𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬

09

After lunch with the girls, we all go separate ways, except Dixi and Catalina who walk together, and head to our next classes. I roll my eyes; I hate chemistry. As I walk through the campus, dark clouds gather in the sky, signaling an impending rain. I roll my eyes again, thinking how a perfectly good day is turning into a dreadful one.

When I finally find the chemistry lab, I'm greeted by a room filled with lab equipment and about 20 chairs. Who even wants to take chemistry, anyway? I slump into a desk, dropping my bag beside me. I'm the first student here, aside from the professor—a woman with short, dyed blonde hair, noticeable wrinkles, bright red lipstick, and large glasses perched on her nose. She looks up and gives me a sweet smile. Well, at least the teacher seems nice.

As other students start trickling in and taking their seats, I hear a soft, feminine voice. "Hey, can I sit here?" I look up and see Miranda, the girl I met at the beach over the summer. Her eyes widen, and her pouty lips form an 'o' of surprise.

"Hey, Miranda! It's so good to see you again!" I say, my face lighting up. "Of course, you can sit here. Maybe we can catch up," I add, sending her a warm smile.

"I swear, everyone is going here!" Miranda exclaims, taking the seat beside me with a dramatic flourish. "First Kimberly and Summer, then—"

"You saw Kimberly and Summer?" I interrupt, my voice tinged with surprise and a hint of disbelief.

"Oh yeah, they're in my classes, along with Lena, Casey, and Kendall," she replies casually, her gray eyes scanning me with a curious glint as I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, trying to process the information.

"You didn't know Lena was going here?" she asks, her curiosity piqued and eyebrows raised.

"No, I didn't, but now it makes sense, since Quinn is going here," I say, my mind racing as I try to put the pieces together. My heart skips a beat at the mention of Quinn, and a flurry of emotions washes over me.

Miranda opens her mouth to speak again, but the teacher interrupts her, starting the lecture with a stern look. Miranda clears her throat and turns to face the teacher, her expression shifting to one of forced concentration. I sit there, staring at her for a moment, my mind swirling with a tumult of thoughts and emotions. The room feels suddenly smaller, the air thicker, as if the walls are closing in on me. I turn to the teacher too, but my focus is shattered, my mind wandering to places I'd rather not revisit. My thoughts are a chaotic mess, and I can't seem to shake the feeling of unease that has settled over me.

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The teacher finally dismisses us, and Miranda and I walk out of the office lab together, chatting. As we step outside, I see Kendall and Casey waiting for Miranda outside the class. I wave to them and say hi, then head off to calculus, my last class of the day. "Hallelujah," I mutter to myself. It's only been one day of college, and I'm already exhausted.

The sky is a little dimmer than the last time I saw it around two hours ago. It's late afternoon now, and everyone is crowded on the path because it's raining. The rain is coming down harder, and people are huddling under their umbrellas or rushing to their next classes. I make it to the calculus building, and the room looks just like the biology auditorium—big and spacious with dim lights and a podium at the front. Walking to the back, I find a seat and sit down peacefully with no one around me. Students start flooding in, their shoes squeaking and scratching on the floor from the storm outside. I place my laptop in front of me and get ready, watching everyone curiously as they come through the door.

My jaw drops to the floor when I see Teddy walking in, his arm wrapped around Lena. He's smiling at her, and she's looking up at him with that sultry look in her snake-like eyes that totally match her sour personality. Teddy looks absolutely gorgeous, I hate to admit it. His skin is glowing from the rain, giving him an almost ethereal look. He's taller than everyone in the room, effortlessly commanding attention. He's wearing a UNC basketball sweatshirt that clings to his broad shoulders, black joggers that fit him perfectly, and red Jordans that make a statement with every step. The sight of them together sends a pang of jealousy through me, mixed with an ounce of hatred. I quickly hide behind my MacBook, praying they don't sit close to me. Thankfully, it seems the gods are on my side today because they sit in the very front row, far away from me.

I watch in agony as Teddy keeps his hand wrapped tenderly around her shoulder, caressing it softly. She turns to him, her eyes sparkling with affection, and plants a gentle kiss on his cheek. He smiles back at her with a look of pure adoration in his eyes, a look that makes me want to punch my laptop in frustration. The teacher begins the lecture, and I force myself to focus on the words, but my mind is consumed with the sight of Teddy and Lena's sweet, intimate touches in the front row. The urge to grab my backpack and hurl it at Lena's head is almost overwhelming. I take deep, steadying breaths, trying to calm my racing heart and finally manage to concentrate on the professor's words.

"Okay, you're dismissed. Have a great evening," the professor announces, stepping away from the podium and heading towards the cluttered desk in the corner. I remain seated, my eyes fixed on Teddy and Lena as they gather their things and leave the room. Once they are gone, I nearly sprint back to the dorm, my mind racing with the need to tell Dixi about what I just witnessed. Maybe I'll also tell Kimberly and Summer. I quickly text the group chat we named "Gossiping Girls," urging everyone to meet in Dixi's and my room in 30 minutes. Both Kimberly and Summer reply with "we're busy," making me roll my eyes in exasperation. My day, already challenging, now feels utterly dreadful. I finally reach the dorm, take the elevator up, and rush into our room, closing the door behind me with a sigh. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, and wait anxiously for Dixi to get back so I can spill everything.

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Dixi bursts into the room with a sense of urgency. "You scared me with that message. What's going on?" She slings her backpack onto her bed and quickly joins me on mine. I take a deep breath and begin recounting everything that happened today, leaving no detail out.

"So you're telling me that Teddy and Lena are here, practically dating, and Kimberly and Summer are ditching us to hang out with Lena and her friends?" she asks, fully engrossed and visibly hurt.

"I think so," I mutter softly.

Dixi lets out a long sigh. "Wow, our own friends. I just can't believe this," she says, her voice tinged with a mix of sadness and disbelief. "Miranda didn't mention they were hanging out with Lena, but I pieced it together because you said they were spending time with girls from their classes."

"That makes sense. I guess we'll find out soon enough," Dixi replies, feeling a bit resigned.

"Let's just order something from DoorDash and talk more about this," Dixi suggests, trying to lighten the mood with a small smile.

Dixi and I order a large cheese pizza, laughing about how just a few days ago we were so sure this year would be the best ever. Now, the first day has already gone downhill. Dixi laughs with her mouth full of pizza, and I can't help but cringe and laugh along with her. In this moment, I realize just how amazing of a best friend Dixi is. No matter what happens this year, we are sticking together. We're like two peas in a pod, inseparable and ready to face whatever comes our way. The warmth of the pizza and our shared laughter make everything feel a little bit better, and I know that as long as I have Dixi by my side, we'll get through anything.