Chapter 15: First Days

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🎶 Ritmo — Raffa Fl 🎶

On Monday morning, my alarm clock rang sharp at 6.30. Our welcome session at university would start at 8 before we would begin straight with our classes. I was so excited and took extra care when choosing an outfit, I wanted to make a good first impression and try to find new friends. I had also started my job last week and would spend my whole Thursday, which would my day off from uni, assisting architects and doing basic secretary jobs, but it was a start and I was working in the field.

 I had also started my job last week and would spend my whole Thursday, which would my day off from uni, assisting architects and doing basic secretary jobs, but it was a start and I was working in the field

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📍 Universitat internacional de Catalunya
clara_1106 First dayyyy 🤓

fatimarin All the best 😘
javi_begines Superstar architect
Replying to javi_begines:
clara_1106 Not yet but thx
_ferminlopez Good luck :)


At the welcome session, I sat next to two girls from Belgium, Agnes and Eleonore, and we decided to sit together also for our first classes of the day, History of Art & Architecture and Maths. On Tuesday, we had those same classes again and when we were finished, we decided to grab some lunch to get to know each other better. The girls had gone to high school together and decided to move to Barcelona as they hated the rainy and cold weather in their country and longed for some beaches and sun, which was more than understandable. I told them about me moving here from Andalusia and the gap year I took and I'd say we got on pretty well and they could become my first friends.

On Wednesday, we had two new sets of classes: Spatial & Formal Analysis and Architectural Drawing. It was safe to say that the latter was going to be my favourite subject this semester. I sat next to some new people that day and I was happy to have gotten to know a bunch of nice people just in the span of days. I worked again on Thursday and on Friday, we had the same classes as on Wednesday again. When we were finally done for this week, I left the faculty building chatting to my classmates Juan and Carola, when a familiar BMW parked across the street, caught my eye.

"Fucking hell" I mumbled and Juan looked in the same direction I was looking and whistled.
"That's a fancy car. Your boyfriend?" he asked.
"Surely not" I replied angrily.
"Damn, if a guy picked me up in a car like that, I'd be undressing myself now." Carola swooned.
"Good to know" Juan said and winked at her.
To be honest, I was in absolutely no mood to walk over to Fermín and talk to him, but I didn't want him to get out and let everybody know that I knew a football player, so I quickly said goodbye to my new friends and walked over to the car, opened the passenger door and slumped down.

"Do you care to explain?" I asked annoyedly and he raised his arms as if he didn't know why I was acting this way.
"What? I was trying to be nice and pick you up to take you out for lunch to excuse myself for my bad mood after the game, but you could apologise for your bad mood now too" he replied.
"You can't just show up at my uni and swoop me away without a warning!" I exclaimed.
"I tried calling you four times!" he now shouted.
"My God, Fermín! I had classes and couldn't pick up! We're not living in the 80s, you could have texted me!" I now shouted back.
We stayed silent for a few seconds until he spoke up quietly: "I'm sorry... Really. There's a lot more pressure around me these days and I have to learn how to cope with it. Same goes for Sunday. I want to stay grounded and surround myself with people from home, people I'm close with and I wanted to apologise to you for that stupid comment about Cristo..."
My heart was melting, but I felt pushed into the friend zone unfortunately. What the hell, I mean fortunately.

"I'm craving pizza" I just said and shot him a bright smile, which he was quick to reciprocate. He drove us to a small pizzeria with pretty good food, I'd have to remember that one, and talked about our respective first week of uni and just general stuff.
"Isa called me by the way..." Fermín said and I tried to hide my annoyed expression.
"Oh, really? What did she want?" I asked.
"Just asking to hang out sometime..." he said and I just nodded, without answering to that, I didn't want to know about it and he's old enough to decide for himself. I mostly didn't want to say anything as I was afraid to say something bitchy. And I felt bad about that, because in the end she was my best friend and I should be happy for her.

Fermín wanted to go to the beach again afterwards, but I had to decline as we had already gotten homework that had to be done until next week. When I had gotten back to my apartment, I took a deep breath to soak it all in, maybe I should throw a small housewarming party with the people I had already met at uni and the few others I knew in Barcelona.

Housewarming 🥳

Clara Rivera
Hi guys, I'm throwing a small gathering at my new flat, to celebrate my first week of uni and my new big city life!
There will be enough food, beer & wine. If you wish for something heavier, you're very welcome to bring some bottles along!
Cheers and RSVP until next Wednesday thx

In no time, I had already gotten some messages from people accepting my invitation, however also a message from Fermín.

Fermín ⚽️
Thanks for the invite, I'm coming
Can I bring the boys along?

Clara
Who are the boys?

Fermín ⚽️
Gavi, Pedri, Ferran, João, we have to integrate him into our group

Clara
Surely not.

Fermín ⚽️
What? Why?

Clara
Let's talk Tuesday after the game

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