His Dawn

2 - Ginger Genius

BROOKLYNN

My eyes flutter open of their own volition, minutes before my alarm just like every other morning. I yawn, stretching my arms taut over my head, wisps of my bright red hair tickling my skin. Sitting up silently, I slip my thick glasses on, and look over at my still sleeping roommate. We didn’t get the chance to meet last night because I got here so last minute. She was already asleep when I got here at ten last night.

I was nervous to leave my comfy home in Britain with my mom. The only way I was able to come to school all the way across the ocean was because my two best friends came with me. They were actually able to get into the room across the way since this hall houses male and female students. I was not able to choose my roommate, however, but that’s okay. I was hoping to make a good girl friend here anyways.

I propel my long legs from the sheets, dropping to the ground from the high bed, excited for my first day of classes. I bounce on my toes all the way from the bed to the sliding bathroom door. I didn’t get the chance to unpack last night after the long flight, so I rummage through my bag to find the necessities to get ready.

I wash and moisturize my face then brush my teeth. Pursing my lips, I look at my reflection, contemplating my look for the day. For someone with one hundred percent Italian genes, my pale skin and red hair make me an anomaly. I want to look good despite that. Decisions made, I pop in contacts and brush on a light coat of makeup: mascara, eyeliner, some blush pink lipstick.

Satisfied with the look, I head back into the dark room, lit only by the sun’s light shining through the blinds. I click the lamp on my roommate’s desk, hoping she is okay with my touching her stuff. The faint white light illuminates my closet. My wardrobe has always been lighter than a typical girl’s; with my thin frame and height, it can be hard to find clothes that fit right. The pants are always either too big or too short, and the dresses are often too short to be considered decent.

I decide on my favorite yellow sundress. It’s a mid-thigh skater skirt with a tight high neck top that buttons right at my nape. The sides and back are a thick lace and it leaves my upper back completely bare. I pair it with my black high tops and a flowy black cardigan. I turn to check it out in the full-length mirror hanging on the wall beside our door.

Cute, but oh my god I need to do something about my hair. My wild red hair is a rat’s nest on my head. My phone rings just as I start running my fingers through the mess causing me to flinch, and practically yank out the knot I was going through. Gritting my teeth, I swipe my phone off the bed, answering it immediately.

“Mum?”

“Brooklynn! Sweetie! Are you excited for your first day of classes?” she squeals at me over the line. Lifting my shoulder, I hold the phone between it and my ear so I can keep teasing my fingers through my mane.

“Yeah I am. I am just getting ready now.”

“Don’t you need to be going soon?” she asks. I sigh, squinting over at the clock my roommate hung over her desk. Five minutes until eight. Wow, I have already been up for an hour?

“I have five minutes, mum. I'm good.”

“Oh good, sweetie, that’s good.” I can practically hear the tears in her eyes as she talks.

“Mum, don’t cry. This isn’t my first time at university,” I remind her.

And it’s true. I am at university here at Hearth to get my masters degree. My family all call me their little genius, but I think I am only ahead because I was homeschooled forever. I got my GED when I was fifteen then went to Oxford for four years and got my Bachelor in biology and zoology with a minor in psychology. It was more work than I had ever done before, but I never really went out or made other friends so I studied extra hard to finish in four years. I took a year off before coming here to intern at a medical research lab.

Now I'm here.

Across the world from home.

Starting my master degree in research biology.

“Oh, I know. I know. You haven’t been away from home in twenty-one years! You can't blame me for missing you.” I roll my eyes, but smile at her. My mum has always been here for me. I wouldn’t trade her for anything.

Two loud knocks startle me, causing my phone to slip from my grasp to drop noisily to the hardwood floor.

“Oh, bloody hell,” I grumble; swiping it from the ground, and checking for cracks, relieved to find none.

“Brookie! Come on!” a masculine yell comes through the door. I scrunch my face, darting my eyes over to my sleeping roommate. A soft snore leaves her parted lips, but otherwise she doesn’t move an inch.

Good.

I vaguely listen to my mum asking what is going on before I am giving her my love and shoving my phone into my cardigan pocket. I slide my bag on my shoulder, and slip quietly from the room. My best friend grins broadly at me from the dim hallway.

“I have a roommate, ya know. You big knob,” I grumble. He has the decency to look somewhat sheepish. Only for a moment, though, and then that goofy grin is back. “What are you doing bouncing around this early anyways?”

Dylan David is the quintessential boy next door. Tall and lanky with lean cut muscles, and olive skin. Soulful dark brown eyes, and mused brown hair with his ever-present grin. He is loyal to those who earn it, and is always quick with a joke. One of my two best friends since we were babies. He is a year younger than me, but he stayed in Oxford to ear his basic classes before coming to the states with me to finish school.

Though with all those wonderful attributes, he is not a morning person.

“This tosser has already had shag this morning,” the third part of our trio snorts from their doorway.

Chase Cannon. Twenty-six and my eternal protector. His parents and him have lived next door forever. A little shorter than Dylan, but still tall, his thin frame is well defined, and his olive skin tone makes his grey eyes an attractively intense feature. His light brown hair is cut short, swiped back naturally. Between is work-work and his school work, I don’t even know how he has the time to take care of Dylan and me. I mean, the guy will leave a woman mid shag if I call him.

He ruffles Dylan’s hair as he teases. The younger man scowls, fixing his messed-up hair. I can't help but to laugh at my two best friends. They are dorks, but they're my family.

Chase smiles at me, holding out a travel mug with a string hanging out. I take it from him with a grateful smile, but before I can take a drink, he places two small cubes on the closed lid. He gives me a pointed look.

“You left your box in our room,” he says.

Oops.

Giving him a sheepish look, I take the cubes between my lips, sucking them in and pressing them against the backs of my teeth. The grainy sweetness of the sugar bursts in my mouth. I swallow it down with a long drink of the pleasantly bitter drink.

Earl Grey. My favorite.

“Let us get to class then before you are both late.”