“Are you ready?” Joshua opened the front door for me and motioned for me to head out. 

I'd agreed to accompany him to the college that he was starting up at in a few weeks. It was a big step to move to a new town and state, but going to a school that I had no clue about was even a bigger challenge.  With a quick head nod, I scooted past him and walked out to the car. 

“It doesn’t take too long to get to the campus from here.” Joshua drove down the road towards the college. 

I felt my anxiety level rise and couldn’t get my body to calm down. My eyes were fixed, staring straight ahead and my leg bounced up and down like the muscles were going into spasms. Joshua told me that everything was going to be all right and that there shouldn’t be an issue with getting into classes. He reached over with his hand and patted my thigh. I know it was a friendly gesture, but I couldn’t help but flinch away like his hand had burned.

Once I did that, he automatically moved his hand back to the steering wheel. 

I was able to respond with an ‘okay’ to his proclamation, but my voice sounded weak like the muscles in my throat had tightened up. I just couldn’t shake the feeling of being tense and on high alert.  After ten minutes of driving, Joshua pulled the car into a long drive that seemed like it went on forever. Although it was a local campus, and the main campus was in Raleigh, this was huge compared to the small community-based college that was back in my hometown. There were students walking along the sidewalks that were lined with tall green trees and various flowering plants in flower beds that were plotted in-between the trees. The whole place looked as though it was from some Hollywood movie or TV show. 

“This is the front part of the campus.” Joshua motioned to the office buildings that were off to the side. “The classrooms and student apartments are down in the back.” He pointed to the road that led straight ahead. “I have to go to the athletic department which is this way.” He made a left turn and headed back towards the fields and athletic building. “Does this look like the college you were gonna go to?” He must have noticed me gaping at everything in awe and fascination. 
How could I not? I’d never seen this sort of atmosphere before. 

I shook my head. “It was just a little local school that only had classrooms. It definitely didn’t look like any of this.” I motioned to the large buildings that were situated on either side of the road. 

“This is just a local university, but they offer just about anything that you would want to study. Did you have a major in mind when you had applied?” 

“Nope. I was just happy to get accepted and be able to go somewhere.” I’d worked hard all during high school to get to where I’d gotten, then my mom went and screwed that all up by getting arrested for the umpteenth time. 

“Well, let me drop off some of these…” Joshua held up some papers. “…and we’ll head back down to the registration building.” He pulled his car into the parking space. “You can come in with me if you want.” There were a few guys standing over by the entrance. The look on my face must have signaled that I looked intimidated by their presence. “Those guys are just some of the ones who I play lacrosse with. They’re cool.” He tried to set my mind at ease. 

The thought of walking past a group of guys that I didn’t know made my stomach do a million somersaults. It was okay back at my old high school because I’d had known most of those idiots since middle school, but this was the big leagues now…this was college. 

*‘They know nothing of your past or who your momma is. It’s a brand-new start.’  *

I slowly opened the car door and stood up. I took careful surveillance of my surroundings like I was waiting for someone to jump out and yell ‘BOO.’
 I shut the door and walked around to where he was standing. 

Joshua placed his hand on the small of my back. “I’ll introduce you.”  This time, I controlled the need to jump away from his touch. He swept with his other hand, motioning for me to walk. 
I wasn’t used to guys like Joshua being this friendly with me unless of course being friendly meant pushing me up against the lockers and telling me to scream like my momma did the other night. Along with the constant, ‘Are you as good as your momma?’ and ‘I did your momma last night, we can make it a threesome tonight.’ 
Then after feeling me up, they would push themselves off and high-five all the other guys that were standing around. 

But with Joshua it seemed different, like he was actually being friendly without expecting anything in return.  I began to feel a bit better with his touch in this situation, like he was a true gentleman. I took one last look at Joshua with that most dazzling smile and let out a deep breath. I let him lead me over to the group of guys who were now watching us with a look of inquisitiveness. 

“What’s up?’ Joshua acknowledged the five guys that were hanging out by the lacrosse coach’s office door. They all did their normal fist-bump hand greeting and then turned their attention back onto me.  “We just stopped by to turn these in.” Joshua waved the physical papers that needed to return to the coach before he could play this season. “This is Alabama.” He gently rubbed my back, I guess in a way to help me feel less anxious. “She’ll probably be starting here with all of us at the beginning of the semester.” 
All the guys nodded their heads once, but none made any comment. Joshua nudged me a bit and then proceeded to tell me the names of the guys who were looking at me with curiosity written on their faces. Each of the guys had been courteous and said hey when Joshua introduced them. 

Once again, I was bashful around so many guys that looked as though they just stepped off of some sports magazine. I gazed up from the ground and gave out a quiet hello. I tried not to make eye contact with any one of them in particular.

“I better get these to the coach and then get her over to registration.” Joshua opened the door to the building and motioned for me to go ahead in. 

“They seemed nice.” It seemed there was a world of difference from high school boys to college men. 

“Yeah, most of them are. I’ve known them since high school.” Joshua opened the door to the coach’s office. 

“Joshua, what a pleasure seeing you this morning,” the secretary greeted him.

Joshua had explained on the car ride over here that Ana, the coach’s secretary, had taken the part time job of being on the lacrosse team roster to help pay off her student debt. She’d come to know most of the players over the past spring and summer practices and meetings that they attended. 

Ana was staring at me like I’d just stepped on some property that was hers. She glared at me but had bedroom eyes for Joshua. She was beautiful, angry, and seemed to have a split personality. 

“I just need the coach to get these papers before the end of the day.” Joshua sat the papers down on the desk.

The sound of Joshua’s voice broke her death glower on me and she turned back to Joshua with a sickly, sweet smile. Ana nodded her head once and took the papers from Joshua. She kept one eye on both of us as she filed the papers away into the folder. Maybe she was waiting to see if there was anything going on between the two of us. 

“Is this a friend of yours?” Ana then leaned across the desk with her face propped up on her hands. It was a free show down her shirt for Joshua. 

“Oh yeah, sorry.” Joshua took my hand and brought me closer to his side. “Ana, this is Alabama. She most likely will be starting here at the beginning of the semester.” 
I smiled as friendly as I could to the girl who seemed to be scrutinizing my every move. It was that look of ‘he’s mine and you’re in my way’, a situation I refused to get caught up in. I responded to the ‘hey’ greeting that this Ana girl felt obligated to deliver and then let my hand drop from Joshua’s loose grip. 
“
What will you be studying?” Ana tried to initiate casual talk to make it appear she was interested.

“Um—I haven’t really decided yet.” 

At one point, I wanted to go into nursing, but now I really didn’t know.

“Well, we better get going.” Joshua seemed in a rush to get away from this girl.

“It was nice to meet you.” I gave Ana another small smile and turned back around to leave. I felt her glare and the stabs of imaginary knives into my back. She obviously had an issue with me being with him. 

“Yeah, you too.” Ana tone was polite, even though her eyes told a completely different story. She reached around the side of the desk and rubbed Joshua’s arm. “I guess I’ll see you later and I’ll make sure the coach gets those papers as soon as he gets in.” A huskier, deep, seductress type tone was used when she turned her attention back to him. 

“Yeah, okay.” Joshua moved his arm out of Ana’s reach. “Thanks.” He followed behind me and let the door to the office close quickly behind him. 

The guys from the team were gone from the front of the building when we got back outside. I stepped aside and let Joshua lead the way back to his car. He was even chivalrous enough to open my door and shut it after I’d gotten settled in. 

“Was that an ex-girlfriend?” The curiosity of why that Ana girl kept giving me the evil eye was eating at me. I decided since this was a new start there should be a new Alabama, one that didn’t let rudeness back me into a corner. I was going to be bold and start asking questions. It seemed Joshua was the only so-called friend that I had right now. 

“Uh…no.” Joshua silently chuckled at the assumption. “She’s just someone who seems to want to date anyone from the lacrosse team.”

“So, this lacrosse thing is big here at this school?” There was only football and baseball at my old high school. Those were the ones who’d caused me the most torment for the past four years of my life.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Joshua turned into the complex of buildings that had the registration department in it. “You didn’t have that sport at your school?” He parked the car and motioned for me to get out with him.

I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. Even though I just promised myself to be a big, brave dog, I still hated new situations, especially ones that were on such short notice. But if I wanted to get anywhere in life and not end up in the same situation as my mother, then I’d better swallow my fear of people and new circumstances and try to make the best of it. 

“Nope, all they had was the regular football and baseball programs.” I followed him as he led the way into another building.