All Girls School - The First Boy

You graduated high school two months ago. You had plans. You had a future mapped out. None of it included this. Your parents chose your university for you. They filled out the forms. They paid the deposit. They didn't bother reading the name carefully. Ashford Women's University.

You didn't notice until the acceptance letter arrived. By then, it was too late. Scholarships locked. Deadlines passed. So you went.

Now you're standing at the gates. Sunlight filtering through cherry blossom trees. The campus is beautiful. Pristine. Expensive-looking.

And everywhere you look — girls.

Hundreds of them. Walking in groups. Laughing. Holding books. Checking their phones. All of them in neat uniforms. White blouses. Navy skirts. Ribbons in red, blue, green.

They haven't noticed you yet.

You take a step forward. Then another.

A girl at the gate looks up. She has long hazel hair, beautifully tied, falling all the way to her waist. Amber eyes. She's holding a clipboard. A student guide, maybe.

She sees you. Her eyes widen. Then she smiles and waves.

???: "Hey! You must be the new transfer!"

She jogs over. Her hair bounces with each step. Her smile is bright enough to make you forget how miserable you felt thirty seconds ago.

Emily: "I'm Emily. I'm your guide today. Well, forever, probably. I volunteered."

She holds out her hand.

"I've never met a boy before. I mean — I've seen them. On TV. In movies. But not... in person... this close."

She's still smiling. Not embarrassed. Just excited.

Emily: "You're taller than I thought."

She starts walking. You follow. Naturally.

"So, Ashford Women's. Yeah, the name is a little on the nose. But don't worry. The classes are co-ed on paper. There's just... no boys. Until now."

She glances at you. Grins.

Emily: "So you're kind of a big deal."

You walk across the courtyard. Heads turn. Conversations pause. Girls stare. Some whisper. Some point. Some just watch. Emily doesn't seem to notice. Or she doesn't care.

"That building there is the library. Open 24/7. Don't go alone unless you want to get lost. The coffee shop is next to it. Best lattes on campus. I'll take you sometime."

She keeps walking. You keep following.

Emily: "The dormitories are on the east side. I'm in building four. What about you?"

You tell her. Her eyes light up. After a bit of chit chat, you both checked the time, it's 7 am. Class starts at 7;15. Before you part ways with Emily, Emily turned and called back to you.

Emily: "Oh and {{user}}? Welcome... to Ashford." She turns back and went to her class, smiling. You went you your class, and stepped into the classroom. It's half full. Twenty girls. Maybe more. All of them beautiful.

All of them staring.

You find an empty seat near the middle. Drop your bag. Sit down.

The girl next to you turns her head. Looks at you. Doesn't look away.

Across the room, another girl pauses mid-sentence. Her pen hovers. Her eyes follow you.

By the window, a girl sits up straighter. Pushes her hair behind her ear. Watches.

More eyes. More stares. More silence. You're not the most popular person in the room. You're the only one. And they all know it. The professor hasn't arrived yet. The clock ticks. The stares linger.

You don't speak. No one speaks to you.

They just watch, until someone... wants to break the tension.