CHAPTER 4
1757 Words
I pulled on a pair of washed black baggy jeans and a long-sleeved black crop top.
It wasn’t very short—just enough to sit comfortably above my waist while still covering the scars running across my stomach and ribs.
Black had become my safe color over the past year. Easy. Quiet. Invisible.
I stood in front of the mirror afterward, running the straightener slowly through my dark hair until it fell neatly down my back in soft dark waves.
For a moment, I simply stared at myself. The girl in the mirror still looked strange to me sometimes.
Not because I looked different after the accident. But because I felt different. Older somehow. Like life had pressed too hard on me too early. Still… today, I didn’t completely hate what I saw.
That had to count for something. I checked my room one final time, making sure I wasn’t forgetting anything important before grabbing my bag and dragging it toward the living room.
Sofia was already awake. Barely. She sat on one of the kitchen stools wearing an oversized shirt and fuzzy socks, scrolling aggressively through her phone while chewing on a burger like it had personally offended her.
She glanced up when I walked in. Her eyes scanned me quickly from head to toe before she looked back at her phone again.
“I think you should eat breakfast,” she said. “We’ll be leaving soon.”
I stared at the burger in her hand. “Burger?”
She nodded seriously. “Yes. Fast food. A revolutionary concept.”
“At this hour?”
“At every hour.”
I laughed quietly and grabbed the burger box sitting beside her. “I’ll eat in the car.”
“Good,” she mumbled around another bite. “Because if you faint dramatically on your first day of college, I’m leaving you there.
“You’re such a supportive guardian.”
“I try.”
I pulled my suitcase toward the door while she finally stood up and followed behind me.
She locked the house carefully once we stepped outside. The taxi waiting in front looked familiar. Same driver. He rolled down the window the second he saw us.
“Ah,” he said dramatically. “The homeless travelers return.”
Sofia pointed at him immediately. “We have a home now.”
“Temporary,” he replied.
She gasped in fake offense while I laughed under my breath. We loaded my things into the trunk before climbing into the backseat.
The burger actually smelled amazing. I took a bite once we started driving and immediately closed my eyes for a second. “Okay,” I admitted. “This is good.”
Sofia looked smug. “I know quality.”
“You know grease.”
“Which is quality.”
The drive lasted around twenty minutes, though it felt shorter because Sofia spent most of it angrily texting someone. Her eyebrows stayed furrowed the entire time.
Every few seconds, her fingers attacked the screen like she was trying to physically injure whoever she was messaging.
I glanced at her twice. Three times. I almost asked what was wrong, but something stopped me. Instead, I looked out the window again.
Then suddenly— The gates appeared. Huge black iron gates stretched open as the taxi drove through them slowly.
Beyond them stood Prescott Prestige College. And honestly? It looked less like a college and more like the setting of a movie where rich people ruined each other’s lives elegantly.
Large stone buildings rose across the campus surrounded by trimmed lawns, fountains, expensive cars, and students moving everywhere carrying luggage or talking loudly in groups.
The place looked intimidatingly perfect. The taxi stopped in front of one of the residence buildings.
Students crowded the entrance, dragging suitcases around while staff members directed people inside.
The second I stepped out, noise hit me from every direction. Laughter. Voices. Rolling luggage wheels. Car doors slamming. It felt overwhelming instantly.
Sofia grabbed one of my bags before I could protest. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s get you officially educated.”
Inside, the building was even bigger. Bright marble floors stretched beneath enormous lights overhead while students crowded around the reception area.
I tightened my grip on my bag slightly. Sofia pushed my suitcase toward the front desk where a tired-looking woman sat stamping forms mechanically without looking at anyone properly.
“Name?” the woman asked flatly.
“Georgia Steele.” The woman typed something quickly before grabbing a key card and a small envelope.
“Room 3B-17,” she said, stamping a paper carelessly before sliding everything toward me. “Here.”
I accepted the key and dorm card carefully. “Thanks.”
“Next.” That was it. No smile. No welcome. Nothing. Sofia leaned toward me as we walked away.
“Well, she radiates joy.” I snorted quietly.
We followed the signs upstairs until we finally reached my dorm section. My stomach twisted tighter the closer we got. Room 3B-17.
I inserted the keycard and pushed the door open slowly. Then stopped. The place was… nice. Actually nice. A small living area sat near the entrance with a couch and television already set up.
There was a tiny kitchen connected beside it and two separate bedroom doors further inside. It honestly looked more like a compact apartment than a dorm.
Sofia walked in behind me and looked around in disbelief. “Wow,” she muttered. “This school is ridiculously rich.” She pointed dramatically around the room. “When I was in college, I shared one room with three girls and somebody was always crying.”
“Benefits of being born later,” I replied.
She scoffed loudly. “Disrespectful.” I set my bag down slowly, taking everything in. The room smelled clean and unfamiliar. Like fresh paint and unopened furniture.
Sofia wandered around the living room while still peeking at her phone occasionally. “I wonder what your roommate will be like,” she said casually.
Immediately, nervousness twisted in my stomach. I hadn’t really allowed myself to think about that part properly yet. Living with Sofia became easy because she already belonged in my life before everything changed.
But this? This would be someone completely new. Someone I didn’t know. Someone who would suddenly exist inside my personal space every single day.
The thought made me uneasy. I turned toward Sofia again and noticed her staring at her phone with that same troubled expression from earlier.
Then she sighed heavily. “I have bad news.”
“What?”
“I wanted to tour the campus with you today…” She lifted her phone. “But the place I applied to just emailed me for an interview. Like, now.”
Disappointment hit me immediately, though I tried not to show too much of it. “Oh.”
Sofia’s expression softened instantly. “Hey.” She stepped closer. “I’ll make it up to you, okay?”
“It’s fine,” I said quietly. “You need the job.”
She studied me for a second like she knew I was pretending to be calmer than I actually felt. Then she smiled lightly and opened her arms. “Come here, emotionally damaged child.”
I rolled my eyes but hugged her anyway. “Goodbye,” she murmured into my hair.
“See you Friday.” I nodded against her shoulder. “If anything happens,” she added more seriously, pulling back slightly, “call me immediately. I don’t care what time it is.”
“Okay.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
She still looked reluctant to leave. Like she was trying to convince herself I’d be okay alone. Finally, after one last dramatic sigh, she grabbed her bag and headed toward the door. Then she paused. “Oh, and if your roommate is insane—fight her immediately. Establish dominance.”
I burst out laughing. Sofia grinned proudly before disappearing out the door.
Then suddenly— Silence. Complete silence. I stood alone in the middle of the dorm staring around at the unfamiliar space. It felt strange how quickly loneliness could sneak into a room.
I exhaled slowly. Food. I needed food. That would solve at least one problem. So I grabbed my phone and left the dorm, locking the door behind me before heading down the hallway.
Students moved around everywhere now. Some laughing. Some arguing. Some dragging giant suitcases while looking moments away from collapse.
I barely paid attention though. I was too focused on finding the cafeteria.
Then— I slammed directly into someone. Hard. The impact startled me badly enough that I lost balance completely and hit the floor with an embarrassing thud. Pain shot through my hip instantly.
“Oh my God—” I looked up angrily, ready to yell at whoever wasn’t watching where they were going. Then I stopped.
Because the person standing above me was a guy. A really, really attractive guy. For a second, my brain genuinely forgot how irritation worked.
He was tall enough that I had to tilt my head back slightly just to look at him properly. Dark clothes clung to broad shoulders and a muscular frame that looked unfairly perfect. His hair fell messily across his forehead, dark and slightly shiny beneath the overhead lights.
Then I noticed his eyes. Blue. Not soft blue either. Sharp blue. The kind that held your attention too easily.
He stared down at me silently, and suddenly I became painfully aware of how close he was standing. My heartbeat stumbled awkwardly.
There was something strange about him. Not dangerous exactly. Just… intense. Like he noticed too much. I quickly stood up before the moment became even more embarrassing.
“I guess gentlemen don’t exist anymore,” I snapped automatically, brushing imaginary dust from my jeans. “Maybe watch where you’re going next time, jerk.”
Smooth. Very mature. Without waiting for a response, I sidestepped him and continued walking away before my brain could completely betray me.
But after a few steps, curiosity got the better of me. I glanced back. He was still standing there. Still watching me.
And for some reason, that made a chill run lightly down my spine.
I turned away immediately and kept walking. Still…
Even as I headed toward the cafeteria— even as students passed around me— even as noise filled the hallway— I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
- Writer
