked their places well. Dr Gyro took us to a building on the far end of campus. The inside was much cooler and well lit. We stayed on the main floor and took the wing to the left. Dr. Gyro unlocked a room and led us inside. It was a one room space, but had a small half bathroom in it—shower, toilet, sink, and a mirrored cabinet above the sink. The main room contained a small coffee table, a desk, a bed, and a four drawer dresser.

"Okay," Dr Gyro said, holding a thick folder out to me. "Here is your welcome packet. It has a map of campus and a list of classes. We will create your schedule at your interview. Now laundry services are located in the right wing. The washer and dryer units are coin machines. Soap and dryer sheets are included in the cost to use them. Each building has its own staffed kitchen on the second floor. In the dorms they are open 24-7, so if you get to feeling homesick at midnight, someone will be there to provide comfort food. The internet is hooked up in all the buildings. Once registered for classes, you will be able to access it on your computer, tablet, phone, etc. Username and password will be given to you once registered. Any questions?"

I shook my head and walked to the single window in the room.

"Are there any social events held on campus?" Dad asked.

"Many," Dr. Gyro replied. "There are various clubs for our students to join and each month we host a big dance so all our students can mingle and enjoy a good time."

"Won't that be grand, Kathrine?"

"Great," I replied sarcastically.

"Oh, come on. Don't be that way. I know you'll miss your friends from back home, but you'll make new ones."

I firmly set my jaw and said nothing.

Dr. Gyro cleared his throat after a moment of silence. "Kathrine," he said.

I turned from the window to look at him.

"You can dress casually and comfortably for your interview tomorrow."

"Thank you, Dr. Gyro."

"Here are your keys. See you in the morning."

I took the keys and nodded.

"Thank you, Dr. Gyro," Dad said, shaking his hand.

He smiled courteously then left.

"Were you trying to make me look like a bad father?" Dad asked sternly once the door was closed.

"You do a great job on your own, Daddy. You don't need my help."

He glowered. "What do you want to eat? I'll bring you something."

"Food," I replied, pocketing the keys.

"You'll need to start making your own decisions and take care of yourself while you're out here."

"I know."

I waited until Dad had gone before I started to unpack. I placed all of my dresses in the bottom two drawers of the dresser, burying the fancier ones on the bottom of the second drawer. My socks fit nicely next to my everyday dresses. My other bag—notebooks, writing utensils, and sketch pads—I emptied into the various drawers of the desk. I carefully placed my bathroom necessities on the shelves behind the mirror. I left my toothbrush and paste next to the sink. I was just sliding my empty suitcases under the bed when Dad returned with a soup and salad. He set them on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Daddy," I said, sitting on the floor to eat.

"You're welcome, Kathrine." He sat on the bed and looked around. "Not much different than home, is it?"

I shrugged.

"College will be different from High School, so don't turn anyone away. They may end up becoming your best friend."

I gave a slight nod, mouth full, but didn't believe him. Same pep talk every time I ended up in a new school. Same lie to raise false hopes.

"...I should call your mother," he said after a minute. "Let her know you arrived safely."

"Okay."

Dad watched me eat a few bites of soup before he left to make the call. I finished the food then walked to the window. Dad was waving his hands around as he did when ranting about someone. Often he waved a hand toward my window and I knew he was ranting about me. More reinforcement about how much my parents didn't like me. I backed away then took my dirty dishes back to the kitchen. A woman, standing behind the counter, smiled at me.

"Thank you," I told her. "The food was delicious."

"You are welcome," she replied. She took the dishes and disappeared into the back.

I observed the room, taking in the set up. Many chairs, many tables, and yet so empty. Did they not have many students come to this college? I knew I had a few weeks, but I guess I expected to see more people since this school was a lot bigger than any one I had attended previously. I took in the room a moment longer before returning to my room. I picked up the packet then lay on the bed to look through it. I pulled the map out first.

I fingered the different pathways, circling the buildings where the various English/Art classes were held. The class packet came next. I pulled out the pen that was in the packet as well. It had the name of the school on it. I took off the lid and started to read through the descriptions. From time to time, I would draw a star next to the courses I felt would be helpful in pursuing a degree in writing. I had just turned to the next page when Dad came in.

"I'm sorry, Kathrine. I can't stay," he said. "Your mom is in a panic. I need to get back." He shouldered his bag.

"Okay. Bye." I went back to reading.

Dad stopped. "Okay? Aren't you worried?"

"Why should I be? I've been an inconvenience to you and Mom since my birth."

"Kathrine...."

"You need to go now. I wouldn't want you to miss your flight."

My dad watched me for another minute before closing the door behind them. I tried to keep reading the description I had started, but my tears finally broke through. I slammed the pen on the packet. I wept.