HEY, NEIGHBOR!

The First Step

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By 12:23 PM, I was out the door, umbrella in one hand and my bag slung over the other shoulder. The rain hadn’t let up, but I didn’t care. My nerves were louder than the storm outside. I ran down the steps of my building, splashing through puddles, and caught the first jeepney heading toward the university.

My heart wouldn’t slow down. Every red light, every stop along the way made me more anxious. I checked the time over and over. 12:40. 12:45. 12:51.

Finally, the campus gates came into view. I hopped off, paid my fare, and bolted toward the main auditorium. The sight of students walking in groups, laughing and chatting, suddenly made me hesitate. They all looked so… ready. Confident. Like they belonged here.

And me? I still felt like the girl who left home three days ago, unsure and shaken.

But I shook the thought off and marched forward. I had come too far to back out now.

Inside the auditorium, rows of chairs stretched out before me. The walls were high, the lighting soft but bright enough to make everything look polished. A giant screen hung in front with a slideshow of welcome messages playing on loop.

I scanned the crowd for an empty seat and quietly slipped into one near the middle. No one looked my way. Everyone seemed preoccupied, either chatting with someone or scrolling through their phones.

Then, a voice came over the mic.

“Good afternoon, freshies! Welcome to the University of Northbridge!”

Applause filled the room. I clapped too, a little unsure at first—but then I smiled. This was real. I was here.

The orientation went on for almost an hour—introductions from the dean, the department heads, and a few alumni who shared inspiring stories. I took mental notes, especially when they mentioned organizations related to communication studies. Something sparked inside me—a small flicker of excitement. Maybe this really was where I belonged.

As the event neared its end, we were told to gather by course for a short meet-and-greet with classmates and our program adviser.

That’s when I saw him.

He stood at the far side of the auditorium, near the B.A. Communication banner. Tall, wearing a navy blue hoodie and a lanyard with the school ID slung around his neck. He looked relaxed, chatting with someone beside him, his smile easy and warm.

I didn’t know why I noticed him. Maybe it was the way he laughed—or maybe I was just starved for a friendly face. Either way, something about him pulled my attention.

I walked over to the group. A girl with curly hair turned to me and smiled. “Hi! B.A. Comm too?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Liana.”

“I’m Bea,” she said brightly. “And that’s Jacob—our unofficial class clown” she added, gesturing toward the guy in the hoodie.

Jacob looked over, as if sensing someone mentioned him. Our eyes met for a second, and he gave a small nod.

“Hey” he said simply.

“Hi!” I replied, awkwardly tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

We didn’t talk much after that—just basic intros, some icebreakers from the adviser, and a list of next week’s schedule. But that was okay. I wasn’t here to make friends right away. I just needed to get through day one.

Still, as we left the auditorium and the rain finally stopped, I found myself walking slower. I tilted my face up to the sky. The clouds were starting to part, and the air smelled fresh.

My phone buzzed again. Another message from Mom.

Mom: Call me when you can. I miss you.

This time, I didn’t ignore it.

I stopped under a covered bench and stared at her message for a while. Then I typed slowly, I miss you too. I’ll call you soon. Just had my orientation. I got in, Ma.

I hit send before I could overthink it.

Maybe it wasn’t much. But it was a start.

Just like today.

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Nathaniel’s POV

I wasn’t planning to attend the orientation at all. I already knew half the people in our department, and the schedule? Jacob could just send it to me. But Bea dragged me into it—literally. She threatened to tell my mom I skipped again, and knowing Bea, she’d do it without blinking.

So I showed up.

The auditorium was already packed when we arrived. Jacob waved at us from the third row. “You’re late,” he mouthed.

I rolled my eyes and slumped into the seat next to him, Bea squeezing in on the other side. The slideshow on the screen looped some overly cheerful welcome quotes, and the mic screeched once before the emcee finally started speaking.

"Good afternoon, freshies! Welcome to the University of Northbridge!"

The clapping around me was automatic. I barely moved. My eyes scanned the room lazily, more out of boredom than curiosity. That’s when I noticed her.

She was sitting somewhere in the middle row, slightly leaning forward as if she didn’t want to be seen. Plain white shirt, loose ponytail, serious eyes. She looked nervous—like she didn’t know whether to clap or run.

I hadn’t seen her around before, but something about her made me look twice.

She didn’t see me though. Her eyes were focused on the stage, like she was trying really hard to stay present. I turned back to the front before Bea could catch me staring. It wasn’t like it mattered. We weren’t even friends.

The rest of the program passed in a blur. I tuned out most of it, except when they called for course-based groupings. That’s when the three of us stood and made our way to the B.A. Communication banner.

"Another year of pretending to be interested in icebreakers" I muttered.

"You love it and you know it" Bea said, nudging me.

We stood in a loose circle. I talked to Jacob while Bea introduced herself to some girl who had just joined us—wait. It was her. The girl from earlier.

Bea introduced her as “Liana” and Jacob gave her a casual nod. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t have to. I watched her tuck her hair behind her ear, quiet but polite. Bea always had a way of making people feel welcome. That’s probably what pulled the girl toward our group.

But I didn’t try to talk to her.

It wasn’t out of rudeness. I just didn’t do small talk unless I had to. Besides, she didn’t even notice me. She probably didn’t recognize me from earlier. Or maybe she just didn’t care.

Either way, I stayed quiet.

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Later that day, I got off the cab right in front of the apartment building. The driver barely had time to thank me before I slammed the door shut.

I had just grabbed my bag from the back seat when I saw someone walking ahead of me—same white shirt, same loose ponytail.

Liana.

She hadn’t seen me yet, or maybe she had and was just pretending not to. Her pace slowed slightly when she noticed me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could feel her glance in my direction.

I kept walking.

She looked like she was about to smile. Just a small, polite one. But I didn’t return it. Not because I was trying to be cold—I just didn’t feel like pretending to care when we barely knew each other.

I walked past her and didn’t look back.

As I entered the building, I heard a soft sound behind me—like a quiet sigh or maybe a scoff.

“Tsk,” she muttered.

I smirked, just a little.

So she noticed me after all.

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