Paradox • afi

prologue.

WINTER SEMESTER

Delilah Carmichael moved to Manhattan only a week or so before her classes were set to start up. If she said she was nervous it'd be a lie. She was beyond excited to be somewhere new and have new opportunities. Unbeknownst to her father, she met a girl online that was looking for a roommate, in which she told her father it was just an old friend that moved there years ago. It was a chance the blonde was willing to take, seeing as she knew no one in the city, and she desperately needed somewhere to live.

Luckily she met Alexis Elliot, who she was quick to hit it off with.

There was quite the commotion in the hallway over the weekend before classes, and the girls argued about whether or not their new neighbors would be cute. Alexis had mentioned that one down the hall always caught her attention, and she's talked with him before, so she had a gut feeling these ones would be cute too.

The blonde was still high off her move to the city, getting accepted into one of her dream schools after completing a year somewhere else. But she didn't need to talk about that with anyone, she left that life behind her. It was time for new friends, new classes, new experiences, and a new life.

"Delilah can you hand me the TV remote?" Her roommate pretended to reach forward for the remote, but kept it just out of reach.

"Maybe if you start calling me Jade like I asked." She laughed, rolling her eyes. Her new life consisted of a new start for herself. Like going by her middle name instead of her first.

"Sorry, sorry." The girl laughed, wincing slightly at her mistake. "I'll work on it, I promise."

"Good enough for me."

-

The girl barely had time to find her classes the day before because she spent so much time that day getting the rest of her own stuff unpacked in her bedroom. But she made it in time for every class with about five minutes to spare, a few people still walking in after her. Taking note of a few faces, who she thinks she could possibly be friends with, she took an empty seat in the middle of the room, the seat to her right still unoccupied.

That was until a boy with a similar shade of blonde hair sat beside her, instantly catching her attention. Tattoos and an eyebrow piercing, an all around 'I don't give a fuck' look about him. He didn't even look like he wanted to be there, but when his eyes met Jade's for a millisecond, he gave her an assuming smile.

"No, the eyebrow piercing didn't hurt if that's what you were wondering in that little head of yours."

Jade took note of his confidence, hoping she could at least match it somewhat, she let her own small smile fall onto her lips. "No, actually. I was just..." she shrugged lightly. "Admiring I guess. I'm Jade, nice to meet you."

He nodded, looking her up and down before glancing around the room, meeting eyes with someone he used to call his friend. A few different idea's ran through his mind as he looked back at the blonde beside him. "So, have any tattoos?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." She raised her eyebrows before turning to the front of the class, noticing a woman she assumed to be her professor walk in.

"Oh?" He chuckled lightly, also turning to the front. "I think I'll take that as a challenge."

"Good morning, welcome to songwriting 310." The woman started, then handed some papers for everyone to pass around. "Happy to see some returning faces here from last year. Irwin. Hood." She paused, looking around the room. "Miss Steele, wonderful to have you back."

Jade glanced at the syllabus in front of her, taking note of the amount of assignments and tests. There weren't many, mostly big projects would be making up their grade. "Today we're just going to talk about the few projects we'll do this semester, and then I'll probably let you guys go early."