Fate

Chapter Three: Memories

Ann woke up to the sound of Joy’s alarm blaring through the small room. Groaning, she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.

"Turn it off," she mumbled, her voice muffled.

Joy, still half-asleep, fumbled around for her phone and silenced the alarm. "Ugh," she groaned. "Why did I set it so early?"

Ann chuckled sleepily. "Maybe you were trying to be productive."

Joy yawned. "I regret it now."

Ann stretched, blinking up at the ceiling. It had been two days since she had arrived at Westwood University, and she was still adjusting to the new environment. There was so much to take in—classes, schedules, campus life, and, of course, the unexpected encounter with Demian.

Demian.

His name alone sent a rush of memories flooding back, dragging her into a past she had spent years trying to bury.

She hadn't expected to see him here. She had spent so much time convincing herself that he was just a fleeting crush, a distant memory. But the moment she saw him standing there, smiling at her like old times, everything she had tried to suppress came rushing back.

Ann closed her eyes, allowing herself to slip into the past—the place where it had all begun.

Ann had first noticed Demian in their first year of secondary school. He had been the kind of boy who naturally attracted attention—confident but not arrogant, intelligent but not boastful. While other boys were loud and eager to impress, Demian had a quiet charm about him that made people gravitate toward him effortlessly.

Ann, on the other hand, had been the shy girl in the back of the class. She was smart but never sought attention. She kept her head down, focused on her studies, and avoided unnecessary social interactions.

But Demian? He had a way of making people feel seen.

The first time they spoke was during a literature class. Their teacher had paired them together for an assignment, and Ann had been too nervous to speak at first.

"You don’t talk much, do you?" Demian had asked with a teasing smile.

Ann had shrugged. "I just don’t like unnecessary conversations."

He had laughed. "So you’re saying talking to me is unnecessary?"

Her face had turned red. "That’s not what I meant!"

He had grinned. "I’m kidding. Relax, Ann."

And just like that, her nerves had eased.

They had worked on the assignment together, and for the first time, Ann had found herself enjoying a conversation with a boy. Demian was easy to talk to, funny, and surprisingly insightful. By the time the project was over, she had found herself looking forward to their interactions.

She hadn't realized it then, but that was the beginning of something she wouldn’t be able to shake off for years.

By their third year, Ann had fully accepted the fact that she had a crush on Demian.

She never said it out loud, not even to Lisa, but it was obvious to her. She noticed the little things about him—the way he ran his fingers through his hair when he was thinking, the way his eyes lit up when he talked about something he was passionate about, the way he was effortlessly kind to everyone, even those who had nothing to offer him.

She told herself it was just admiration. Nothing more.

But deep down, she knew the truth.

One afternoon, she had been sitting in the library, pretending to read while secretly watching Demian from across the room. He was helping a junior student with math, patiently explaining each step.

"Are you staring at Demian again?" Lisa’s voice had startled her.

Ann had jumped, nearly knocking over her book. "What? No!"

Lisa had smirked. "Ann, please. You’ve been crushing on him for years."

Ann had scowled. "Keep your voice down!"

Lisa had laughed. "Why don’t you just tell him?"

Ann had looked at her like she was insane. "And embarrass myself? No, thank you."

Lisa had rolled her eyes. "You’re acting like it’s a crime to like someone. He probably likes you too."

Ann had scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Lisa had sighed. "Suit yourself. But if you keep waiting, someone else will grab him first."

Ann had ignored her, but those words had haunted her for a long time.

What if someone else took the chance she was too afraid to take?

Another flashback came rushing to her head

It had been their final year of secondary school, and Ann had decided she was finally going to tell Demian how she felt.

She had planned it carefully—she would ask him to meet her after class, and she would confess. Simple.

But things had not gone as planned.

She had gone to look for him, heart pounding, rehearsing the words in her head. But when she found him, he wasn’t alone.

He was talking to Melissa.

Melissa was beautiful, confident, and everything Ann wasn’t. She was the kind of girl boys noticed instantly, and Ann had always known she had a thing for Demian.

Ann had stood there, frozen, as she watched Melissa laugh at something Demian said. And then—her worst nightmare—Melissa had leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

And he had smiled.

Ann had turned and walked away before she could see more.

She had never brought up her feelings again after that day.

Back to the Present

Ann blinked back to reality, sighing heavily.

The past was over. It didn’t matter anymore.

But why did seeing him again stir up all these old emotions?

Joy, who had been watching her for a while, finally spoke up. "You’ve been staring at the ceiling for the past fifteen minutes. Are you okay?"

Ann shook her head, forcing a smile. "Yeah. Just thinking."

Joy smirked. "About a certain someone?"

Ann sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little," Joy said with a grin. "So, what’s the story?"

Ann hesitated before finally giving in. She told Joy everything—from how she met Demian in secondary school to how she had almost confessed but never did.

When she was done, Joy shook her head. "Girl, you really held onto this crush for a long time."

"I know," Ann groaned. "It’s pathetic."

"It’s not pathetic," Joy said. "But you need to ask yourself—what do you want now?"

Ann frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you’re in university now. Do you still want to be stuck in the past? Or do you want to move on and enjoy your new life?"

Ann sighed. "I don’t know."

"Well, you better figure it out soon," Joy said. "Because something tells me Demian is not just going to disappear."

Ann groaned, rolling onto her side.

Joy was right.

She needed to figure out what she wanted.

And fast.

---