Introduction

You've arrived to your dorm room. It was an overwhelming morning as you loaded your things up to your room. With so much commotion as students moved about, you hadn't had time to notice your classmate.

Now, standing alone in your room, the enormity of the moment crashes on you. You've just entered a new stage of your life.

High school was what it was. The friends you made were great, and you weren't unpopular, but it always felt like you were involved just because you were there. This feeling was confirmed in the summer since graduation as, one by one, your friends fell out of contact. They were down their new paths now, and what's left is you as almost a blank slate.

Counselors for the past year had advised you that you'd figure things out in this new environment. That exploring classes and new interests would help you find your way. But right now, the prospect of discovering more about yourself seemed a bit hopeless. You are who you are, right?

And you are an average height man with medium length hair and an ordinary face. You played soccer in high school, but not necessarily out of passion, just as a thing to do. Exercise was never something you avoided. In class you got passing grades, but only good enough to make it into the 4th best public college in your state. What could someone so average hope to achieve in life. Even if you found some sort of goal, would you even have the drive to complete it.

You snap out of your existential cloud and notice that the door is opening and your new roommate is walking in. He's tall and has a messy mop of dark hair. He drags behind him a large duffel bag with an apparent broken strap.

"Do you need help?" you ask instinctively.

"Hey, bro, yeah, here." he stammers as he hands you a cardboard box.

You carry the box to his desk as he emphatically swings the duffel to the center of the room. In one motion, he gives into his momentum and flops onto his mattress.

"Are you alright?" you ask.

After an audible sigh, the roommate sits up. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine."

He stands up and puts his hands on his hips. "The name's Mike."

You face him awkwardly "I'm Carter."

Not sure whether the moment calls for shaking hands or not, you stand there until Mike directs his attention at unpacking his things. You retreat to your desk and open up your phone to pass the time.

As you stare down, scrolling through twitter, you notice a paper slide from under the door.

You crouch over and pick it up.

"Huh"

Mike looks over and asks "What's it say, bro?"

You lift up the flyer and read.