My Forbidden Semester

A night out.

The night sky was dark, and the moon hung high above, surrounded by tiny stars that made the sky look beautiful.

I let out a loud breath, staring out the window of the moving car.

My shoulders dropped in exhaustion because I knew things wouldn’t be easy for me especially since this would be the first time I’m going over to stay at my father’s house.

I kept pondering within myself, wondering how I would get along with my father and his kids from the woman he remarried.

Just then, the cab driver’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts, prompting me to turn toward him with a faint, polite smile.

“Miss, we’re here,” he said as the car slowed down.

I nodded, swallowed hard, and waited for him to properly park before stepping out. Then, he helped me unload my luggage from the car’s trunk.

“Thanks,” I said softly, pulling out some bills from my handbag to pay the fare.

With both hands gripping my two boxes, I dragged them toward the house, my heart heavy but determined.

‘It’s just for a semester, Tessa. You can do this,’ I urged myself as I closed my eyes to draw in one last deep breath.

After that, I pushed myself and my luggage toward the front door.

Immediately after I pressed the doorbell, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and soon the door opened, revealing a young lady dressed in a white belly shirt and a blue jean skirt that barely reached her thighs.

The young lady seemed to be around my age or perhaps I was a year older.

From the warm expression on her face, I could already tell we were going to get along as friends since she had a gentle smile resting on her lips.

“Umm, I’m looking for the house of…”

“You must be Tessa,” the young lady said, her smile widening as she grabbed one of my travel boxes. “I’m Aubrey, your stepsister,” she added while stepping aside to let me in.

“Hello, Aubrey,” I whispered as I rolled the other box inside the house, trailing after her as she made her way toward the staircase. Soon, we arrived at a hallway.

Aubrey opened the door on her left and stepped inside, rolling my suitcase toward the wardrobe.

Right in front of it, she halted. “Hey,” Aubrey purred, scanning me.

“Hey,” I replied, my voice coming out a bit awkward, which made her chuckle.

“Well, this is your room. I’ll let you settle in while I get you something to eat. You must be famished,” she said, winking at me and before I could even open my mouth to politely refuse, she was already out of the room, shutting the door behind her and giving me the privacy I needed.

‘She seems nice,’ I thought to myself, feeling a small wave of relief as I began unpacking my clothes and arranging them neatly inside the wardrobe.

I lost track of time until I heard the faint sound of a knock on my door.

“Come in,” I whispered and Aubrey stepped inside, carrying a plate of pasta.

“Tessa, I… I can see that you’re almost done arranging your stuff,” she said softly, her voice slightly shaky.

I nodded, noticing how nervous she was and how hard she seemed to be trying to choose her words carefully. “Do you need some help?”

“Nah, I can handle this by myself. Also, you don’t have to be so nervous around me,” I replied, my last words coming out playfully.

She chuckled, the tension easing from her shoulders. “I’ve been trying so hard to hide my nervousness, but the truth is, I’m really awkward when it comes to starting a conversation,” Aubrey admitted, stepping further into the room.

She set the plate of food on the bedside table and sat on the bed. “By the way, Tessa, Dad said you’re going to stay here for just a semester.”

I nodded in agreement, still focused on the clothes I was arranging. “Yeah. I am. I should’ve come over earlier, but I had some issues so that’s why I’m here now, even though I have to be in school tomorrow.”

“Whoa, tomorrow’s definitely going to be a stressful day for you,” Aubrey said, her tone brightening. “But you can go with my brother Lake since he’s in the same department as you.”

Her words instantly caught my interest.

‘Perhaps my first day of college won’t be so stressful after all,’ I mused with a small smile. “Is your brother around? And also, I didn’t see my dad.”

Aubrey nodded. “Lake’s out with his friends. They went to a club to celebrate the start of school tomorrow. Dad went on vacation with my mom, and they won’t be back until next week. My other brother’s at a sleepover, obviously reading like the genius he is,” she said, rising from the bed and walking toward me. “Also, I’ll be joining Lake soon.”

I just nodded and continued folding my clothes. Besides, I couldn’t help noticing how her eyes lit up whenever she talked about her family. That warmth was something I couldn’t relate to.

My father divorced my mother when I was only three, then married a woman who already had three kids.

“So, tell me, Tessa,” Aubrey asked after a pause. “What exactly happened that made you…” She trailed off, then shrugged quickly. “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but I just want to know why you’re here now instead of earlier this week. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“Umm… well, it’s just that my boyfriend broke up with me five days ago,” I paused, my eyes drifting toward Aubrey, who watched me with quiet curiosity.

For a moment, I hesitated, unsure if I should keep going but the words slipped out anyway. “I’ve been so down that I didn’t even feel like resuming college anymore. He’s the one who convinced me to apply here because he believed it would help me get closer to my dad.”

Aubrey’s mouth instantly curved into an “Ohh,” as she swallowed hard. “I won’t call your boyfriend a jerk since he’s the reason you’re here but he still shouldn’t have broken up with someone as pretty as you,” she said, trying to cheer me up.

I chuckled softly, nodding in agreement, though the ache in my chest still lingered.

Aubrey reached out and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Today’s your first day in town, Tessa. How about I take you to the club to get your mind off things and…?”

“Aubrey, I can’t! I have a lot to do, and I haven’t even settled in yet,” I blurted, cutting her off before she could finish.

Aubrey rolled her eyes playfully and grabbed my hand. “Tonight’s the only chance we have to go out! Come on, it’ll help you forget about your ex for a bit. Plus, it’ll get you ready for tomorrow and I’ll introduce you to my brother, Lake, and his friends.”

I sighed, my resistance softening as I looked at Aubrey, the girl I’d just met, yet who seemed so eager to make me feel better.

Maybe she was right. Maybe a night out would help.

Besides, how bad could it be?