Hearts Across Halls

Chapter 1

The final weeks of summer passed in a hazy blur for Elara. She wasn't surprised; solitude suited her better than the restless buzz outside her bedroom. The walls of her room were adorned with posters of distant galaxies, offering a comforting reminder that there was an entire universe beyond her small, cloistered world. Her friends were alight with excitement about university, but for Elara, it felt more like stepping into the unknown—new faces, new places, and endless chances for things to unravel.

She wondered if maybe it was time to break away from old patterns and finally become her own person.

Looking back, Elara had always followed others. At eight, she'd chosen the saxophone simply because her best friend had wanted to learn it, too. That decision haunted her for the next five years when her friend switched to guitar, leaving Elara to struggle through saxophone lessons without an ounce of passion.

The same thing happened with her taste in music, hobbies, even fashion—her choices shaped by the people around her, a chameleon blending into someone else's world rather than creating her own.

Elara's thoughts scattered when her mother's voice called her downstairs for dinner. With a sigh, she peeled herself off the desk and trudged down the stairs.

"Elara!" Her mother's second call echoed through the hall.

"I'm coming!" she replied, already feeling the familiar impatience her parents had when she wasn't fast enough.

Dinner was quiet. Her father, already seated, chewed in silence, his grunts passing as conversation. Once, these meals had been more animated, but that was before her sister Mia left for university three years ago. Now, the table felt emptier, and the silences, heavier.

"It'll be even quieter when I'm gone," Elara thought with a dull pang.

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"I told you he likes you!" Sophie's voice pierced through the night air, brimming with excitement.

"He barely spoke to me," Elara protested, trying to shrug off the memory of the evening.

Sophie rolled her eyes. "So? He's training to be an Olympic gymnast, and I saw how close you were all night, sharing his vape and everything." She made an exaggerated gesture that sent Elara cringing.

"Ugh, stop it," Elara groaned, crossing her arms. "I was just being polite. He's not my type."

The two stood outside the club, waiting for their taxi. It was the last party before university began, a farewell of sorts for their small-town group.

"If you'd come out more often, maybe you could've had a summer fling with Mr. Olympic," Sophie teased, nudging her.

Elara scoffed, quickly shifting gears. "And what about you and James?"

Sophie smirked. "Just laying the groundwork, babe. He's going to Willowbourne too. With any luck, he'll be in my halls, and I won't have to freeze sneaking over to his room at night."

Elara laughed and playfully slapped Sophie's arm as their taxi finally pulled up.

The drive was short—this was a small town, after all. When they stopped at Elara's house, she hesitated before stepping out.

"I'm gonna miss you, Soph," she whispered, pulling her friend into a tight hug.

Sophie grinned, pulling away gently. "Don't be dramatic. It's only an hour by train. We'll hang out all the time."

As Elara watched the taxi disappear down the street, a knot tightened in her chest. Making friends at university was going to be harder without Sophie.

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The morning Elara moved into Brookford University, her stomach was a storm of nerves. While bigger universities had beckoned, Brookford's tight-knit community and its reputation in physics had sealed the deal for her. Still, the small-town charm felt like both a comfort and a trap.

"Don't just stand there, help me with these bags," her father's gruff voice broke through her anxious reverie. Elara blinked, realising how quickly the drive had passed.

"Relax, we're early," she said, trying to steady her nerves.

"Well, your mother and I have things to do," her dad replied curtly. The sharpness of his words stung, though she masked it with a nod.

After collecting her keycard—Block D, third floor, room eight—Elara found herself alone in her room, her parents gone in less than half an hour. She sat on the edge of her unmade bed, surveying the plain walls and drab furniture.

"I should've brought more posters," she muttered, rifling through her bags in search of something—anything—that would make the space feel like her own.

Her phone chimed. A message from Sophie: I hope you have your door open.

Elara chuckled softly. Sophie's golden rule for making friends: keep the door open. It shows people you're friendly.

For a moment, Elara hesitated. But eventually, she grabbed the doorstop, wedged the door open, and glanced down the empty hallway. Maybe arriving early wasn't the best idea.

Just as she started decorating, a voice from the doorway broke the silence.

"Hi!" A blonde girl with a bright smile stood there, radiating a warmth that instantly eased Elara's nerves.

"Hey," Elara replied, standing up.

"I'm Emmy, I'm next door," she announced, stepping in without hesitation.

Elara smiled, feeling a little lighter. "I'm Elara. Physics," she added, gesturing at the science posters on her wall.

"Literature," Emmy replied, pointing at her overflowing bag of books. They both laughed.

The awkwardness of the first meeting melted away, leaving Elara with a small, growing hope: maybe making friends wouldn't be so impossible after all.

Just then, a loud voice interrupted from the hallway.

"Do you mind moving your stuff?" A guy with wild hair and an irritated expression stood at the door, juggling two duffle bags. Emmy rushed to clear a path, and he disappeared into the room opposite, slamming the door behind him.

"Well, he was kinda rude," Elara commented.

Emmy giggled. "Yeah, but kinda hot."