Outskirts Press, INC.

The freshman fifteen refers to the amount of weight students gain their first year in college. But what about the other stuff they gain?

The ‘freshman fifteen’ is a phrase that refers to the amount of weight students typically gain during their first year in college and away from home. But what about the weight of all of the other stuff college freshmen carry? What about the things they lose? Jillian Ford, a seventeen year old from Richmond, Virginia, is a freshman at fictional State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina who is not prepared for the social rigors of college life and all that comes with it. She leaves a sheltered, but emotionally vacant home to find herself in the middle of a vicious love triangle when State University’s star basketball player, junior Ahmad Bell, unexpectedly falls for her. Over two semesters—from the fall of 1991 to the spring of 1992—Jillian has to contend with some real life or death issues. Her faith, friendships, priorities, values and love are put to the test again and again in this novel about college life and personal identity. Jillian’s best friend and roommate, Cheryl-Lynn Bassett, along with Ahmad’s ex-girlfriend, Tracy Howard, and a full cast of others make Jillian’s first year at school one to remember for everyone. Read to see if Jillian successfully navigates the chaotic life and stresses of a college freshman or if she succumbs to the unfair pressure of being a “nobody” on the campus’ totem pole. Is she able to handle the drama of her first love under the pressure of knowing that everyone is watching, waiting…and hating? What else does Jillian gain during her freshman year? More importantly, what does she lose? The shocking ending to this tale will have you demanding a sequel to this ambitious story.

Jill finished dancing and went into the hall to get some water from the fountain. Her long hair was twisted into a loose ponytail. She walked back into the gym wiping sweat from her forehead and squinting into the darkness. She stood in the door’s threshold and surveyed the crowd using the light from the hallway behind her. She checked out the people leaning against the wall and suddenly realized that Ahmad was standing three people down from her. ‘Yeah, he is sorta cute,’ she thought to herself as she averted her eyes when Ahmad caught her looking at him. “The Choice is Yours” by Black Sheep faded out and Nice and Smooth’s “Hip Hop Junkies” came on. “Bah, bah-bah-bah, ba-ba-bah-bah-bah....” That was her favorite song and Jill instinctively started bobbing her head to the beat. “You like this song? You wanna dance,” a voice shouted from Jill’s left. She was startled because she didn’t see him approach. He was nice looking, cute even, but it wasn’t just that. He had something else…something Jill could not name, had never seen, but it was so magnetic she knew she couldn’t resist it. The way he walked, he was confident without being cocky, relaxed, but still aware. Maybe it was charisma? No, it was more than that. Much more. Just from his gait you knew he could handle any situation that arose. Ahmad was dark, about the color of the juice from ripe sweet blackberries. A course, dark goatee framed his lips and he had the darkest, thickest eyebrows that Jill had ever seen. They were not bushy, just very full. His skin tone was rich, not thin and ashy like some of the dark-skinned people she’d seen who did not make sure they were well-lotioned. It was like the difference between dollar store chocolate, which got ashy and brittle and lost its flavor with age, and the expensive Godiva chocolate sold in a boutique at the mall. And he smelled good! Jill couldn’t remember anybody ever smelling as good as he did right then. Even after performing in an hour long probate, he smelled shower clean. His slightly wavy hair was cut close, but not bald, and it was lined perfectly all the way around. His roundup looked like he had just stepped out of the barber’s chair; it certainly was not the dorm-room cut that most of the guys around campus got from the dude on their floor with a trimmer and some clippers. He was tall—about 6’3”—and lean, maybe one hundred-ninety pounds. Not much fat and definitely a baller’s build—long arms, wide hands and solid shoulders. The kind of shoulders you could lean on.