Shimmer Between Us

It started like any other afternoon, The sun was lazy in the sky, the fan spun halfheartedly above our heads, and our room buzzed with low chaos, the kind only four girls living together could create. Clara was ranting about a lecturer who gave her a D despite her “clear, logically arranged arguments.” Tina, who never took anything seriously, was busy scrolling through her phone, gasping dramatically because a guy from Engineering finally texted her. Becky, the most dramatic of us all, was halfway into someone else’s wardrobe, complaining that her "perfect lip gloss" had mysteriously disappeared. And me? I was lying on my bed, laughing softly, my head resting against the wall, trying to enjoy the noise while secretly longing for air. “I’m going to the supermarket,” I said, standing up and slipping into my slippers. In true roommate fashion, they pounced. “Zora, help me get yogurt,” Clara said without looking up. “Buy me biscuits.. the chocolate-filled ones, not the dry nonsense,” Tina called out. “Face mask!” Becky added. “And soap! Please. I ran out this morning.” I didn’t mind. I liked errands. They gave me an excuse to walk alone, away from the noise, away from all the voices even the ones in my head. There’s something about walking by yourself, headphones in, sunlight brushing your shoulders, bag swinging gently by your side. It makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger. Like you’re about to walk into a moment you’ve only imagined. And sometimes, I do imagine. What if I met him there? Not just any “him.” But the him. The boy I can’t explain but always see in my head.. like a story waiting to unfold. Maybe he’d smile while handing me something I dropped. Maybe we’d reach for the same snack..like the K-drama's I always watched. Maybe he’d look at me like I wasn’t the girl who always fades into the background. Maybe. But today, I wasn’t thinking about him. Not really. I just needed a break. Or at least… I thought I did.