The First Night

Nicola directed him to one of the two bedrooms, which much to his delight was in nowhere near as bad a state as everything else in the dormitory. The room was small, featuring little more than a tiny closet, a single bed, a cheap desk pushed against a wall, and not an ounce of natural light.

"Okay, William, please just stay in here until tomorrow. No offence, but I'm really not comfortable with a guy I don't know being around."

"Uh, okay sure. Again, I'm so sorry about this."

"No problem. Get some rest." With that, she left him alone.

Before submitting to the incessant urge to sleep, he exchanged some memes with Mark on his phone, before being interrupted by a far more urgent communication.

Mom: Send me a photo so I know you are okay.

Today was the first day in his entire life that he was sleeping somewhere more than twenty-five feet apart from his mom. His father passed away when William was five years old, and the poor woman had determinedly provided for both him and his older sister, Maria, all by her lonesome ever since. Maria was born when his mom was just sixteen years old, and he followed just two years after.

His mom worked as a chef at a restaurant, but it never paid quite as much as it should've, and times had been tough. William could remember nights where their mom couldn't afford dinner for all three of them and would just watch as her children ate. His sister had had the grades to get into college, but the family couldn't afford it. When he got the scholarship, he had never seen his mother so proud; she was crying her eyes out exuberantly for hours and thanking Jesus at the little shrine she had in their rundown apartment. Before he left, she had bought him a second-hand suit as a gift and made him promise that he would text a photo of himself to her every night.

He sent back a selfie of himself in bed.

William: Love you.

Mom: Have you met your roommate? What is his name? Is he academic?

She was terrified that he would be corrupted by some bad influence and ruin his chances.

William: Not a he mom, she. The university messed up accommodations so I'm just staying the night here before we sort it out.

Mom: Hmmm... I don't know if I like that.

She was similarly not fond of girls his age, who she thought would distract him.

William: Relax, I'll be with someone else tomorrow. Good night.

Mom: Good night my little bear.