"There's only so many times I can put my heart back together"
"Why are you so sure I'll break it again?"
🖤🤍🖤
No one said university would be easy, but between assignments and relationships, it gets a little too messy.
Nicole doesn't do feelings...
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The chilly wind of December hit Alice's face, making her pull her scarf higher. A small crowd of half-asleep students dragged their feet towards the building, wishing they were still in the comfort of their warm bed and not about to enter a classroom.
She was hoping it would be warmer inside, but the stone building didn't help her. Perhaps once she was in the classroom, the heat of hundreds of students inside the same crowded space would defrost her bones. Not likely, but she could only hope.
The classroom was on the other side of the building, but she didn't need to hurry, as there was plenty of time. She waved at a few classmates and kept walking, head down, and scarf tight. Her eyes fell on someone she hadn't talked to in a while, and she stopped.
"Hey," she greeted with an uneasy smile. "I haven't seen you in French."
Andrew tensed and turned to her. He tried not to look shocked, yet the first thing he said was, "What's with your hair?"
Her fingers tangled in some strands of her now light pink hair, twisting it. "It's- um, I needed a change. I was sick of the blue."
He couldn't name the colour she now had, but he knew it differed from before. It wasn't his intention to make her uncomfortable, but now she was staring at the floor instead of looking at him.
"You look pretty," he said. Only after the words were out did he realise, she could think he was flirting. "Do you need anything? I need to go to class."
"Oh," her head jolted up, "let's go together! I mean, we're good, right? It's no big deal."
He found it amusing to see her so nervous. It was cute, but he hated she was no longer at ease with him. They should've been friends only, but now, the memory of them together seemed more like a fever dream. It had all been months before, and it only lasted a week. Both were over it, even if Alice and Nicole's relationship suffered irreversible damage, so maybe they could be friends again.
"We are, but I'm not going to your class," he explained. "I switched to an advanced class a few weeks ago."
"Oh."
That explained his absence. She hadn't dared ask Nicole; afraid she would know the answer. It would hurt to find out they were getting close to each other. Closer than she had ever been to him.
"But I can go with you. It's on the way to my classroom."
Alice forced a smile and nodded. "That'd be great." She nodded towards the corridor. "Shall we?"
He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked by her side. His mind raced to find a subject to talk about, but it was hard. Starting a conversation had never been an issue for him, but he never tried to do it with an ex-girlfriend. It was like walking on eggshells, and he hated that feeling. He had too much of it at home; he didn't need it outside of it.
