⫯ 𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔩𝔶 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ⫯ (HIATUS)

𝟏 - 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫

I packed my things as I got ready to leave my General Ethics lecture hall, something about that day felt off but I had pushed it out of my mind.

The feeling of foreboding was magnified although, because of my professor, Mr. Grants', antsy behavior during class, jumping from topic to topic as though he was trying to cram as much information in our brains as quickly as he could. I was probably just paranoid for no reason, or it was the stale pizza I ate this morning causing this queasiness.

I exited the room and ran right into someone knocking their bag to the ground and succeeding and injuring myself. I cursed under my breath at my inattention and clumsiness, it was bad enough for just me, but I had to unleash my chaos on innocent bystanders.

I looked up at the victim of my clumsiness, wincing, and then I made eye contact with the darkest brown eyes—they almost seem black. The pair of eyes belong to the handsome sculpted face of a young man. I realized too late that I had been staring far too long at this, admittedly handsome, stranger.
I sheepishly smiled at him and apologized.

"Sorry for bumping into you, I wasn't looking where I was going—typical me, if I broke any- "

"It's alright, no need to worry about the bag, I doubt anything in there would break from a short fall to the floor.", he said, amusement coloring his tone.

"Even so, I am very sorry for my clumsiness- here let me get that for you.", I let out as I reached out and grabbed his bag.

I did a double take at the sheer weight of it, but I brushed it off as the weight of his textbooks and materials. I hefted the bag up and held it out to him with a small struggle. 'I need to work out more often', I tack on as an afterthought. I think he could see how my muscles were shaking and the strain on my face because he let out a chuckle at my efforts.

He relieved me of the weight of the bag and then lifted it up with no problems, as if it was a bag of feathers instead of the boulders I'd faced. I internally whistled at his display of strength, he must be jacked to carry that or, the less favored option: I was weaker than I had previously thought.

"Sorry again— ", I tried to search for a name to address this stranger, "-um."

"Kohl", he supplied, smiling a bit at my struggle.

I was beyond embarrassed by this whole encounter, but I was curious, so I asked, "Ok, Kohl, I am sorry for hitting you again, but if you don't mind me asking; Are you new?

"Kind of...I just moved back here", he admitted with a tight-lipped smile.

I must have not picked up on his change in mood because I replied cheerily, "Well then, welcome back! My name's Mya, by the way, hope I'll see you around sometime."

I walked away after that with a small wave to him behind me. I walk away from campus to the nearest bus stop, to wait for a ride to my apartment. About twenty minutes later I walk up the sidewalk toward my complex, a decent-sized building, with a good number of amenities, decent sized apartments, and most importantly a working elevator.
You must be wondering how a college student can afford this type of living in afford this luxury without a roommate or extra income of any kind. It is a truly easy answer, I work at his high-end restaurant as a waitress, and it makes good enough money that I'm allowed to enjoy my solitude.

I get inside and immediately drop my things by the door, switch my outdoor shoes for my comfy slippers and head to the bathroom to wash off the stress of the day in a relaxing bath. After soaking in the tub until my fingers prune, I change into my most comfortable pajamas to sleep in. I quickly ready myself for bed and hopped in, and I was out light like a light, unaware what was waiting for me the next day.

The next morning, I got ready for the day and for my nine-a.m. class. As every morning I fight with my thick locks, and after what seems like an hour my hair was tamed into something presentable. I must have finished earlier than usual because I had time to spare, so I made myself a bowl of cereal; cereal first because I'm not a psychopath and turned on the news to fill in the silence. What a mistake, because what I didn't expect to hear was,

"[Breaking News]: -at the Regional College of Academics, there was what looks to be a homicide of a Professor Grant, a General Ethics professor at the college. Students that are enrolled in his report his last whereabouts at the end of his lecture at five pm yesterday. There are no suspects as of yet, but the Police Department will be monitoring the campus and reaching out to the students who have attended Mr. Grant's lectures to try to gain more information. The campus will be closed, and classes will be cancelled until further notice. Next up we will be talking to Professor Grant's ex-wife to find some perspective on the man before his death. When we come back; This has been Nancy Radcliffe, RNS News."

I stared at the television in shock and a morbidly amusing thought crossed my mind, 'Well I guess there is no class for today.'