A not so great day.

DAWN'S POV

        Three weeks passed by so fast and there I was, parading the environs of Brownston struggling to find my faculty. I've been at the school hostel for two days, after I arrived with my mom and Henry on the weekend and they flew back to Fulton after their stay at a hotel close to Brownston. I wanted them to stay longer if they could, to live close by even but that was impossible, right? It ruins the whole "seeking adventure" idea. I braced myself as my mind kept drifting to the part that missed them, I needed to do this myself.

      It was me alone now and I got this. Did I though? I can't even find my lecture hall. I made attempts to ask some of the students that hung around — it earned me glares, and monotonous responses that summed up to nothing. Were they always like this? 

I sighed.

       The sun was scorching, it didn't cease to emit powerful waves of heat like a fiery ball in the sky. Well, that was exactly what it was. I should have known better than to listen to mum and wear the white dress she picked out before she left. She said it complimented my skin tone. Not only that, she made me wear lipgloss and mascara all in the name of a good first impression. I secretly hoped it won't smear.

Maybe she was right, maybe it was time for a slight improvement in my fashion sense.

 The last person I asked gave me a detailed description, maybe a little detailed. I stopped listening at the fifth "turn left and take three steps". It was more confusing than I bargained for but I managed to hum a "thank you." I began to make my way when I bumped into someone or something.

 

    "Ow," I cried out as the pain spread through my head, causing me to stagger backwards.  I had bumped into someone, with my face hitting his chest, it had to be a he. I regain my balance before raising my head to see who it was. This, someone, was tall...and handsome, skin white as milk and a face people would worship. His eyes- there was something about them.

  My sentiment dissipated as he turned to leave, what the hell? he wouldn't even apologize? 

  "Don't move!", I yelled before biting my lips. Seriously? Don't move? Come on, Dawn, you can do better than this. 

  I straightened my shoulder before I continued. "Shouldn't you apologize for bumping into me...with this rock-hard body?" My hands went in circles to emphasize how bigger than me he was.

His movement came to an abrupt halt as he turned to me, his prying eyes accessing me like he was searching for something. I felt a chill skitter down my spine.

This felt weird.

  "Apologize?" He raised a brow as he tasted the word. He let out a scoff.

   A scoff? Did he just scoff at me? My anger level rose at its own will.

 

  "Yes, apologize. I'm not the reason you're so tall, you don't even see the tiny people below you, your narcissistic Highness!" I blurted out angrily, with a hint of sarcasm, my confident waned drastically and the regret bounced in. 

The first day in school and here I am, already making trouble.

   

   "Mundanes and being problematic", he muttered, turning to leave immediately.

 That did it. I could have sworn a puff of smoke made its way out of my ears, accompanied by the surge of anger that rose from the depth of my stomach. I hurled at him my saddle bag with all the energy my slim arms could gather and it landed right across his pale face. The hit had little to no impact on him, he merely stopped and turned to face me. Me, who was still praying for stability from the quick spin I took before throwing my bag at him, I was already disoriented, and the spin made it worse. In a split second, I dropped to the ground which was a little softer than usual. The groan I heard came from the ground making me realise the ground wasn't what I had expected it to be.

  It was the rude stranger and I laid on top of him, my face in his neck and my hands pressing his shoulders.

I landed on him!

  I felt warm liquid tickle down my nostrils, my nose was bleeding. There I was, lying on someone I hurled my bag at with a bleeding nose, on the floor, inside the school!

   What a great way to start college.

He brushed me off of him hastily, looking as though he had seen a ghost, it was obvious how much he tried to hold it together. I couldn't tell what he felt at that moment, a mixture of anger and surprise. Rage? I didn't know.

Then again, it wasn't every day someone throws a bag at you and then falls on you afterwards.

  I was a mess.

"I'm so sorry but this was all your fault," I managed to say when I saw bloodstain on his shirt, my blood. The anger I earlier harboured was gone, all that was left was the regret that tied a knot around my chest.

He didn't wait to hear my apology or my attempt to wipe his shirt, he gave a glare that stripped me of all the confidence I had and left, his eyes shot daggers. In the blink of an eye, he was out of sight.

Bravo, Dawn.

I ended the day with a couple of "what ifs" bouncing on and off my mind. 

What if he was one of those dangerous guys that I shouldn't have messed with? What if he'd make it his life-long mission to make my life a living hell? 

What if I just signed my death certificate? That glare meant something. The way he looked at me, I sighed.

My head made the worst-case scenarios, embedding more fear in me by the second. I wanted an adventure but not this kind, this was a little too advanced level for me. My brain forgot the part where he was a jerk and kept replaying that of me being a mess, I hated leaving a bad impression, no one did.

   I guess I had to deal with it, I walked to the school hostel. My room was unlocked, it wasn't surprising, I had been told that two students shared a room, which made me susceptible to the expectance of a roommate, maybe she was the one.

  I swung the door open and met the gaze of a girl who looked a little older than I was. I couldn't say it was a friendly gaze, it looked more like a "are you supposed to be here?" kind. Oh, lord, let this day be good.

"Are you supposed to be here?", she wasn't asking. Her accent is pure British and her tone, commanding.

There, I said it.

I braced myself, I wasn't trained to submit to fear.

   "I am, you are too, I suppose," I responded and watched her tuck her red hair behind her ears, her green eyes were more visible now — the most beautiful thing I've seen today.

  The corner of her lips tugged upwards, it formed a smirk even though I missed out on what she found funny.

   "Too bad, I asked to be alone," folding her slender arms now, "something must have gone horribly wrong somewhere."

  "Oh," I muttered, she has to be insanely rich then, to ask to be alone in a public university. "you might have to speak to the management, tomorrow."

I settled on the bed opposite her.

   

"Speak, hm. And that I shall," she points to the far end of the room.  "You must  own this," I suppose," 

My suitcase. 

"Yes, yes. I do, my name is Dawn, by the way, and you are?"

 "Selene."  

She sauntered out of the room.

I hoped I wasn't in for a messy college year, the happenings of today did much to refute that. Now, I had a roommate who didn't want a roommate. She didn't seem to be that much of a talker too. 

I grab my cellphone from my bag, it was almost seven pm again, he didn't text me yesterday. Something must have happened, I cared enough to be worried. I clicked the app icon hoping I'd see a message from him, explaining why he didn't text back yet but nothing.

I guess something really did happen but I had no way of knowing for sure since everything about this app dwelled on anonymity. I tapped his profile again, for the seventh time today hoping to get a hint that led back to reality, but nothing. Just a blank profile picture and a username "UndA". That blank profile and name I've grown to like over time, it's been six months since I had begun to text a complete stranger — both of us hiding behind a bright screen, showing parts of us we wanted the other to see.

    It never occurred to me how curious I was about him, I hoped he felt the same but no of us had ever brought that up, I'm no longer sure how long that would last after I recently realized I wanted more.

    

 UndA: Hey, I'm sorry. I had something to take care of— I still do. Siblings are the worst.

  I smiled as relief washed over me, I was happy he was okay.

Violetsaregrey: I know how this feels cause I have one too.

I texted back before settling properly on my bed, maybe this day could be salved after all.