Romancing reality

Chapter 7

I woke up with a jolt, blinking rapidly as sunlight poured into the room. A quick glance at my phone made my heart sink—I had overslept and missed my only class for the day.

“s**t,” I groaned, sitting up in bed, completely disoriented. “I could’ve sworn I set the alarm…”

I checked my phone and shook my head at the blank alarm screen. “Wow, I didn’t even set it.” I sighed, part annoyed, part resigned.

There was no point sulking. I tossed off the covers, straightened my bed, grabbed a snack from my locker, and decided on a whim to take a stroll to Muizzah’s hostel. Maybe being outside would help clear my head.

When I got there, her roommate opened the door, looking slightly confused.

“Hey,” I said, trying to smile. “Is Muizzah in?”

“She just stepped out not too long ago.”

I nodded, a bit disappointed. “Okay. Please tell her I stopped by.”

With that, I turned around and walked away, the weight in my chest lighter than before but still present. I pulled out my headset, clicked play, and let ABBA’s "Lay All Your Love on Me” pour into my ears. The music wrapped around me like a second skin.

I didn’t really know where I was going—I just let my feet carry me. Somehow, I ended up at the Faculty of Engineering. I smiled to myself, realizing how far I’d walked without even noticing. I guess I needed this more than I thought.

The breeze was soft, the sky a slow-fading blue, and everything around me felt peaceful for once. No deadlines, no noise, no pressure—just me and my music.

By the time the sun began to dip, casting a golden hue over the buildings and trees, I was still strolling, still lost in thought. I felt a strange kind of comfort in the silence between songs, a warmth in the solitude.

And for that brief moment, all was calm.

I walked back to my hostel feeling light and happy, my steps almost matching the rhythm of the music still playing in my head. So many thoughts swirled through my mind—random, sweet, and full of excitement. The weekend was still a few days away, but just the thought of Amiri officially asking me out made my heart flutter a little more than I’d like to admit.

As I climbed the stairs and opened the door to my room, a wide smile still plastered on my face, the sight that greeted me made me stop dead in my tracks.

Muizzah. On my bed. Munching on my snack.

“What the actual hell do you think you’re doing?” I blurted out, eyes wide as I pointed at her.

She slowly turned to face me, unfazed, and stuck out her tongue like a rebellious child. Then, without breaking eye contact, she took another exaggerated bite and chewed as loudly as she could.

That was it.

I grabbed my pillow and launched it at her, groaning as I tried to snatch the snack back—only to find the pack was already empty.

She burst into laughter and tossed the empty wrapper at me. “Since it’s finished, kindly help me throw it away.”

I gave her a deadly glare. “Muizzah, I swear one day I’ll strangle you.”

“Love you too,” she said sweetly, flopping back onto the bed.

I crossed my arms and huffed. “Anyway, I had gist for you… but you’ve pissed me off, so never mind.”

She raised a brow, mockingly. “Oh please. You think I’ll beg?”

“Yes, you will,” I replied smugly. “Because it’s about that fine guy we met last weekend.”

Her eyes lit up. “Wait—Henry? Oh my God! Tell me, tell me, tell me!”

I smirked. “Nah. Pay for my snack first.”

As I climbed onto my bed and shoved her to the side, she flipped her newly done nails in front of me, acting all sassy.

“Someone forgot I went home and brought goodies,” she teased, admiring her glittery pink manicure.

I noticed the nails, of course, but I refused to acknowledge them. Just to be petty.

“By the way,” I asked, pretending not to care, “where’s the thing I told you to help me get?”

She pointed lazily to my locker. “It’s in there. But you’ll have to tell me the gist first.”

“Fine,” I rolled my eyes. “But stop waving your hands like a traffic warden. I’ve seen your nails already—and yes, they’re cute.”

“Hehehe! You could’ve said that earlier!” she laughed.

I finally told her about what happened with Henry—how we talked, how he surprised me, how he made me laugh.

“Awnnn,” she smiled. “You think he likes you?”

I shrugged, feeling that weird flutter again. “I don’t know. Maybe.”