[IC] Does Gender Truly Decide Your Future?

[Nica]

Walking towards the enormous campus, with a less than confident stride, black headphones fit snugly a top a head of dark hair and eyes downcast to the ground...a new student hesitantly approached. This was the first day of their new journey. Challenges of every possible variety awaited just inside. Past the glass doors and through the crowded hallways, a minefield of unpredictable events would be unleashed. Becoming a victim to her nerves, the weight of her converse suddenly increased and she found herself unable to continue along the sidewalk.

How does anyone, willingly, tread to their worst fears? She has always wondered. Isn't it instinctive to avoid these types of situations? Survival of the fittest and all that? At this point, bag slung over her shoulder and books held securely to her chest, it wasn't an option to retreat now. She'd just have to press on.

At least she was smart enough to have come early, managing to arrive without the massive crowds. The campus was fairly vacant, aside from an aimlessly wandering professor or two. Music blaring loudly in both ears, the sweet melody of punk-rock to sooth her anxiety, she forced herself to the steps. Weakly, fearfully, lifting her foot to the first step.

"Miss. Russo?"

She stalled, left foot frozen in midair. A breeze found pleasure in her hair, swirling the locks forward and impairing her vision. Shyly adjusting herself with a single hand, brushing the annoying strands of hair aside, she offered a meek smile to the person who spoke her name. It was a professor, thankfully.

"Are you alright?" A woman, elderly and sporting glasses two times larger than necessary, inquired with sincere concern.

She replied in silence, nodding her head slowly.

And so the day begins.

[Bee]

Alex walked through the campus to get to his classes. All he wanted to do today was to just get this day over with, and go home and sleep for pretty much the rest of the day. He really did not feel like talking to anyone, especially today. Today was just a day where he felt off, and disoriented. And the fact that he had to sit in a big classroom for hours listening to a probably boring lecture was about the most unappealing sounding thing he had ever heard in his lifetime. He didn't know how people were able to stand these things.

He stepped rather boringly through the campus, and had to get through a professor talking to a girl with a big pair of earphones on her ears. He sighed and walked up the stairs, before he managed to find his way into the lecture hall he was supposed to be in. For a college this popular, it was definitely empty at this time of day. He walked in and sat down in a random seat upwards away from the front of the hall, so he could set up and struggle to stay awake.

Much to his disdain, he looked at the time on the clock, and found out he was nearly half an hour early to class, and as a result, nobody was inside, not even the freaking professor. But, Alex was already set up, so he had to stay put for the time being until class begun.

[Nica]

Finally released from the one sided conversation with her concerned professor, the young woman continued through the campus and found herself wandering the halls aimlessly. Unsure of where to go, she surrendered to her curiosity. Opening each door that was unlocked, peering inside for a quick glance and then continuing on to the next. It didn't take her long to locate the room that she was actually searching for. Large, vacant and quite...a perfect environment for someone like her.

Well, mostly vacant. Someone else was in the room, another student, but they didn't seem to notice her presence. Choosing not to acknowledge them either, she sat down in the back, across from the other occupied seat and began unloading her backpack. First, her notebook. Torn, aged, the spiral edge nearly broken off entirely. Second, her favorite trio of pens, barely able to produce a solid line of ink. Third, a large soda. That's right. A huge bottle of Coke-Cola had been hidden within her small backpack.

Twisting the cap, hearing the crisp sound of escaping air as the seal broke, her mouth had already begun to water. She didn't hesitate, lifting the opened bottle to her parted lips and nursed the drink happily.

[Bee]

Alex groaned quietly and moved to look at his laptop, scrolling through it to pass the time. He eyed the girl that walked around in the classroom. Obviously he didn't mind her, and thought that she had made the same mistake as she did, and came in too early. She probably didn't want to be disturbed, so he kept quiet, watching her as she moved to the back.

He scrolled through his laptop just until he heard the unmistakable sound of a soda bottle being opened. He turned around, and found that the girl had taken out a comically large bottle of Coca-Cola. For a girl looking like that, he thought she'd be more of a tea or coffee person. But a giant bottle of coke instead? He liked how this girl thought, and wanted to get to know her eventually.

But for now, all he could do was watch her nurse the bottle and drink out of it happily.

[Nica]

It wasn't long before the massive bottle of soda was left only half full, cap replaced and screwed tight. Setting the bottle aside, she opened her notebook and began writing a few notes to herself. Little reminders for the day. Go grocery shopping, clean house...etc. At least it helped pass the time. Happening to feel someone's eyes directed towards her, she slightly glanced to the side and made brief eye contact with Alex.

Jayden immediately blushed, cheeks stained darkly and downcast her eyes back to the notebook's pages. She didn't say a word, or even make a sound. Jayden continued writing until her pen ran dry, the ink no longer available. Sighing at the realization, Jayden tossed the pen forward and heard the loud clunk of it hitting the garbage can down in front. She quickly moved onto her second pen, resuming where she'd left off.

Class would be starting soon, thankfully.