BETWEEN LOVE AND LOYALTY

THE FIRST DAY

The morning sun hung lazily above the campus gates as students moved around like restless ants ,dragging boxes,greeting old friends and trying not to look as lost as they felt.

Zara tightened her grip on the strap of her bag and stared at the massive school sign in front of her.

University

It still didn't feel real.

A week ago, she had been at home,sleeping late and listening to her mother complain about how careless she was with her clothes.

Now she stood among hundreds of strangers,her heart beating too fast beneath her oversized hoodie.

"Excuse me please....."

A guy pushing trolley nearly slammed into her.

"Sorry" he muttered before he disappeared into the crowd.

Zara sighed.

Great. First ten minutes on campus and she already felt invisible.

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

She turned sharply.

A girl with long braids and bright eyes stood beside her, holding two bags and chewing gum like she owned the entire school.

"I'm Amara",the girl said. "You look confused enough to be a fresher".

Zara laughed nervously. "Is it that obvious?"

"Very".

For the first time that morning,Zara smiled.

Maybe this place wouldn't be completely terrible after all.

The hostel was louder than she expected for someone who has been literally living alone with her parents all her life.

Girls moved from room to room, music blasted from somewhere upstairs,and the smell of perfume mixed with dust and sweat filled the hallway.

"Room B12", Amara announced dramatically after checking a piece of paper. "Welcome to our new suffering".

Zara laughed again.

As they entered the room, she dropped her bag onto the lower bunk and exhaled deeply.

"This is actually happening", she whispered.

Amara flopped onto the other bed.

"You'll survive. Everybody cries during their first semester anyway"

"Comforting"

"I will try my best"

Their laughter filled the small room.

For a moment, everything felt light.

Until voices sounded outside the hostel window.

A group of girls walked past, giggling loudly.

".......That's Ethan"

"Which one?"

"The tall one beside the black car"

Zara wasn't trying to look.

Really.

But curiosity pulled her towards the window anyway.

And then she saw him.

Tall.

Dark hair.

Simple black shirt.

One hand tucked casually into his pocket while talking to someone beside him.

There was nothing overly dramatic about him, yet somehow ,everybody around him seemed to notice him.

Even from a distance,he carried himself with the kind of confidence people couldn't fake.

Amara suddenly groaned beside her.

"Oh no"

"What"

That's Ethan Cole"

Zara glanced back at the window,"And?"

Amara sat up straighter.

"And every girl on this campus is either in love with him,hates him or regrets knowing him".

Zara blinked.

"That sounds intense".

"You have no idea".

Outside, Ethan laughed at something someone said.

Then unexpectedly.....

He loooked up.

Directly towards the hostel window.

Towards her.

Zara's breath caught.

For one strange second,it felt like the noise around campus disappeared completely.

Then Amara yanked the curtain shut dramatically.

"Nope",she declared. "Stay away from him if you want your peace".

Zara laughed softly,but deep down.......

Something about the way he looked at her lingered in her mind longer than it should have..........