Willowbrooke Chronicles

The silver bug pulled into the familiar West Minnus campus parking lot, a knot of stress tightening in your stomach. It had been over three months, and the return felt heavier this time. Work, unpacking, textbooks – the weekend stretched ahead, a daunting list of tasks.

Adding to the unease were the bizarre, exotic trees newly planted by the housing office, a strange welcome that mirrored your suspicion of how the semester might unfold: odd. Solitude awaited for a couple of days before your roommates arrived, a prospect that wasn't entirely unappealing.

Stepping into the West Minnus Student Housing Office, a wave of familiarity washed over you at the sight of Sofía, your old roommate. She’d been working here all summer, her long brown hair framing tired but happy eyes – happy, you suspected, to see you. A quick hug, a brief "hi," and she handed you your key, sending you back into the heat to find your designated parking spot. The affordable, albeit inconvenient, lot awaited, and you braced yourself for the struggle of carrying everything in one go, a firm believer in the 'no second trips' philosophy.