Stay With Me

Chapter 6

Sierra could hear the sound of cars driving by but did not notice her phone buzzing in her pocket. She had barely walked a block when she heard tires screeching behind her...

Sierra could not breathe. Her sight seemed to get blurry, and her head throbbed. She felt her lungs give out, and darkness took over.

~~* Earlier that day *~~

Sierra was exiting the auditorium after her first lecture was over. Her group mates for the project would all be available near the end of the day. She had almost prepared the slides for the presentation. She just needed to input the latest survey findings into it. She had a free lesson, so she headed to the library and texted in the group chat. She asked if any of the boys could share the updated results from their online survey. Scott responded within minutes with the link. Sierra opened the link and started to scan for the significant quantities that could help during their presentation.

She tucked a stray strand of her brown hair behind her ear. She had asked Rebecca to join her if she could after her class. Sierra closed her laptop after updating the slides. She still had time to spare until her lecture, so she headed out. The grounds looked lit, with the sunlight sieving through the clouds. It was a good day for a walk. Sierra walked in the grass and felt the sun's heat warm her body. The worries of the presentation exchanged with serenity. She unlocked her phone to check for any messages in the group chat. But there were none. She will probably have to wait until the end of the day.

Damien was not responding to any of her messages. The last time she saw him, he said he had passed out and had a fever. Maybe he was not feeling well. Contemplating if she should contact him or not, Sierra made her way slowly to the entrance of the building. She checked the time before opening the door. The door opened before she could pull it towards herself. Damien was holding the door handle with disheveled hair and tired eyes. Sierra was startled to see him. He looked up and gave her a small smile before breaking the silence.

"Hi."

"Hello. How are you?"

"Okayish. How about you?"

"I am good."

A small pause.

"I read your messages. How is the project going?"

"Just need to finalize a few things and practice once. We are meeting in the lab at the end of the day today for rehearsal. I will see you then."

Sierra started to enter the building and walked a few steps until Damien called her again. She turned around to look at him.

"Umm, I could not find anyone to help me with the missed lecture. The instructor was not in his office right now. Could you explain the basics to me so I can catch up before today's class?"

Sierra sighed and hesitated before replying.

"Yeah, okay. I have time right now until my next class."

"Thank you so much. I appreciate your help."

"Let's go to the library to study."

Sierra walked ahead. For some reason, she felt uneasy about spending time with him alone. She did not have experience with these things. Her interactions mainly revolved around her family. Sierra had learned to become comfortable while staying alone. She missed spending time with her mother. After Sophia, Sierra developed a fear of feeling too attached to anyone. Because, going through the pain of losing them becomes unbearable. She wanted to save all her energy and attention for Ruby. She was her family, her friend, her sister, her father, and her entire world. Ruby needed Sierra as much as Sierra needed her mother.