Delicate Love

1

GOLDEN FAME UNIVERSITY 
LADY DEBORAH'S HALL 
ROOM 301

Rose Nkem picked up her phone and checked the time. It was 15 minutes past 7, and she was supposed to have Electronics, her first class of the day, at 8 a.m. It was a class that all physics science students dared not miss. She groaned as she stood up from her bed to take her bucket and bathing bag, which contained everything needed to bathe and brush.

"Good morning, Miriam," she greeted the only roommate who was awake while the others were still asleep in the eight-person room.

"Good morning, dear. How was your night?" Miriam asked her.

"It was fine, thank you."

She looked around the room in search of her friend but didn't find her. She might still be at the party, she thought as she undressed, tied her towel, and left the room heading to the toilet. Halfway there, she bumped into someone.

"Ow! Geez! Can't you watch where you're going?" her friend Susan hollered.

"Sorry, Susan, but I think that's karma for ditching me at the party you practically forced me to go to, knowing I don't know a single soul there."

"God punish karma. Now my headache has increased." Susan stomped her feet and continued walking when Rose yelled,

"When did you get back?!"

"This morning, Rose. See you at class," Susan yelled back, answering Rose, who had already continued her journey to the toilet.

Since it was still very early, there were few girls in the toilet doing their morning routines. Some were brushing their teeth, some were taking their baths as quickly as they could, some were washing their clothes even though it was prohibited to wash in the toilet, and some were just looking at themselves in the mirror, probably checking how much their butt or boobs had grown. Rose marched to the tap and turned it on, only to find there was not a single drop of water coming out.

Just great, she thought. She walked up to a fair lady brushing her teeth and asked,

"Please, where did you get water?"

"Downstairs. There isn't any water on any of the floors. Just go downstairs straight," the fair lady explained. Rose thanked her, took her bucket, and hurried downstairs, praying she wouldn't be stopped by the portal for wearing a towel. As she reached the ground floor, she thanked God for answering her short prayer, as there wasn't a single person in the portal room. She continued her journey to the tap and groaned again when she saw a long queue waiting. The day, being Wednesday, was already getting tiring.

How will she get to her class early now? she thought, regretting ever following Susan to the party she hadn't even enjoyed. It took about twenty minutes before it was her turn. She fetched her water and tiredly carried her bucket up to the third floor.

FACULTY OF SCIENCE 
FS106 LECTURE ROOM 
8:26 A.M.

"Rose, you're so late. What the hell happened?" Susan whispered to her as she entered the hall, where the lecture was already taking place.

"Hush!" Rose cautioned her friend, who was sitting at the back of the class, probably because she was late as well.

As usual, the class was packed since it was one of the most important courses they were to take. The PHS 216 lecturer, whose name she didn't know, was a very strict man who took attendance himself. It was a must-go class unless you wanted to fail.

"Why didn't you tell me there was no water?" Rose asked Susan, who gave her a not-so-cute puppy face.

"Sorry, it slipped my mind."