I was awakened by the sound of thunder.
Another nightmare.
I sat up with a sharp breath, my heart pounding against my chest. The dream had vanished before I could remember it, leaving behind only a strange feeling and the scent of rain lingering in my mind. Water dripped from the open window's corner as the clock struck seven in the morning.
It's difficult to get up early during the rainy season. I buried my face into the pillow, wanting another five minutes, but then reality hit me.
My vacation was over.
Today was the beginning of my final year of college.
With that excitement, I sprang out of bed, yanked off the covers, and ran to take a shower. During the cold rainy season, nothing beats a hot shower.
I dashed to the dresser, where I had placed my dress for the day, simple black jeans with waist-length tees, and looked deeply into the mirror at the girl staring back at me.
The thing I love best about myself is my brownish hair, slim body, and slightly tanned skin. I prefer to look good in my own skin and not rely on makeup. I wore my hair in a bun and kept my outfit simple and neat.
"Kristen! Breakfast is almost ready," my aunt called from downstairs.
Anna is my mother's younger sister. Her husband died in a car accident a year ago, and she nearly committed suicide, so my parents agreed to let me live with her until I finished college. She always treated me as if I were her daughter.
Pancakes were scattered across the table on a plate. "Good, you are up on time for college," Anne spoke out humorously. My aunt is very health-conscious, and she makes the most delicious pancakes, which I love.
Pancakes were scattered across the table on a plate.
"Good, you are up on time for college," Anne spoke out humorously.
My aunt is very health-conscious, and she makes the most delicious pancakes, which I love.
Outside my house, I heard Jacob's car screeching down the slick road.
"I guess your eccentric friend has arrived," Anna uttered, smiling.
I dashed outside and gave her a quick goodbye hug before leaving.
"Hey, Princess. Hop in", he greeted me with that adorable smile.
I slid into the passenger seat. One of his hands was over the steering wheel, the other resting on the gearshift. He looked more toned than the last time I saw him. His dark brown eyes focused on me with a smile. I looked over at Jacob, my gaze landing on his tousled hair, which was even messier than usual.
"Did you shower?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and trying to stifle a grin.
He gave me a cheeky smile, his brown eyes flashing with amusement.
"Did I?" he replied, leaning in close enough for his head to be near my nose.
"Go on, smell my hair."
"Arghhh, get away from me!" I swatted his arm.
He burst out laughing and drove off while I tried not to laugh with him.
"Where have you been this summer?" I asked curiously.
"I had to travel to a few places to complete my research work," he replied, his expression radiating a kind of satisfaction.
"Oh, that ancient stuff, right?"
"Yeah!" he responded, his smile widening even more as he chose not to go into the details.
"Are you ready for senior year?" he asked, smoothly shifting the topic.
"Just a little nervous about the final year."
Jacob's eyes crinkled at the corners, his cheeks lifting as he laughed.
"I'm sure you'll do great. You're always well prepared."
Halfway down the road, a strange warmth spread through my body.
Not again.
I turned towards the rain-covered window.
It disappeared.
Maybe I was imagining things.
"Kristen?"
Jacob glanced at me.
"Hm?"
"You look pale."
"I'm fine."
He gave me a suspicious look but didn't push further.
I smiled and changed the subject.
We got into a conversation about random topics, the kind of light humour that flowed naturally between us. We've been childhood friends since grade one.
I, Jacob, Emma, and Lucy had become inseparable since our first day of college. We were a team that faced everything together, and today was no exception.
As we pulled into the college parking lot, I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Jacob's amazing driving got us there half an hour early. I let out a breath of relief, knowing that being late on the first day would have been the worst. Instead, we had time to spare.
As I got out of the car, Jacob wrapped his hand around my shoulder, and we walked toward our meeting spot.
Jacob was undeniably the most attractive guy at our college. His dark messy hair, piercing brown eyes, and sculpted physique received admiring stares from everyone he met. He was well known for his good looks, and it seemed like every girl had a soft spot for him.
Emma and Lucy were both adored, but for different reasons. Their voices had a magical quality that charmed nearly everyone here, and their singing had earned them their own fan club.
And then there's me. I was simply an ordinary girl with pale skin and golden-brown eyes that seemed to turn red after a nightmare or whenever I was upset. It was something I kept hidden from everyone because it was so unusual. I had never met anyone else whose eye color changed with their emotions, and it was one of those oddities that made me feel like a weirdo.
The shift in my eye color happened in a peculiar way. I always felt a warmth spreading over my body, a kind of internal warning before the change occurred. This sensation was my signal to hide and find a quiet spot where I could keep my secret safe. When I was with my friends, I never had to worry because it never happened around them.
Sometimes I wore brown contact lenses to hide it. Apart from that, I was a normal person with a normal life.
Emma and Lucy were waiting for us in the same spot where we always met.
"Hey!" they both waved at us, and as soon as we got close, they pulled us into a hug.
"Ouch! Let me breathe!" I asked, half-laughing and half-struggling to escape the hug.
Lucy loosened her grip, a little flustered.
"It's been such a long vacation, and my parents tried to transfer me to the Royal College of Music in London, but I refused to go," she sighed.
"Why?" Jacob asked.
"I don't want to go far away from you guys." She pouted.
"Isn't it a great opportunity?" I asked, my eyes widening.
She took a deep breath.
"It's okay. Anyway, it's our senior year. We can go next year," Emma replied.
"Let's get going before we're late," Jacob said as he jogged toward the hall, with us on his heels.
We rushed to the library to get our new semester's books, where we were welcomed by Ms Christi.
"Hello, Ms Christi."
"Hello there", she smiled lightly, passing out our schedules.
Ms Christi had ocean-blue eyes and light blond hair that complemented her porcelain skin. She was young for a boring administration job, but she was fun and calm, and she loved her job a little too much.
"See you", Jacob winked at her, and she blushed.
"Thank you. We'll see you around," I said and walked along with my friends to our first class, checking the charts.
"I'm pretty sure our schedules are nearly the same," Lucy stated.
Jacob only attended art class with us. He sighed as he looked at his schedule, and we all shared sad expressions. His major was science, so his classes were not the same as ours.
"Girls, don't give me that look. It has to be me throwing that look because Mr. Philip will be teaching psychology for you," he said, sticking out his tongue.
"Arghhh... please, not him. "God", we all sighed.
He was a strict professor, and Emma was always getting thrown out of his class because of her chattering mouth.
We hurried to our classroom. Mr Philip was sitting behind his desk, going over his lecture notes. Within a few minutes, the entire class had arrived, and we snagged the last seats to avoid his wrath.
Mr Philip began with an introduction and gave a brief overview of the syllabus. We all slumped in our seats and got through the first lecture. He was in his fifties and dressed in a light beige shirt and black pants, as usual, with glasses hanging from his neck.
We had three classes, biology and psychology, before the break. When the final bell rang, ending our last class before lunch, we hastily packed our belongings and dashed to the dining hall.
"It's quite good, isn't it?" Emma questioned.
"Yes, at least this year we have something that doesn't resemble Halloween," Lucy said sarcastically, looking around the lunchroom, and we all laughed before grabbing our seats.
Lucy and I sat next to the window, where we could see the rain pouring outside. I stuffed my mouth with fries and a burger. Emma arrived with a plate of mac and cheese and took a seat.
I moaned in pleasure at the taste.
Emma let out a soft chuckle.
I took another big bite and a loud slurp from my Coke. Anne was very health-conscious and never allowed me to eat fast food, but whenever I got the chance, I filled my tummy with as much junk food as I could.
"Take it easy, girl. If you keep eating like this, you'll get into a burger coma," Lucy said, and they both laughed at my half-open mouth.
"I guess we've got some newbies in our final year," Emma said, glancing behind me.
Their attention shifted to the newcomers sitting farther down the table.
Lucy suddenly froze.
"Oh my God," she whispered. "Check out the Greek god over there."
We all turned.
A tall guy stood near the end of the table. He wore dark blue pants and a plain white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair was neatly pushed back, and there was something oddly calm about him compared to the noisy cafeteria around us.
And then he looked up.
Those green eyes locked directly on mine.
The warmth spread through my body again.
No.
Not here.
Not now.
My hand froze around my Coke.
The voices around me faded.
The laughter.
The sound of trays.
Everything became distant.
My heart started beating harder.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
His expression changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
As though he knew me.
As though he had been looking for me.
The warmth became unbearable.
I quickly lowered my head and reached into my bag.
Contact lenses.
Please don't.
Not here.
Not in front of everyone.
My fingers trembled.
When I looked up again, those green eyes were still on me.
And he smiled.
Not the smile of someone seeing a beautiful girl.
But the smile of someone who had finally found something he had lost.
....
Thank you for reading!
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