A New Beginning
CH:01
** Layla and Mia’s Room**
A messy dorm room with half-unpacked boxes, fairy lights tangled on the bed.
Layla scowls at her phone while Mia bursts in with snacks.
Her phone buzzes with a message.
Layla
I’m drowning in chaos here!
Layla
Name: Layla
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Role: Freshman and
aspiring actress in the
Theater Society.
Mia
Name: Mia
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Role: Layla’s best friend
and her roommate in the dorm.
Mia enters with a confident grin
Holding a bag of chips and two bubble teas.
She tosses one onto Layla’s bed.
Layla
You call this guidance?
Layla
Look around this room looks like a natural disaster site.
Mia
Hey, chaos is where creativity thrives.
Mia
Now untangle those lights.
Mia
And let’s pretend we know what we’re doing.
Mia
First-year survival, baby!
(They wrestle with the lights, laughing. Layla’s phone buzzes a campus club alert.)
** Theater Society Booth**
The campus courtyard bustles with students.
Ryan, flamboyant and full of energy, stands at the
Theater Society booth under a makeshift spotlight.
Ryan
Name: Ryan
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Role: Senior and President
of the Theater Society.
Ryan
[Calling out to the crowd]
Ryan
With the killer hair flip!
Ryan
Have you ever considered acting?
Layla freezes mid-step, pointing to herself in confusion.
Ryan
The sparkle of a star is unmistakable.
Hannah
Name: Hannah
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Role: Member of the
Theater Society and
Ryan’s second-in-command.
Hannah
[Muttering while organizing flyers]
Hannah
Tone it down, Ryan.
Hannah
Freshmen are not prey.
Ryan
Auditions this Friday.
Ryan
No experience needed.
Layla
Well, I was a tree in kindergarten…
Ryan
Natural stage presence!
Ryan
You’re born for this!
But Layla chuckles nervously and grabs a flyer.
Nate enters the Robotics Lab.
Wide-eyed at the array of glowing machines and buzzing activity.
Ethan
Name: Ethan
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Role: Senior in the
engineering department
and Nate’s mentor.
Ethan
[From across the room]
Nate
Name: Nate
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Role: Engineering
freshman who rents an
off-campus room.
Nate
[Adjusts backpack nervously]
Ethan
Welcome to the land of caffeine-fueled genius.
Ethan
Or chaos, depending on the day.
He gestures to a half-assembled robot arm on the desk.
Ethan
Let’s see what you’ve got.
Nate
Nate hesitates but picks up a screwdriver.
Nate
Ethan watches with a grin.
Noelle sits at her desk, scanning a tenant ledger.
Yuna scrolls on her phone nearby.
Noelle
Name: Noelle
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Role: Owner of the
off-campus House
where Nate lives.
Noelle
Next tenant: Nate Park.
Noelle
Quiet engineering type, probably.
Yuna
Name: Yuna
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Role: Noelle’s younger
sister and occasional
helper at the house.
Yuna
Probably needs guidance from his amazing landlady.
Nate steps in, looking unsure.
Noelle
Rent’s due on the first.
Yuna
She’s nicer than she sounds… sometimes.
Nate looks unsure but nods as Yuna laughs.
Layla sits on her top bunk, texting Mia below her.
The soft glow of their fairy lights adds warmth to the room.
Layla
Signed up for auditions.
Mia
Told you college would be fun!
Mia
Claire and Rose invited us to a mixer tomorrow.
Layla and Nate unknowingly cross paths in the bustling courtyard.
Layla eyes the Theater Society booth,
While Nate pauses at the Robotics Club display.
Neither realizes their paths are about to converge.
CH:02
Upbeat music thumps faintly through the hallway.
Layla adjusts her skirt in front of a mirror as Mia pulls two outfits from the closet.
Mia
Classic cute or trendy chic?
Layla
(Without missing a beat)
Mia
(Nods, holding the outfit up to her chest)
Mia
And you casual, cute, and… approachable.
Layla spins in her flowy skirt, striking a dramatic pose.
Layla
Is that code for ‘no effort’?
Mia
No, it’s code for ‘you’re ready to mingle!’
Mia
Let’s go before all the good snacks are gone.
The dorm lounge pulses with energy.
Fairy lights crisscross the ceiling
And colorful banners sway as students chatter and laugh.
A DJ booth hums in the corner, playing upbeat pop.
Claire
Name: Claire
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Role: Mia’s roommate
in the dorm.
Claire
(Waving from the snack table)
Claire
Mia! Layla! Over here!
Mia grabs Layla’s wrist and drags her to Claire and Rose
Who are filling plastic cups with punch.
Rose
Name: Rose
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Role: Photography student
living in the dorms.
Rose
(Handing Layla a cup)
Rose
First week surviving or thriving?
Layla
I joined the Theater Society today.
Layla
That’s one way to describe him.
Mia grabs a cookie from the table, glancing around at the crowd.
Mia
So, who’s worth knowing here?”
Claire
That depends looking for a friend or a crush?
Nate lingers by the entrance, fiddling with his drink.
Ethan spots him and waves enthusiastically.
Ethan
Thought you’d be in the lab.
Nate
(Shrugs, glancing around nervously)
Nate
You said to branch out.
Ethan
(Claps his shoulder)
Ethan
College isn’t just coding, rookie.
Ethan
(He gestures at the lively crowd.)
Nate smiles faintly but scans the room like he’s already planning his escape.
Ethan leads Nate to the snack table.
where Layla and Mia are chatting.
Layla
(Turns, recognizing him)
Ethan
I’m friends with Ryan.
Ethan
This is Nate freshman extraordinaire.
Nate gives a small wave, looking slightly out of place.
Mia
A freshman at a mixer?
Layla
Welcome to dorm life.
Layla
Always chaotic, sometimes fun.
**Later – Quiet Balcony**
Layla leans on the railing, the cool night air brushing her face.
The muffled bass of the music vibrates in the background.
Nate steps outside, pausing when he notices her.
He offers a small smile before walking to the other side of the balcony.
Nate
It’s… a lot in there.
Layla
But hey, stepping out of your comfort zone isn’t bad.
They fall into a comfortable silence.
The sounds of the party fading into the night.
**Dorm Lounge – Closing Moments**
The music slows as the mixer winds down.
Students trickle out, their voices fading into the hallway.
Mia
Not bad for our first mixer.
Mia
You even made friends.
Layla
(Smiling to herself)
Layla
I think it’s going to be a good year.
Across the room, Ethan nudges Nate as they leave.
Ethan
Smooth move on the balcony, Casanova.
The dorm quiets, but the night leaves behind new connections and the promise of more to come.
CH:03
The weekend has arrived, and Brighton University’s campus is buzzing with activity.
The Theater Society is holding their first auditions for the fall production, and the engineering students are preparing for a group project presentation.
Meanwhile, Layla, Nate, and the rest of the gang find themselves stepping out of their comfort zones in new ways.
Layla stands near the entrance to the theater, clutching her script.
Students mill about, chatting and practicing their lines.
Ryan is at the front of the room, exuding confidence as he addresses the group.
Ryan
Today is your chance to shine.
Ryan
Show us your talent, your passion, your… everything!
Hannah
What Ryan means is, just relax and do your best.
Hannah
We’re looking for commitment, not perfection.
Layla hesitates near the door, biting her lip.
Mia
Remember, you’re not a tree anymore!
Layla
(Laughing nervously)
Ryan notices her and waves her over.
Ryan
I was wondering if you’d show up.
Layla
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves…
As Layla steps into the audition room, she takes a deep breath.
Her stage fright momentarily forgotten as she delivers her first lines.
[Engineering Building – Robotics Lab]
Nate sits at a table with Ethan and a few other students, assembling parts for their group project.
The room hums with activity as tools clink and machines whir.
Ethan
(Gesturing to a diagram)
Ethan
This is your section.
Ethan
Think you can handle it?
Nate
Yeah, I’ve been practicing.
Nate
I think I can get the circuit to work.
Ethan
Just remember, if it blows up, we’ll blame Drew.
Drew, another senior, glares at Ethan but smirks.
Drew Kang
Ha-ha, very funny.
Drew Kang
Don’t mess it up, rookie.
Nate focuses intently, his hands steady as he works on the circuit.
Slowly, the small device comes to life, lighting up with a soft glow.
[Dorm Courtyard – Afternoon Break]
Layla and Mia sit under a tree, sharing a bag of snacks and recounting their day.
Nate walks by, holding a notebook, and Mia waves him over.
Mia
We’re talking about Layla’s big audition.
Layla
Better than I thought.
Layla
Ryan said I ‘brought depth to the role,’ whatever that means.
Mia
It means you’re awesome. Duh.
Nate
I, uh, got my first circuit to work in the lab today.
Layla
See? We’re both making progress.
Mia
I think we should celebrate.
Mia
Coffee at that new café off campus?
[Off-Campus Café – The Hangout]
The three friends arrive at a cozy café filled with warm lighting and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
They take a corner table, chatting over their drinks.
Mia
(Snapping a photo of her latte art)
Mia
I could totally live here.
Mia
This place is so aesthetic.
Layla
You say that about every café we visit.
As they settle in, Noelle walks in with Yuna, who waves excitedly.
Yuna
Fancy meeting you guys here!
Mia
The more, the merrier.
Noelle sets down her coffee, her calm presence contrasting Yuna’s bubbly energy.
Noelle
What’s the occasion?
Layla
We’re celebrating small victories.
Layla
Auditions, circuits, that kind of thing.
Yuna
Maybe next time we’ll be celebrating something bigger.
Yuna
Like Layla landing the lead role.
The group walks back to campus, the setting sun casting a warm glow over the buildings.
The atmosphere is relaxed and full of promise.
Mia
You know, today was a good day.
Mia
I feel like we’re all on the right track.
Layla
Here’s to more small victories.
Nate
And maybe some big ones too.
As they part ways, the camera lingers on Layla and Nate, both smiling softly.
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