Chapter 3 New Beginnings

Lucas left, and life went on.

At first, I counted the days. One week. Two weeks. A month. But he never called. Never texted. Not even a simple How are you? The silence stretched longer and longer, filling the spaces where he used to be. I hated how much it bothered me. So, I forced myself to move on. I threw myself into school, making sure my grades were perfect. I joined a few clubs, went out with friends more often, and did everything I could to keep my mind occupied. It worked... sort of. The days blurred together, and soon, months turned into a year, then two. Before I knew it, I was preparing for college, filling out applications, and worrying about what came next. Lucas became a memory I didn't talk about, a phase I convinced myself I had outgrown. But deep down, I knew the truth. I never really stopped thinking about him.

Stepping onto the college campus felt surreal. The towering buildings, the endless buzz of students moving from one place to another, the crisp scent of fresh possibilities in the air, it was overwhelming but exciting. This was my new beginning. No more high school constraints, no more childhood dependencies. I was officially on my own.

Dragging my suitcase behind me, I navigated through the crowd, occasionally glancing at the map on my phone to locate the dormitories. The reality of being away from home fully settled in as I walked through the hallways of my assigned dorm. Room 207. My new home for the next few years. I hesitated for a second before pushing the door open. The sight before me made me smile. One girl was sprawled across her bed, scrolling through her phone with an easy familiarity, while another was kneeling in front of an open wardrobe, aggressively stuffing in what seemed like an entire boutique's worth of clothes.

The girl on the bed sat up immediately, flashing me a warm grin. "Oh, you must be Ava," she said, swinging her legs off the bed. "I'm Favour. And that fashion disaster over there is Gift."

"Excuse me?" Gift shot her a playful glare before turning to me with an exaggeratedly dramatic sigh. "She's just jealous because I actually have a sense of style."

I chuckled, dragging my suitcase further into the room. "Nice to meet you both."

Favour patted the bed beside her. "Come, sit. We were just debating whether it's possible to survive on instant noodles for an entire semester."

I laughed as I sat down, already liking their dynamic. "Well, that depends. Do we count malnutrition as a survival skill?"

We all burst into laughter, the tension melting away in an instant.

Gift flopped onto her bed, groaning dramatically. "If I flunk out of school, it'll be because of bad food choices."

Favour tossed a pillow at her. "No, it'll be because you're too busy planning your outfits instead of studying."

Gift sat up and flicked her hair dramatically. "Excuse you, but fashion is an art. And in case you didn't know, artists are intellectuals."

I found myself grinning as I unpacked my things. It had only been a few minutes, but I could already tell these two were going to be my people.

The next day, with my backpack slung over one shoulder, I stepped out into the crisp morning air, mentally preparing for my first class. I had mapped out the route last night, but the overwhelming size of the campus made navigation much trickier in daylight. Groups of students chatted animatedly, others rushed past in a hurry, and some looked just as lost as I felt. I walked briskly, my eyes darting between the buildings and my phone's map, trying to make sense of where I was supposed to go. Then....

Crash!

Books went flying. My phone nearly slipped from my grasp, and I stumbled back, barely managing to steady myself. The force of the collision had knocked the air from my lungs, and for a second, I could only blink at the boy standing in front of me, rubbing his shoulder as if he had just walked into a wall. Even with how mad I was, I couldn't help but notice how striking he was. His dark, tousled hair fell perfectly over his forehead, framing a face that was both rugged and refined. His warm brown eyes, steady and clear like a calm lake, held an almost magnetic allure, drawing me in despite the awkwardness of our bumping into each other. Even the way his lips curved into a subtle, amused smile spoke of a quiet confidence that made him undeniably handsome. In that fleeting moment, his natural charm and effortless grace left me completely captivated, a stark contrast to my own clumsy haste.

"Oh, sorry about that," he said, crouching down to pick up the books that had scattered across the pavement. "Didn't see you there."

I took a slow breath, trying to shake off the impact. "Maybe if you weren't walking like you owned the entire campus, you would have."

He looked up at me, one brow arching slightly. He had an air of confidence that instantly irked me.

Smirking, he handed me my books. "Not my fault you were staring at your phone."

I huffed, snatching the books from his hands. "Whatever."

Without another word, I turned and walked away, feeling his gaze still on me. I didn't bother looking back.

The rest of the day was a blur of introductions, class syllabi, and trying to remember where each building was. By the time I got back to my dorm, I was exhausted. Favour and Gift were lounging on their beds, deep in a conversation about something that involved exaggerated hand gestures and dramatic sighs.

"Survived your first day?" Favour asked, rolling onto her stomach.

"Barely," I muttered, kicking off my shoes and flopping onto my bed.

Gift propped herself up on her elbows. "Any cute guys in your classes?"

I scoffed. "I ran into one, but he was annoying."

Favour grinned. "That's how it starts."

I threw a pillow at her. "Not happening."

She and Gift exchanged knowing looks, but I ignored them.

I had bigger things to worry about than some arrogant guy on campus.

At least, that's what I told myself.