The Uni Adventures: Meeting the housemates

Okay, so the scariest bit about moving to a whole new place? Meeting the housemates. On the way to Farnham, I was sat curled up on the back seat of the car, finding myself thinking: 'What will they be like? 'Will we get on? What if we don't? What if they attack me with a hoover?' (I really don't like hoovers.) And then I sat bolt upright in horror: 'What if they don't like tea?!'

But luckily I ended up in house 87!

The first I met was Lui the panther. After a prod and a push from Laura, I shakily padded upstairs and into the kitchen to ask if she'd like a cup of tea. She turned around and gave me a dazzling smile and a 'Yes please!', and from that point on we became great friends! The next day, after giving me a tour of the town, we returned to the house to see a tuft of orange fur carrying a box: Ace the tiger.

That night, the three of us readied ourselves for the first freshers night - where all the new students have a little tea-party to get to know each other. And this one was also fancy dress. Maybe after a few too many apple juices, we thought it would be a wondrous idea to make face paint from food colouring and flour... After a few minutes of unsure stirring, we pasted a thick, lumpy, grey goo onto Ace's face that kept glooping off his chin and onto his juice box.

"How does it look?" He asked, grinning through beard and slime.

"Beautiful!" We chortled, quickly guiding him away from the mirror.

Over the weekend, the three of us sat in the kitchen and watched out the window eagerly for the rest of the housemates to arrive, squealing excitedly whenever the front door creaked open. Soon enough, the house started filling up... Andy the dog trotted up the path donning a bowler hat; we bumped into Lisa the bunny-rabbit hopping up the stairs; Al the Eagle fluttering to his room; Bradders the squirrel on the landing; and finally, Russel the hedgehog, who was trying to climb up the kitchen cupboard to reach the kettle.

On the Sunday night, with everyone in the house, we decided to gather the troops to make our introductions. We bounded 'round knocking on doors, and soon enough we were all up in the kitchen, chatting and chuckling, eating sticks of cucumber and building card towers.

'I think...' I thought thoughtfully, as the kettle was boiled and the chortles chortled, '...I think I'm going to like it here...'