Arista's POV
College had a strange way of pretending everything was normal.
Morning bells were replaced by phone alarms. Uniforms by hoodies and mismatched shoes. Teachers by professors who didn't know—or care—who you were yesterday.
Yet somehow, the past still knew how to follow quietly.
I woke up to Sana shaking my shoulder. "Wake up, celebrity. First official day of classes."
Mira groaned from the other bed. "Why does education start so early? Who approved this?"
Zoe, already dressed, glanced at me. "You slept okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
It wasn't a lie. It also wasn't the full truth.
I'd dreamed of school corridors that stretched too long, of empty desks, of voices that stopped mid-sentence. But I hadn't woken up panicking—and that counted as progress.
We walked to class together, backpacks slung carelessly, Mira rambling about electives and Sana complaining about the lack of food options.
"I swear," Sana said, "if I survive college, it'll be out of spite."
Zoe added dryly, "That's the strongest motivation."
I smiled, listening more than talking. Being with them felt grounding—like I had one foot firmly in the present no matter how my thoughts wandered.
The lecture hall buzzed with unfamiliar faces. I chose a seat near the aisle this time.
Not the back. Not the front. Somewhere neutral.
I told myself I wasn't scanning the room.
I still noticed when someone tall passed by the doorway.
My pen paused.
Nothing else happened. No dramatic reunion. No eye contact across the room.
Just a moment that didn't turn into anything.
Class went on. Notes were taken. Time moved forward, stubborn and unstoppable.
During break, Mira leaned over. "Okay, honest question."
I sighed. "I knew this was coming."
"Are you avoiding someone," she said, "or hoping to run into someone accidentally on purpose?"
Sana snorted. "That's very specific."
"I'm not avoiding," I said slowly. "And I'm not hoping either."
Zoe studied my face. "So you're… bracing."
That word landed too accurately.
"Maybe," I admitted.
Lunch was outside, under a tree that looked older than the campus itself. Sana spread out snacks like she was setting up a picnic.
"I vote we romanticize college," she declared. "Eat outside. Pretend we're in a coming-of-age film."
Mira raised her juice box. "To questionable life choices."
We clinked cartons.
For a while, it worked. I laughed when Sana told a dramatic story about getting lost in the library. I teased Mira about already color-coding her notes. I listened to Zoe talk about a workshop she wanted to join.
Then someone said his name.
Not to me. Just in passing. Two seniors behind us, talking about class registrations.
My stomach dropped before I could stop it.
Mira noticed instantly. "Hey," she said softly, kicking my shoe. "You okay?"
I inhaled. Exhaled. "Yeah. Just… weird."
Sana waved her hand dismissively. "College is big. Names repeat. People overlap."
Zoe added gently, "And you don't owe anyone your peace."
I nodded, grateful for the way they didn't push for explanations.
Later, as the sun dipped lower, we walked back toward the hostel. The path curved near the boys' block.
I slowed without meaning to.
That's when I saw him.
Not close. Not far either.
Kaelor stood near the notice board, talking to someone I didn't recognize. His posture was familiar—hands in pockets, shoulders slightly tense, like he was always bracing for impact.
He laughed at something the other guy said.
The sound hit me harder than I expected.
For a second, everything else blurred. The campus noise faded into a dull hum. It felt like standing at the edge of something unfinished.
He didn't see me.
And I didn't move.
Sana whispered, "Arista?"
"I see him," I said quietly.
Mira stiffened. Zoe's hand found mine without a word.
Kaelor stepped back, checked his phone, and walked away.
Just like that.
The moment ended without exploding. Without collapsing.
I hadn't known moments could do that.
Back in the room, silence settled heavier than usual. Sana pretended to scroll. Mira reorganized her desk for the third time. Zoe watched me openly.
"You don't have to talk," Zoe said. "But you don't have to carry it alone either."
I sat on my bed, staring at my hands. "I thought seeing him would… break something. Or fix something."
"And?" Mira asked.
"It didn't," I said. "It just reminded me that some things don't end cleanly."
Sana softened. "That doesn't mean they define you."
That night, as the lights went out, I lay awake again—but this time, my thoughts were quieter.
College wasn't about erasing the past.
It was about learning how to walk forward even when echoes followed.
And tomorrow—
Tomorrow was another day.