From Mountains to Lone Stars

I loved what I did. I loved being a hall director, not only did I get to interact with residents and resident assistants alike, I got to help people learn and grow. And that's what I wanted to do with my life: help people.

The entire reason I got into music and higher education was to benefit those who never had the chances I did. I was fortunate enough to grow up in Huntington Beach and to pursue the passions I had. My parents let me do what I wanted, and I was so grateful that they did.

What made this all the better was that my best friends were here with me. We were all in music education, determined to get people to love music as much as we did. Of course, in our spare time, we managed to play our music. Our music wasn't for everyone given that it was very metal, but we loved playing together. I couldn't ask for better friends. And now, I couldn't ask for a better staff.

Miranda was the best assistant hall director I had ever seen. She loved her job and brought passion, energy, and fun into everything we were doing. Linda and Carter were my long standing RAs and they were great. They jumped at the chance to actually get out there and do things. Garrett and Mikey, the twins, were also music nerds and loved jamming and goofing off.

Sarah and Brittany were also long term RAs. Sarah was the quirky one of our group, always ready to give extra energy to a task, and Brittany was just excited to finally work with freshmen instead of upper classmen. Blake and Mark were the funniest guys in our staff. They knew when to goof off and when to get down to business.

Carrie and Trev were the newest resident assistants, and I didn't know what to make of them just yet. They loved what they were doing so far, and I saw great potential in them. I think they just needed to be pushed a little harder.

And then there was Maverick. Maverick was like an entirely different caliber of RA. She was fun and dedicated to her job, but she also wasn't afraid to dig down deep and address the real issues. When we had done Behind Closed Doors, she had jumped right into a suicide crisis and handled it like a champion.

But there was something more to Maverick than just this great RA and student. She was... unique. The first day I met her and she was jamming to Pantera, I felt my heart do something weird. And every time I saw her after that, my heart did the same thing. But I wasn't allowed to get involved with anyone on my staff; it could end badly for all involved. I needed this job, and from what little Mav told us about her life, she did too.

Sighing, I left my apartment to go work out. As I exited the wing, I saw a bunch of the freshmen shoot me looks. I'm sure it was because the sleeves were cut off my shirt and they could see most of my tats. Smiling, I started to head down the hallway when I heard giggling. Oh jeez... maybe they were looking at me because of my looks?

"Ouch," a voice said. I had been so distracted I had walked into someone and knocked them over. "Shit... sorry, Maverick."

I helped her up and she rubbed her nose. "Okay, that one is your fault, Sanders." She stuck her tongue at me.

"By the way, all the girls in my wing think you're hot," she said as she tried to move around me.

I stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder. "What?"

"Why do you think people are staring at you and giggling? Come on, Sanders, you know you're a good looking guy."

A blush crept onto my cheeks. "Whatever. I have the pager if you guys need me," I said and quickly left the building. Was Maverick among those girls who thought I was hot?

Notes

Hey guys! Update for you. So, I just realized that there is a lot of housing jargon in here... I was in housing for two years. So... if it gets too confusing, let me know!