As the Dandelions Bloom

Chapter 1 (New College, New Guy)

She sucked in a breath, and with a beating heart, stepped into the classroom. This was like any usual day for August.

"Hey, Augie!", Margaret chimed in, jolting August with a loud pat on her back.
August chuckled.
The classroom started to smell like sunshine as she parted the curtains and the sunlight spilled across the room, oozing through window panes.

Half a month in her new college flew away with an unnoticeable speed. And as talked about in old lore of being, leaves were already tinted pale yellow and ochre as autumn dwelled upon the city. August had gotten close enough to few people- Alexa whose new blonde highlighted streaks couldn't go unnoticed when she twirled and twisted them between her fingers, and Bailey who couldn't stop mentioning her new pet guinea pig, in every sentence she uttered.

Oh, and this guy, named Elio. Yes, the special character!

August and Margaret could see Elio already mingled well with almost everyone in the class, as they sat looking at the group of guys sitting, while munching on crisp fries at the lunch table.

~ ***** ~

It was 6 pm and August was headed to the library. Chilly winds tinted her nose and cheeks red.
She could see chairs arranged in a circle. A few of which were already occupied with her classmates chattering and practicing their poetry recital. That's what she was here for. Her school's literary club had organized this recital two months ago and declared it a compulsion for each pupil to attend, because students were basically contributing nothing to the club except adding innumerable books to their to-be-read lists.
Everyone started reciting. And then it was August's turn. She started reading from the paper she held in nervous hold. It was an excerpt from Sylvia Plath's Lady Lazarus.
A number of times August tried to shut her brain and read the poem. She was trying so hard, like every time. And she did it, without anyone else noticing.

" .... Peel off the napkin,
O my enemy,
Do I terrify? ", she ended her recitation on this note. As she took off her glance from paper and looked up, August found herself still, under a few twenty pair of eyes, Elio being one of them. Her eyes nervously turned to floor and she headed to her seat, ignoring Elio's glaring. She was only afraid if he noticed anything odd.

That night, August was too tired of intrusive thoughts spiraling throughout her brain. Conjecturing every cell of her body. She didn't hold back the tears as they rolled out of eyes, while her head rested on the soft pillow.

~*****~

It had been a week, and August had managed to embarrass herself enough in front of Elio, several times for the unintentional eye-contacts. It was getting more and more awkward each day.

She would get anxious whenever he was near. Her neck stiff. her cheeks flushed. She was always insecure she'd turn into a complete crackpot, if she was to face Elio.

August hated ignoring him but she couldn't help, for her immoral anxiety and rock-stiff chilly shivers sweeping throughout her body.
She felt like he'd see her as a total weirdo.

Today, everyone was done with the recital earlier than expected. It was Ruth's idea to spend the time play the heat off, at Henry Cowell's party.