Our Cosmic Love (MPS Sequel)

01| All I Want To Do Is Run

CHAPTER ONE: ALL I WANT TO DO IS RUN

Julie

The night before I head back to school after winter break I have a dream.

Though I haven't seen him in a little over three years I can still picture him vividly. From the small freckles on his face to the crinkles in the corner of his eyes whenever he smiles or laughs. I dream about us together at his apartment, enjoying the presence of one another on his couch. My dream is so clear I'm almost fooled by the actuality of "us". His touch feels so real and so warm that when I'm awakened by my alarm at 4 in the morning I'm left feeling the torturous algidity as reality sinks in.

My eyes focus on the glow in the dark stars on my bedroom ceiling and I turn to my side to face the wall instead, then I let out a sigh as I force myself out of bed and ready myself and my belongings for when Victor comes to pick me up.

When I head down my mom is already in the kitchen. I'm back at her house, having just spent the holidays with her and John.

"What are you doing up?" I ask her in a scolding tone.

"I wanted to see you off," she says, "besides I needed some water."

I feel as my phone buzzes in my hand. I glance at it and see the text from Victor, letting me know he is here. I go to my mom and give her a hug.

"Go get some rest," I say, "I'm already on my way out."

"Will Victor be coming in?"

"I don't think so," I respond, "we want to make it in time so that-" Before I finish my sentence there is a knock at the door. Damnit Victor, I think to myself.

Mom chuckles before getting up from her seat and opening the door for him. He greets her happily and when he sees me he grabs my bags out of my hands.

"I'll take these," he tells me teasingly.

I merely roll my eyes and watch as he promises my mom that he'll get me back to school safely. They exchange a goodbye before I give my mom one last hug and I follow him into his car.

"Rest," he tells me when he gets in the car after putting my bags in the trunk, "I'll wake you when we're there."

I nod and rest my head on the window. Only I don't sleep. I keep my eyes wide open because if I close them and begin to nod off I might have a dream again.

★★★

When Victor and I arrive he walks me to my apartment. As we're walking in we bump into Sofia and Bailee, her girlfriend.

"Hey," I say, "What are you guys doing up early?" I go in to greet them with a hug.

"R.A. duties," Sofia tells me. Both Bailee and Sofia became RA's our sophomore year here, it's how they met and eventually began dating. "We've got a meeting in an hour. Did you get the text?" Sofia asks Victor who is also an RA at one of the freshman dorms.

"Nope," he responds with a cheeky smile, "Good thing I have you two to remind me." Bailee playfully rolls her eyes.

"We got some fresh bagels from Dave's," Bailee says then adds, "We'll see you guys later."

I wave them goodbye and drop my bags off in my room then come back to the common area where Victor has grabbed some plates for our bagels. We spend the next thirty minutes eating and talking before he leaves for his RA meeting.

I spend the rest of the day preparing myself for my classes for this semester and planning for upcoming meetings for my campus' Astronomy Club that I am president of. Something I still quite can't believe. I think Will would be proud. I joined the club after transferring to USC the second semester of freshman year. Though the online courses kept me busy while I lived with my dad after high school, I knew in my heart that I needed to come here in person. For Will. And Sofia who would constantly call me, doing whatever she could to convince me to come back. Of course a big part of me was worried about seeing him again; but as it turns out he never came. I then wanted to involve myself a little more and figured the Astronomy Club would be a perfect fit. I became close with the-then president, Aria, and after she graduated I became president last school year. It was nerve wracking but I think I've found my passion. Nowadays I go back home regularly to see mom and John and have become close with Victor as I spend a lot of time at the observatory at the Science Center for research purposes.