The Color Of You

Chapter 26

This chapter is short because I had to cut in half, but more is coming soon!

Oh, what can I say about writing this chapter? It made me laugh, cringe, and sigh all at once. But that's what makes writing so much fun, right?

Life can be so stressful sometimes, and writing this story is honestly breathing new life into me. A huge part of that is thanks to all of you. Every single one of you who's joined me on this journey so far—but especially my wonderful readers who bless me with a stars and comments.

So, thank you all! Now please, go to your mirror, give yourself a big smile, and tell yourself that you made someone's day today, because that's what your support did for me.

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In hindsight, you had imagined rushing to tell Yelena everything, but reality rarely matches expectations. As the new day dawned, you found yourself sprinting to your first class instead, with Kate stumbling after you. Had it not been for your well-aimed pillow thrown at her head, she would never have made it out of bed, and you were sure of it. Despite looking more dead than alive, she was at least making an effort to keep up with you. She muttered a thanks before veering off toward her classroom, while you quickened your pace across the campus, finally arriving breathlessly at the lab.

The change in pace during Professor Strange's lecture was jarring, as if the pressure had shifted overnight. You looked up from your tablet, trying to focus on what Professor Strange was demonstrating at the front of the room. Peter, seated next to you, was scribbling notes frantically, his pen flying across the page as if his life depended on it. You had tried to get him to use a tablet, but for someone as intelligent as he was, it always surprised you how he kept misplacing his things. With a sigh, you turned your attention back to the front and let your fingers fly over the tablet, hoping you wouldn't miss anything important while marveling at Peter's uncanny ability to lose everything but his mind.

"That was crazy," Peter grumbled as you stepped out into the fresh air after class.

You took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill your lungs, hoping it would clear some of the fog from your mind. The intensity of the class with Professor Strange had left you reeling, and Peter's frantic notetaking was a glaring reminder of how high the stakes had become.

"Yeah, it was," you agreed, rubbing your temples to stave off the growing headache.

Peter gave you a sympathetic look. "How's everything else going? You seemed pretty distracted. To think of it, you've been like this for a while now."

You hesitated, unsure how much to share. The events of the previous night still weighed heavily on your mind, but you weren't ready to reveal everything just yet. "Just a lot going on," you said vaguely. "Personal stuff."

Peter nodded, understanding enough not to press further. "Well, if you need to talk or need help with notes, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, Peter." You smiled as you nudge his shoulder with yours, grateful for his support. "I might take you up on that."

You parted ways with Peter with a wave of your hand and his words still echoing in your mind as you made your way across campus. The day seemed to blur, each class blending into the next, your mind struggling to keep up with the flood of information. The weight of what you still had to do, loomed over you, adding to the already mounting stress.

By lunchtime, you were running on fumes. You found a quiet spot under a tree and collapsed onto the grass, pulling out your phone. A message from Natasha brought a brief smile to your face.