Drawing the Line

Chapter 3

A flustered Emilia grabbed her shoulder bag and sprinted off the bus, practically falling down the stairs. She hadn't gotten enough sleep last night enjoying the last remnants of summer and that resulted in her taking a nap, in public, on her first day back.

She dusted herself off and let out a big sigh.

She had this, she had overcome much worse things after all. She straightened up and held her chin up high. When she had walked a little further in, she finally got a chance to look around the courtyard.

The surrounding buildings had an old look to them, but the stones and bricks were well maintained. The architecture was rustic with lots of greenery and garden beds along the border.

Emilia couldn't believe school had started already and because she was in a daze, she didn't notice the hanging tree branch in her path.

"Ahhhhggh! Stupid tree..."She took a second to rub her forehead before realizing she had dropped all her textbooks and notes.

"I just bought those too," she pouted and bent down to pick them up. Before she reached the floor, one of her notebooks was flung in front of her face.

"This yours?"

She glanced towards the sound of the voice and saw a young man with softly styled up dark brown hair. He was very fashionable and had the feel of pulling it all off without trying.

He shot her a cheeky grin and she had a feeling she was going to regret all the nice things she just said.

"Here you are beautiful, are you alright?"

Emilia rolled her eyes as she grabbed her books back. She forced a smile and abruptly turned around. As she took her first few steps, the man stepped in front of her blocking his path.

"What? Not even a thank you?"

"Thank you, I appreciate your help but I'll be late for my first class so I don't have time to chat. You're better off talking to another girl."

He scratched his head and wondered what her problem was. He only tried to help because she looked lost and she seemed like his type. Then again, who wasn't?

"I'm such a scumbag," he chuckled to himself and continued walking to the campus coffee shop where his friend James Kim was waiting for him.

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James was in a chic café surrounded by fellow students on their laptops or on dates. He had just gotten comfortable while waiting for his friend Mickey.

As usual, he was late but today, he didn't care. In front of him, was the most delicious looking cinnamon bun.

The warmth of the bun carried the sweet smell up to his nose. The white icing dripped down the sugar crusted edges, causing his mouth to water. He took his fork and stabbed into the outer edge, breaking off a piece. He put it into his mouth and felt nothing but bliss.

The taste of cinnamon always made him happy. Not just because of the taste, but there was a nostalgia to it for him. It always brought him back to a time where he would make them with his mom. They would wait together for his father to get home and no matter how late, he always smiled and ate one.

Of course, that was when they were still somewhat a family. And now, well...

"Earth to James, you there?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Micky. Sorry, I just remembered something about the past..."

"The past, eh? You always seem to have something on your mind," he sighed at James as he sat across from him.