Cali parked the truck and they both stepped out, their excitement barely contained despite the drab sight in front of them. The building loomed like a giant concrete block, adorned with the occasional patch of ivy desperately trying to cling to the façade. Max glanced back at Cali, who was already rummaging through the truck's cab for her favorite lucky hoodie.
“Okay, let’s just take a deep breath and remember that this is a new beginning,” Max said, trying to inject a dose of optimism into the situation as she adjusted her sunglasses. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and in her heart, she believed they could turn even the most unattractive space into a home.
They grabbed their boxes and bags and made their way to the entrance. The smell of old linoleum and cheap cleaning supplies wafted through the air, and the flickering fluorescent lights didn't do much to improve the ambiance. The lobby was the size of a postage stamp, cluttered with flyers advertising pizza nights and roommate mixers.
“I guess this is it,” Cali shrugged, trying to seem unaffected by the mediocrity surrounding them. “At least we can redecorate, right?”
“Yeah, with what? My ‘I Survived High School’ t-shirt and three deflated balloons?” Max joked.
As they approached the stairwell, a group of students were laughing as they descended, their laughter bouncing off the walls. “Hey!” one of them called out, a tall guy with shaggy hair. “Are you the new girls?”
“Looks like it,” Cali said, matching his energy. “This place could use some fresh faces!”
“Good luck finding your way around! It’s like a maze in here, especially with the portals,” he chuckled, slipping past them.
Cali raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Portals? What portals?”
“Just wait!” he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared into a hallway.
“Did he say ‘portals’?” Max whispered urgently, practically bouncing on her toes. “What does he mean? Are there secret doors here?”
“Whatever, sounds like a bunch of nonsense,” Cali replied, but she couldn’t suppress her curiosity either. “Let’s go check out our room first and then maybe we’ll find these ‘portals.’”
They climbed the creaky stairs, dragging their boxes behind them, until they finally reached the door to their dorm. It swung open with a loud creak, as if inviting them into its discomfort. The room was small, with two twin beds placed parallel to each other, a desk in the corner, and a window overlooking the brick wall of the adjacent building.
“Well, at least there’s no one here to judge us when we make a mess,” Cali sighed, tossing a box onto one of the beds.
“True! But we’ve got to find some way to liven this place up,” Max declared. “Fairy lights, posters, maybe even a shrine to our favorite band?”
“Or a portal shrine,” Cali smirked. “It could be an attraction!”
“What do you say we hit the streets later and find some decor?” Max suggested, already buzzing with ideas.
“First, let’s unpack and see if we can actually fit our lives into this shoebox,” Cali replied, rolling up her sleeves.
They started unpacking, filling the room with remnants of their pasts and dreams for the future. It wasn't long before they’d made progress and were giggling, throwing stray socks at one another while laughing about their shared high school memories.
But as they moved the last box, they noticed something odd—a small door at the back of the closet. It was half-hidden by clothes and boxes, and it looked centuries old. A tiny brass handle gleamed in the dim light.
“Um, Cali… what is that?” Max asked incredulously, pointing to it.
“I have no idea, but it looks like a portal to me!” Cali said, eyes glinting with mischief.
“Should we open it?” Max felt an electric thrill of possibility.
Cali took a step closer, her heart racing. “You only live once, right?”
Taking a deep breath, she yanked the door open, and what lay beyond wasn't just another closet. It was a swirling mist of color—a portal, just as the tall guy had mentioned.
The chatter and music from the dorm faded away, and there was just the two of them, staring into a world full of light and mystery.
“Are we really considering this?” Max asked, her heart pounding.
Cali smiled, a daring gleam in her eyes. “Why not? This is our fresh start after all.” And with that, they clasped each other's hands tightly and stepped into the unknown, ready for whatever awaited them on the other side.