Knight Syndrome

Ren

"Ameena"

"Huh?"

"That is her name and, this is her number."

"That's quick Ren. Thank you" Gorya grabbed the phone in one hand while handing him a glass of wine.

His eyes are still fixed on the photo that Gorya had hung on the wall right in the middle of her room, a group of people all smiles and a girl in the middle with a birthday hat.

"I still remember how you vomited after having Thyme's cake"

"Uhh. don't remind me. He still wants to make up for that mishap."

They spent half the evening complaining about Thyme and the rest filling the college applications.

Ren watched her being goofy but his mind was somewhere else.

He missed sketching. These days he had been looking for his muse in the strangest places: the train station; the university labs; even the laundromat.

As soon as I have found my inspiration, I will create more than all the world can hold.

Ren surveyed the latest campus newsletter, his eyes flitting over the front page. Her face was there—her expression resolute. He pulled out his pencil and began to sketch, letting the noisy game room fade away as he traced a likeness of Ameena in his mind's eye.

Gorya's stamina had finally downed to a zero narrating her movielike schooling in the statement of purpose.

"It's late. I'm going back to campus. Want to take a walk?"

Gorya smiled and nodded.

"Your sketchbook..." her voice trailed as she saw the picture of an unfamiliar girl with rugged looks and misty-black eyes holding a banner.

Ren closed the book with a slap.

"No use ", she waved her phone with a mischievous look spread across her face.

A laugh was heard, the other three musketeers had appeared on a video call.

Ren had to smile. Gorya had managed to retain her innocence despite all the trouble she went through.

"Kaning, Kavin! Ren has met a girl" she yelled on top of her voice.

She leaped to her feet and sprinted to the door.

Ren took off after her.