Sierra adjusted the strap of her bag as she left the cafeteria, feeling a little more confident now. College still felt huge and overwhelming, but having Tanya, Mia, and Chloe by her side made it easier. She couldn't stop smiling—every corner of the campus seemed full of possibilities.
"So, where to next?" Sierra asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I mean, I know we have classes, but—are there other spots I should see? Like the student lounge, the library again… oh! Is there a place to chill outside?"
Mia laughed. "You really like exploring, huh?"
"I do!" Sierra said without hesitation. "I mean, I like to know everything. Otherwise I'd be walking around lost all day."
Chloe smiled at her. "You're lucky we're showing you around. Most people just wander and get confused their first week."
As they walked toward the student lounge, Sierra's attention flitted everywhere—the students playing basketball on the courts, a few chatting near a fountain, even a tiny ice cream cart tucked in the corner. She asked question after question, laughed at every joke her new friends made, and somehow managed to trip slightly on a crack in the pavement, catching herself just in time.
"Careful!" Tanya said, giggling. "You're going to make your first day memorable in more ways than one."
"I hope it's the good kind of memorable," Sierra said, brushing her hair back from her face.
Meanwhile, across the campus pathway, the older man watched again, leaning slightly against a lamp post. He didn't approach, but he noticed the way Sierra's eyes lit up at everything, the way her laughter carried across the courtyard. He found himself studying the little things—how she twirled her hair when she was excited, the way she leaned forward when asking questions, even the tiny crease in her forehead when she concentrated on something.
There was something about her—innocent, talkative, carefree—that drew him in, and he didn't like how fast his thoughts kept circling around her. He told himself to stop watching, to mind his own business. But he couldn't. Not yet.
Sierra and her friends reached the student lounge, a cozy room with couches, bookshelves, and a coffee corner. She sank into one of the couches, letting out a small sigh. "This is… perfect. I can study here, maybe meet more people. I like it already."
Chloe nudged her. "You're going to make friends in no time. Just keep being… you."
Sierra laughed. "Well, being me is a lot of talking, asking questions, and maybe tripping sometimes." She grinned, and her friends laughed along with her.
After a while, they decided to head to Sierra's next class. As they walked, she noticed small things—posters on the walls advertising clubs, students chatting in groups, even a tiny cat lounging in the sun near the fountain. She pointed out everything excitedly. "Oh! Look at that! Can we pet it? Do you think it's friendly?"
Mia rolled her eyes playfully. "You notice everything, don't you?"
Sierra shrugged, smiling. "I can't help it! Everything's new. I want to know it all."
And somewhere behind a row of trees, the man's eyes followed her again. He wasn't supposed to care, wasn't supposed to feel this… captivated. But watching her, seeing the little things she noticed, hearing her laugh as she spoke to her friends, he couldn't look away.
By the time Sierra reached her classroom, she felt a mix of exhaustion and excitement. Her first day was only beginning, but she was already making memories, meeting people, and discovering things about herself she hadn't expected.
As she took her seat, she whispered to herself with a smile, "This is going to be an interesting year… I can feel it."
And somewhere across campus, the man's gaze lingered on her, quietly fascinated, quietly drawn, silently wondering how a girl like her could have such an effect on him without even knowing it.