I clutch my belongings to my chest and begin walking towards the front doors. My mind keeps swirling around what everyone is going to think. Surely everyone knows about the crazy chick who tried to commit suicide last week. I keep my head down as I get closer. I didn’t want to give them a closer look than they needed.

“What are you wanting to do first,” my mom asks. I could tell she was trying to ease some of the uneasiness I was feeling.

“Take a shower. I really want to shave my legs.”

“Shave your legs.” To me, her voice had a hint that was weird.

“Yeah.” I immediately go on the offensive. “It’s not like I was allowed a razor in that place. Which, if you think about it, makes perfect sense.”

“Okay, okay. Don’t bite my head off. It was just a statement. I’m on your side, Georgia.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m just scared to walk in there. Everyone is going to know and…”

“Don’t worry about it. All that’s important is that you feel better. They’ll understand that.”

These were college students we were talking about. I doubt very much they had any desire to ‘understand’ my feelings. What a joke. But it was time for the truth. We are at the front door. I take a deep breath, open the heavy door, and walk in.

The common area is full of people. I stick to the edges as I walk around, heading for the hall that would take me towards my dorm room. To my surprise, the voices didn’t come to a complete stop. No one even seemed to notice I was back. They only look up quickly to see if it was anyone they were interested in and return to their conversations. Maybe I was reading more into it than I should have. With firmer steps, I continue to the hall where I was assigned.

Opening the fire door, things were different here. No one was in the hall. That was odd. It is the middle of the day. I was hoping to see my friends and let them know I was okay. That I didn’t really hold it against them that they asked the campus police to take me back to the hospital for my safety.

I reach my dorm room, my mom still trailing behind, and I pull out my key. I study it for a moment before inserting it in the lock. Here I was. Back where it all happened. I take a deep breath and open the door.

Nothing was out of place. It looked like I had just left earlier that day. I felt a smile cross my face as I walk in, my mom shutting the door behind us.

“I haven’t seen your room before. This is nice.”

I look around seeing it through her eyes. I’m not sure nice is what I’d say. My roommate’s bed was lifted up by a loft so she could stick her desk underneath it. It gave us more floor space, so that was nice. My bed was still stuck on the ground all normal, my desk under the window. Her microwave and mini-fridge were on her side of the room. My side was bare and sparse. All I had to really call my own was the coffee pot sitting on the dresser at the end of the bed. I shrug. It was home.

I set my bag of stuff on the bed and go to grab some things out of my dresser to go take a shower. My mom sits at my desk and looks out the window. The grass was brown since we were on the tail end of winter. It would start turning green soon, but not yet. Too bad she couldn’t have seen it when it was green and everyone enjoying the area. Oh, well.

There was a knock on the door.

Hoping it was one of my friends coming to welcome me back, I hurry to the door and answer it. Nope. No friend. It was just Renee, our RA or resident adviser. She was older than us and basically made sure we didn’t get into too much trouble. Guess I threw her for a loop.

“Hello, Renee.”

“Georgia. Hi. I see you’re out of the hospital.”

“Yes, I am.” I couldn’t believe we were talking about the obvious. But by the way she was wringing her hands, she had something to say she wasn’t looking forward to. “What can I help you with?”

“Georgia, we held a hall meeting while you were away and the girls all said they…” there was a pause. “Well, they said they didn’t want you living here anymore. I’m sorry,” she said, all in a rush.

“What?” What did she just say? She couldn’t possibly have meant it. My friends didn’t want me here anymore?

“I’m sorry. I called housing and let them know the situation. They said you should call them when you returned. They will have found somewhere else for you by now.” With that, she turned and left my room, shutting the door behind her.

All I could do was stand and stare at the door. Behind me, I heard my mom say, “I’ll call housing,” followed by the sound of the phone being picked up.

In a daze, I turn around and walk to my bed, not seeing anything. Sitting down hard, I still couldn’t believe it.

My mom began to talk quietly on the phone, so I knew she had reached someone. All I knew was I have to pack up all of my things and move. I thought they were my friends and they all turned on me. I hear the phone being put back in its cradle.

“They have a room you can have all to yourself over in a hall across the campus. Would you like me to help you pack?”

I nod, still too shocked to say a word.

I hear the key in the lock and I turn towards the door to watch my roommate and her mom walk in. When she sees me, Ruth immediately turns and leaves the room. Her mom stayed behind, looking uncomfortable.

“I’m so sorry, Georgia,” she began. “But Ruth had a friend commit suicide a few years back. This was really hard on her. Surely you understand.” With that, she turned around and left.

Hard on her? My mind reeled. Didn’t they understand how hard this was on me? I thought Ruth was my friend. She was one of the girls I turned to when I needed help. But now it was all ‘poor Ruth’ and I was losing the place I was supposed to call home for the school year. Not Ruth, but me.

I could hear drawers opening and shutting as my mother began to place my clothes into my suitcases. Hangers jangled as she took dresses down. I know I should stand up and help her, but I can’t. I’m too numb.

There’s a knock on the door, but I keep looking at the floor. I hear my mom stand up and cross to the door and open it.

“Hello. Who are you?”

I hear a male voice. “My name is Doug. Is Georgia okay?”

“Georgia, sweetheart. Did you want Doug to come in?”

I look up, curious. I’d met Doug only a month and a half before in one of our English classes. We’d only talked a few times. I have no idea why he was here. “Um, okay.” Unconsciously, I run my hands over my short hair to make sure nothing was sticking straight up. I wipe a few tears from my cheeks and watch as he came in. My mom was chattering away at him, which is what she does. He was being very polite and answering all of her questions. Then he turned to me.

“Hi, Georgia. I heard that you were back, so wanted to make sure you were okay.”

I look into his brown eyes and see nothing but concern, so of course I burst into tears.

He shuffles his feet like he’s uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry,” I blubber. “It’s just been a hard day and I’ve just been told I’m being kicked out and…”

“Wait. You were what?”

“The RA was just here. I’ve been moved to another dorm. I’m not sure how I’ll get all of my things over there.”

“Which dorm are you being put in?”

I look at my mom. The name hadn’t stuck in my head.

“Carvill Hall,” she says.

“And when are you supposed to move?”

He had a good question and I had zero answer. I numbly look to my mother again for the answer.

“They have the keys waiting for her. So she can move as soon as we get her stuff packed up and ready to go.”

Doug stood up. “That’s going to be hard. Well, see you soon.” With that, he was out the door.

“He seems like a nice boy,” my mother says.

“I barely know him,” I reply with a shrug. Watching her return to packing my belongings, I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t leave all of the work to fall on her shoulders. Standing up, I start to strip my bed. Holding my bedding in my arms, I look around. Not knowing what else to do, I drop it on the bed in an untidy heap.

“Give me a moment,” my mom says, “and I’ll come help you fold that.”

I walk over to my computer and begin to unplug cables to ready it for transport. I aimlessly walk around the room, picking up a thing here, and a thing there. Put my school books in my bag, then walk over and help my mom fold some clothes before walking over and emptying a desk drawer.

I sometimes feel my mom’s eyes on me, but I don’t pay any attention to her. I can’t focus. I can’t do things in an orderly fashion. If she mentions it, there’s no telling what I will say. My nerves feel raw and my emotions are raging inside me. I don’t know if I want to laugh or cry or scream or try all three at once. I elect to compromise and do none of them.

There’s a knock at the door.

My shoulders drop and I turn to see who it is this time. My mom gets to her feet and opens it one more time. As the door opens, I see 4 guys standing there. The only one I knew was Doug. As they walk in, he starts talking.

“This is Terry, Brian, and Mike. I told them what was happening and we are ready to help in any way we can.”

True to fashion, I start to cry, again. It seems to be my only logical response on this awful day. Thank goodness my mom was here.

“Thank you so much, guys. I had no idea how we were going to get all of this moved. If we can, I’d like to get it done all in one trip. I don’t think it would be good for Georgia to have to keep coming back.”

They all agree and set to work. Terry made quick work of my computer while Brian and Mike fold my bedding. Before I know it, my side of the room was all packed and ready to move.

My mom began to smile at everyone and gush over how helpful the guys have been. Good thing they were there. Goodness knows I wasn’t making headway on anything.

“Georgia, check and make sure we didn’t leave anything behind and we’ll start taking all of this out to the cars.” She turns to the guys awaiting orders. “Everyone grab something and let’s see how fast we can do this.”

As I watch my stuff walk out the door, I begin to walk around the room and check in closets and drawers. I needn’t have bothered. Everyone had made sure to grab everything that was mine and leave Ruth’s things alone.

Two more trips saw my things walk out the door and me with the last of it. I still clutch my small bag of belongings from the hospital. I climb into the car next to my mom and we follow Doug and the other guys towards Carvill Hall and what would be my home for the rest of the school year.

Next Chapter: Day 3