CHAPTER 2
2692 Words
No matter how many times she tried, the picture never looked right.
She sighed in frustration.
"Why can't I remember you?"
"Because your prince charming enjoys playing hide and seek."
Nia jumped so hard she nearly dropped her pencil.
"Oh my goodness!"
A familiar laugh rang through the cafeteria.
Standing beside the table was a young woman with shoulder-length curly hair, warm brown skin, and bright eyes that always seemed to sparkle with mischief.
Anna.
Her childhood best friend.
Nia placed a hand dramatically over her chest.
"You almost gave me a heart attack."
Anna grinned unapologetically.
"You're welcome."
"You are impossible."
"I've been told."
Without waiting for permission, Anna sat down across from her as naturally as if the chair had been reserved in her name.
She glanced at Nia's untouched tray before raising an eyebrow.
"...Wow."
"What?"
"Those iced burgers look delicious."
Nia blinked.
"I think you mean ice-cold burgers."
Anna shrugged.
"Whatever. They're cold enough to become a new food category."
Nia laughed despite herself.
"I was busy."
Anna folded her arms dramatically.
"You've been 'busy' for twenty minutes."
"I have not."
"You have."
"No."
"Yes."
"You counted?"
"I absolutely counted."
Nia rolled her eyes.
"You need a hobby."
Anna leaned forward with the brightest smile.
"You are my hobby."
Nia groaned.
"I regret becoming friends with you."
"Liar."
Anna picked up one of Nia's fries before popping it into her mouth.
"Mmm."
"Did you just steal my fries?"
"They were abandoned."
"I was going to eat them."
"You've been saying that since I got here."
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
"...No."
"You love me."
"I tolerate you."
Anna gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart.
"That hurts."
"You'll survive."
They both burst into laughter.
Moments like these reminded Nia why she treasured Anna so much.
They had met in the second grade after a boy accidentally knocked Nia's crayons onto the playground.
While everyone else laughed and walked away, Anna had knelt beside her without saying a word and helped pick up every single crayon.
By lunchtime they were sharing sandwiches.
By the end of the week they were inseparable.
Years later...
Very little had changed.
They attended the same high school.
Applied to the same university.
Celebrated birthdays together.
Studied together.
Argued over the dumbest things imaginable.
Even their families joked that they acted more like sisters than friends.
Anna looked down at the sketchbook again.
Her teasing smile slowly softened.
"You're drawing him again."
Nia followed her gaze.
The unfinished face stared back at her.
"...Yeah."
"You had the dream again?"
Nia nodded quietly.
"This morning."
"The same one?"
"The exact same one."
Anna rested her chin on her hand.
"I still think it's strange."
"So do I."
"For three whole weeks?"
"Mhm."
"And it's always the same man?"
"Yes."
"And he always has white-blond hair?"
"Yes."
"Golden eyes?"
"Yes."
"The scary handsome one?"
Nia immediately frowned.
"He is not scary handsome."
Anna burst into laughter.
"So you admit he's handsome!"
"What?"
"You didn't deny the handsome part."
Nia blinked.
"I... that's not what I meant."
Anna pointed at her triumphantly.
"Aha!"
"I walked right into that."
"You absolutely did."
Nia sighed, hiding a small smile behind her juice bottle.
"You are unbelievable."
Anna leaned back in her chair.
"So..."
"So?"
"Have you finally given him a name?"
Nia looked confused.
"A name?"
"You can't keep calling him 'that mysterious man.'"
"I don't know his name."
"So make one up."
"Anna..."
"I'm serious."
"No."
"What about..."
Anna pretended to think deeply.
"Dream Boy?"
"No."
"Rain Prince?"
"No."
"Blondie?"
"No."
"The Hot Ghost?"
"Anna!"
Several nearby students turned to look at them.
Anna lowered her voice, trying—and failing—not to laugh.
"Fine..."
She grinned mischievously.
"Prince Charming."
Nia sighed for what felt like the hundredth time.
"He is not Prince Charming."
"You say that every time."
"Because he isn't."
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
Anna tilted her head.
"You've never even spoken to him."
"I know."
"You've never learned his name."
"I know."
"You've only seen him in dreams."
"I know."
Anna smiled knowingly.
"But somehow..."
Nia looked at her.
"...you miss him every time you wake up."
The smile slowly disappeared from Nia's face.
She looked down at her sketchbook.
"I..."
She wanted to deny it.
She really did.
But she couldn't.
Every morning she woke with an emptiness she couldn't explain.
Like she'd left someone important behind.
Someone she had never actually met.
It didn't make sense.
Nothing about those dreams made sense.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," she admitted quietly.
Anna reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand.
"There's nothing wrong with you."
Nia looked up.
"You've been through a lot since the accident."
The word hung between them.
Accident.
Even now, neither of them liked talking about it.
Three weeks ago, Nia had been found unconscious on the side of a lonely road during a storm.
No witnesses.
No clear explanation.
Only a few bruises and a concussion.
The doctors said she was lucky to be alive.
The police never found out what had happened.
And Nia...
Remembered almost nothing.
Only the rain.
The smoke.
And those impossible golden eyes.
She closed her sketchbook with a quiet sigh.
"I wish I could remember."
Anna offered her a reassuring smile.
"Maybe one day you will."
Nia nodded, though she wasn't convinced.
A strange feeling settled over her again.
The same feeling she'd had during the nightmare.
As if unseen eyes were watching her.
She glanced around the bustling cafeteria.
Students laughed.
Friends chatted.
Someone accidentally dropped a tray, sending fries scattering across the floor as everyone nearby laughed.
Everything looked completely normal.
Yet...
For the briefest moment...
She could have sworn she saw a tall figure standing outside the cafeteria window.
Watching her.
She blinked.
The figure was gone.
Maybe it had only been her imagination.
Or maybe...
The nightmare wasn't finished with her yet.
Nia couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been watching her.
Even after the figure outside the cafeteria window had vanished, the uneasy sensation lingered like a shadow clinging to her skin.
"Earth to Nia."
Anna snapped her fingers in front of her face.
"You've been staring at that window for almost a minute."
Nia blinked and looked away.
"Sorry."
"You okay?"
"...Yeah."
Anna narrowed her eyes.
"I know that face."
"What face?"
"The one you make whenever you're pretending everything's fine."
Nia gave a weak smile.
"I'm really okay."
Anna wasn't convinced, but she decided not to push the subject.
Instead, she stood up, slinging her backpack over one shoulder.
"Come on."
Nia looked up.
"We're going to be late."
Her eyes widened.
"What time is it?"
Anna checked her phone.
"Twelve thirty-eight."
"What?"
"You spent almost ten minutes staring into space."
Nia hurriedly stuffed her sketchbook into her backpack before grabbing the remains of her lunch.
"I blame you."
Anna laughed.
"For what?"
"For distracting me."
"You were distracted long before I got here."
"...Fair point."
The two friends dumped their trays into the return station before weaving through the crowded cafeteria doors.
Outside, the campus buzzed with afternoon energy.
Groups of students lounged beneath the shade of ancient oak trees, some studying while others simply enjoyed the cool breeze that followed the morning's rain. A guitarist sat near the central fountain, quietly playing a familiar tune as students tossed a few coins into the open guitar case resting at his feet.
The air smelled fresh.
Rainwater still glistened on the leaves, and tiny droplets sparkled like crystals whenever sunlight slipped through the clouds.
"It's beautiful after it rains," Anna said, stretching her arms above her head.
Nia smiled faintly.
"I guess."
"You don't sound convinced."
"I like rainy days."
"I know."
"But..."
Nia glanced toward the gray clouds slowly drifting away.
"I don't think rain likes me very much."
Anna looked at her curiously.
"Still thinking about the dream?"
Nia nodded.
"I can't explain it."
"You don't have to."
"No, I mean..."
She searched for the right words.
"It feels less like a dream every time."
Anna frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know."
Nia rubbed the back of her neck.
"When I wake up... it doesn't feel like I've imagined everything."
"It feels like..."
She hesitated.
"...Like I actually lived it."
Anna fell silent.
For once, she had no joke ready.
The only sounds between them were footsteps and distant conversations from passing students.
After several moments, Anna bumped Nia gently with her shoulder.
"You know what you need?"
"What?"
"A vacation."
Nia laughed.
"I can't afford a vacation."
"Then sleep."
"I sleep."
"You survive unconsciousness."
"There's a difference."
"I know."
Anna smiled mischievously.
"But seriously, you've been staying up too late drawing."
"I have assignments."
"You also have eyebags."
"They're designer."
Anna snorted.
"Limited edition?"
"Exactly."
They both laughed again.
Moments like these always reminded Nia why she treasured Anna so much.
No matter how stressful life became, Anna somehow found a way to make everything feel lighter.
As they walked deeper into campus, the crowds became thicker.
Students hurried in every direction, trying to reach their afternoon lectures before the professors arrived.
Some greeted Anna enthusiastically.
She seemed to know almost everyone.
"Nia!"
A cheerful voice called from behind.
Both girls turned.
A young man jogged toward them, slightly out of breath.
He had curly black hair, warm brown skin, and glasses that constantly slid down his nose.
"Marcus," Anna smiled.
"Hey."
"You guys heading to Mr. Leo's class?"
"We're trying to."
Marcus groaned dramatically.
"I didn't finish the reading."
"You never finish the reading," Anna teased.
"It's called optimism."
"It's called procrastination."
"Same thing."
Nia chuckled.
Marcus noticed her smile.
"There it is."
"What?"
"You smiled."
"I smile."
"Rarely."
"I smiled this morning."
Anna and Marcus exchanged a look before bursting into laughter.
"No, you didn't," they said in unism.
Nia sighed.
"You two are exhausting."
"And yet you keep hanging out with us."
"I question that decision every day."
Marcus clutched his chest dramatically.
"Ouch."
"I'm kidding."
"No, you're not."
"...Maybe a little."
The three continued walking together.
Soon, the conversation shifted to the topic every student dreaded.
Mr. Leo.
"I swear," Marcus groaned, "that man enjoys making students suffer."
Anna nodded immediately.
"He definitely does."
Nia folded her arms.
"I still don't understand why his quizzes are harder than the final exams."
Marcus looked horrified.
"Exactly!"
"I studied six hours for the last one."
"And?"
"I got forty-eight percent."
Anna patted his shoulder sympathetically.
"My condolences."
"I answered every question."
"You answered them incorrectly."
"I prefer to say creatively."
Nia laughed so hard she nearly tripped.
"There she is," Anna said proudly.
"The real Nia."
"What does that mean?"
"You've actually laughed today."
"I laugh."
"You smile."
Marcus corrected her.
"Rarely."
Nia rolled her eyes.
"I officially need new friends."
"No refunds," Anna replied.
As they rounded the corner toward the Faculty of Humanities building, the corridor became packed with students.
People squeezed past each other while trying to avoid bumping into backpacks and books.
Nia adjusted the strap on her bag.
"I can't even see where we're going."
"Just keep walking," Anna said.
"Easier said than done."
Someone brushed past Marcus.
Another student rushed between Anna and Nia.
The crowd became even tighter.
Nia took one careful step forward—
—and collided with someone.
Her shoulder struck something solid.
Her sketchbook slipped from her hands.
Pages scattered across the polished floor.
"Oh!"
She instinctively bent down.
She looked up to face the rude person who bumped into her that way and her jaw dropped........
- Writer
