Laced in Your Ruin

Chapter [IV]

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Inara's POV

As I strolled down the bustling street with my best friend Siya, the weight of my college deadline pressed heavily on my mind. It was one of those days when time seemed to be racing against me, slipping through my fingers like sand. The city was alive, the streets crowded with students, the evening sky painted with warm hues of orange and pink. The sun was dipping lower, casting long shadows across the pavement as if reminding me how much time I was wasting.

But my thoughts, which had been wandering in the general direction of the day's to-do list, suddenly ground to a halt as a sharp realization struck me like a lightning bolt. Oh no.

"I forgot my ID card," I muttered under my breath, my heart sinking as I processed the situation. The campus was strictly regulated—no ID card meant no entry, and with my first literature class just around the corner, that was a disaster waiting to happen. I couldn't afford to miss it. I was already behind on my work.

"Oh my God, what do I do now?" I exclaimed in frustration. Siya, who had been happily chatting beside me, turned to look at me in surprise, her brow furrowing as she read the panic on my face.

"You what?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"I forgot my ID!" I repeated, nearly choking on the words. "It's at home, Siya. I can't get into class without it. I have to go back. It'll take me at least 30 minutes to get back home, and then another 30 to get to college again. What am I supposed to do?" I was practically hyperventilating now, each word dripping with urgency. I felt like the world was closing in on me.

"Well, don't just stand there. Go! I'll wait for you at college. I'll make sure no one eats your seat," Siya replied, rolling her eyes but still smiling, her usual cheer not quite able to pierce through my growing anxiety.

"Thanks, Siya. I'll leave the fate of my seat in your capable hands," I said sarcastically, as I turned and began running. Because, of course, that's exactly how we were doing this—like a race against time and a meddling deadline.

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I felt like a superhero as I raced toward home. Run, Inara, run! Like there's no tomorrow, or class, or ID card! I heard the soft rustle of leaves, and my imagination ran wild—what if I was being chased by a giant dog, or a villainous professor who was just waiting to catch me skipping class? The possibilities were endless, but it didn't help that I tripped over a pothole in my dramatic sprint.

"Oof!" I grunted as my face collided with the dirt. My drama-filled imagination was immediately crushed under the weight of reality. The pothole, clearly having no interest in my college dreams, looked just as smug as I did. There I was, sprawled on the ground in front of some confused pedestrian who stopped and gave me a pitying look. Maybe I should just become a professional stuntwoman. I have the 'falling spectacularly' part mastered.

After a brief but highly dignified moment of embarrassment, I got back up, dusted myself off, and kept running. The clock was ticking, and every second I wasted was another minute I would lose in this monumental battle with fate.

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Finally, breathless and panting like I had just completed an Olympic marathon, I reached home. As soon as I entered, my mother—bless her heart—looked up from the couch, where she was sipping her tea.

"You okay, darling? You're running like you're late for an emergency."

"Mom," I said, still trying to catch my breath, "I am late for an emergency! I forgot my ID, and now I have to go all the way back to college!"