The Boy That stayed

Chapter Twenty - A Familiar Stranger

By the middle of the week, I had settled into a comfortable rhythm.

University no longer felt as intimidating as it had during my first few days. I knew where my classes were, which paths were quicker, and where I could go whenever I needed a quiet place.

Even my roommates had become part of my routine.

Hannah and Grace could turn the smallest conversation into an entire discussion, while Leah was perfectly comfortable sitting nearby without saying much.

Somehow, I'd gotten used to all of it.

That morning, I arrived at class a little earlier than usual.

I found my usual seat near the edge of the middle row and brought out my notebook.

Students gradually began filling the room.

A few minutes before the lecturer arrived, someone stopped beside my desk.

"Is this seat taken?"

I looked up.

It was a guy I'd seen around campus before.

"Um... no."

He pulled out the chair and sat down.

"Thanks."

I gave him a small smile before returning my attention to my notebook.

For a few moments, neither of us said anything.

Then he glanced at the notes in front of me.

"Did you understand the last topic?"

I looked at him.

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

I smiled.

"Enough to survive the exam."

He laughed quietly.

"That's probably the best answer I've heard all week."

I smiled again.

The lecturer walked in before we could continue, and the room quickly became quiet.

I focused on the lesson.

Every now and then, the guy beside me whispered a small comment about something the lecturer had said.

I tried not to laugh.

Sometimes I failed.

When class finally ended, I closed my notebook and packed my things.

"You're heading to the cafeteria?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Mind if I walk with you?"

I hesitated briefly.

"Sure."

We walked out together.

"I'm Jordan, by the way."

"Maya."

"I know."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You know?"

"We've been in the same class."

"Oh."

I felt a little embarrassed.

I'd seen him before, but I'd never really paid attention to his name.

We continued toward the cafeteria.

"So, what do you think of the university so far?" he asked.

"It's bigger than I expected."

"Same."

"I still get lost sometimes."

Jordan laughed.

"Good. I thought I was the only one."

We talked about classes, lecturers and the difficulty of finding certain buildings.

He was easy to talk to.

There was no pressure to keep the conversation going.

Silence wasn't uncomfortable either.

By the time we reached the cafeteria, I'd already relaxed around him.

We got our food and found a table.

I hadn't realized how long it had been since I'd simply sat with someone and talked without overthinking everything.

Jordan told me about one of his classes.

I told him about an assignment I was struggling with.

We laughed about a lecturer who seemed determined to give everyone more work than they could handle.

It was simple.

Normal.

And I liked it.

When we finished eating, we walked back toward the academic buildings.

"I'll see you around?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah."

He smiled.

"See you, Maya."

"See you."

I watched him walk away before continuing toward my next destination.

I didn't think much about the conversation.

It had been nice.

That was all.

When I returned to the dorm later that evening, Hannah noticed immediately.

"You look happy."

I looked at her.

"Do I?"

"Yes."

Grace looked up from her phone.

"Something happened."

"Nothing happened."

"You've got that smile."

"What smile?"

"The one you get when something good happens."

I laughed.

"I just made a new friend."

Both of them immediately turned toward me.

"A friend?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"His name is Jordan."

Grace's eyes widened.

"Finally!"

I laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been here for weeks!"

Hannah smiled.

"Tell us about him."

"There's nothing to tell."

They clearly didn't believe me.

I sat on my bed while they asked question after question.

What did he study?

Where was he from?

How did we meet?

Was he nice?

I answered what I could.

He was in some of my classes.

He seemed friendly.

We'd just talked.

Nothing more.

Eventually, they moved on to another topic.

I lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling.

It was strange.

A few weeks ago, I had been convinced that making friends would be impossible.

Now I had people I actually looked forward to seeing.

Hannah.

Grace.

Leah.

And now Jordan.

I still wasn't ready to tell them everything about myself.

There were things I kept buried beneath the surface.

Things that belonged to another version of me.

But perhaps I didn't have to reveal everything immediately.

Maybe trust could happen slowly.

Maybe friendship could grow without knowing every detail of someone's past.

I closed my eyes.

For once, I wasn't thinking about what I'd left behind.

I was thinking about what I was building.

And for the first time since arriving at university, the thought of the future didn't frighten me.

It made me curious.