Favourite Mistake

Chapter 2- The last place I wanted to be

The moment I stepped out of Mrs. Britney's office, reality settled heavily on my shoulders.

I was really here.

Back at Blackthorn University.

For two years, I had done everything possible to keep this place in my past. I had buried the memories, ignored the nightmares, and convinced myself that I would never walk these halls again.

Yet here I was.

The familiar corridors stretched before me, crowded with students moving from one class to another. Laughter echoed through the hallways. Conversations blended together into a constant buzz of noise.

Everything looked exactly the same.

The polished floors.

The expensive decorations.

The prestigious atmosphere that had once made me proud to be a student here.

And somehow, that made everything worse.

It felt as though the university had moved on while I remained trapped in the memories it had given me.

I tightened my grip around the strap of my bag and forced myself forward.

You can do this, Liora.

You survived before.

You'll survive again.

At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

The Event Planning and Design Department wasn't far from the administration building. Mrs. Britney had personally walked me there earlier, giving me a brief tour while explaining how the department operated.

I barely remembered half of what she'd said.

My mind had been elsewhere.

Mostly on the fact that every step brought me deeper into a place I had sworn never to return to.

As I approached the department building, students gathered outside caught my attention.

Some were discussing assignments.

Others were laughing with friends.

A few sat beneath nearby trees, enjoying the afternoon breeze.

Normal.

Everything looked painfully normal.

I wondered if any of them remembered me.

If any of them remembered what happened.

A knot formed in my stomach.

No.

Two years was a long time.

Most people had probably forgotten.

And that was exactly how I wanted it to stay.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the department door and stepped inside.

The room immediately fell silent.

Not completely.

Just enough for me to notice.

A few conversations paused.

Several heads turned.

Eyes followed me as I walked further inside.

My chest tightened.

Maybe I was imagining it.

Maybe they were simply curious about the new student.

Still, the attention made me uncomfortable.

I lowered my gaze and continued walking.

"Can I help you?"

I looked up to find a young woman standing behind a desk.

She looked friendly enough.

"Hi," I said. "I'm Liora. Mrs. Britney said I should report here."

Recognition immediately crossed her face.

"Oh! You're the transfer student."

Transfer student.

The title sounded strange.

I nodded.

"Right this way."

She led me through another corridor before stopping in front of a large classroom.

"The department head should be here shortly."

"Thank you."

She smiled before leaving.

I stood outside the classroom alone.

My heart was beating much faster than it should have been.

This wasn't my first day at a university.

It wasn't even my first day at Blackthorn.

Yet I felt more nervous than I had ever felt before.

Maybe because this wasn't just about starting over.

It was about returning to the place where everything had fallen apart.

The classroom door opened.

Students began filing inside.

I followed them quietly and found an empty seat near the back.

A safe place.

Far from unnecessary attention.

The room gradually filled with conversations and laughter.

I focused on my desk.

Anything to avoid looking around.

Anything to avoid recognizing familiar faces.

The last thing I wanted was a reminder of the past.

Unfortunately, life rarely cared about what I wanted.

A burst of laughter caught my attention.

The voice sounded familiar.

Dangerously familiar.

My entire body stiffened.

Slowly, I lifted my head.

And there she was.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

My breath caught in my throat.

No.

No, no, no.

Anyone but her.

She looked different.

Older.

More polished.

More confident.

But I would have recognized her anywhere.

The same blonde hair.

The same flawless appearance.

The same smile that had once ruined my life.

The memories hit me instantly.

Cruel words.

Humiliation.

Lonely nights.

Pain I had spent two years trying to forget.

A cold wave washed over me.

I quickly looked away before she could notice me.

Please don't recognize me.

Please.

The thought repeated endlessly inside my head.

Maybe I was lucky.

Maybe she had forgotten.

Maybe I was just another face in a crowded classroom.

I desperately hoped so.

The professor entered moments later, bringing an end to the conversations.

Everyone settled into their seats.

I forced myself to focus on the lecture.

But concentration proved impossible.

My thoughts remained trapped in the past.

Every time I looked up, fear tightened in my chest.

What if she remembered?

What if the others remembered too?

What if coming back here had been a terrible mistake?

By the time the lecture ended, my head was pounding.

Students immediately began gathering their belongings.

I waited.

Letting most of them leave first.

The fewer interactions, the better.

Eventually, I made my way into the hallway.

I had barely taken a few steps when I heard raised voices nearby.

My first instinct was to ignore it.

Blackthorn had always been full of drama.

It wasn't my business.

But something about the tone made me pause.

The voices sounded angry.

Mocking.

Cruel.

A feeling of unease settled over me.

Against my better judgment, I followed the sound.

The further I walked, the clearer the voices became.

Laughter.

Insults.

The unmistakable sound of someone being cornered.

My stomach twisted.

I knew that sound.

I knew it far too well.

Turning a corner, I found the source.

A small group of students stood gathered near one of the quieter sections of the building.

At the center of the crowd was a girl.

She looked terrified.

Her shoulders were tense.

Her eyes remained fixed on the floor.

The students surrounding her looked amused.

As if her discomfort was entertaining.

As if her fear was a joke.

Something painful stirred inside me.

A memory.

A reflection of my own past.

For a second, I was no longer standing in the hallway.

I was back in my first year.

Back when I had been the one surrounded.

The one everyone laughed at.

The one nobody helped.

The memory hit harder than I expected.

I should have walked away.

I should have minded my own business.

That would have been the smart thing to do.

But my feet refused to move.

Because I knew exactly how that girl felt.

I knew what it was like to stand there hoping someone would help.

Hoping someone would care.

And watching everyone look away.

The crowd laughed again.

The sound snapped something inside me.

Before I could stop myself, I stepped forward.

The words left my mouth before I had the chance to reconsider them.

"You realize what you're doing is wrong."

The laughter stopped instantly.

Every head turned toward me.

Surprise flashed across their faces.

For a brief moment, nobody spoke.

The hallway fell silent.

And suddenly, every eye was on me.

Again.

Exactly where I never wanted to be.