BANE OF HIS EXISTENCE

Chapter 17:HELLO, HELL MY OLD FRIEND.

MAYA.

This week had been an unrelenting descent into chaos, a never-ending cycle of stress and anxiety that seemed to know no bounds. And to think it was only Wednesday – the week was barely half over, and I was already running on fumes. The constant barrage of calls and messages from my so-called father was just the tip of the iceberg, a nagging annoyance that I could, for the most part, ignore.

But the real challenge lay in avoiding Andrew on campus, a task that seemed to grow more impossible by the day. Every corner I turned, every doorway I walked through, seemed to lead me straight into his path. It was as if the universe was conspiring against me, determined to rub salt in my already gaping wounds.

I couldn't shake the feeling that Andrew's sudden presence on campus was more than just a coincidence. Has he always been so easy to find, or was this a recent development? I racked my brain, trying to recall if our paths had crossed this frequently before. But as I thought back, I realized that Andrew's faculty was actually quite far from mine. It didn't make sense that I would keep running into him, unless... unless he was intentionally seeking me out.

A nagging suspicion took root in my mind. First-year students often had to take general courses, which could explain why they might be found in different faculty buildings. But Andrew was a second-year medical student, which meant his schedule was likely packed with specialized courses. He wouldn't have had time to take electives or general courses outside of his faculty, and even if he did, he would have already completed them by now. The conclusion was inescapable: Andrew had no legitimate reason to be wandering the halls of my faculty, unless he was deliberately trying to find me.

It was astonishing to think that Andrew, a medical student, seemed to have an abundance of free time on his hands. I would have thought that his demanding coursework and clinical rotations would have left him scrambling to keep up, but apparently, I was wrong.

Meanwhile, Sasha and Eric had taken it upon themselves to become my self-appointed guardians, ensuring that I was always within their line of sight. It was a drastic measure, but one that I appreciated nonetheless. They had decreed that I was to be in the same physical space as them at all times, effectively making them my unpaid chauffeurs, bodyguards, and all-around caretakers.

The reason for their newfound roles in my life was a story worth telling. It was a bizarre incident that had left us all shaken, and had prompted Sasha and Eric to take matters into their own hands. As I settled in to recount the tale, I couldn't help but think that it was a wonder I had made it through the past few days in one piece.

So, here's what went down. I was lounging in my apartment over the weekend, trying to shake off the lingering emotions from the previous day's drama, when the front desk called to inform me that my father was waiting to see me. My instincts kicked in, and I told them I needed a moment to confirm his identity. Or so I claimed.

In reality, I did the exact opposite of what I said I would do. Instead of calling him to verify his identity, I panicked and made a beeline for the emergency exit. I snuck out of my own apartment, leaving behind the relative safety and comfort of my home. And I haven't been back since.

The front desk has been calling me nonstop, informing me that my father has been showing up relentlessly, waiting for me to return. But I've been avoiding my apartment, unsure of how to deal with the situation or what might happen if I face him again.

I had enlisted Eric's help to retrieve some essential school items from my apartment, and his reconnaissance mission had confirmed my worst fears: my father was still lingering around my apartment, refusing to give up. His persistence was both fascinating and infuriating, leaving me to wonder if he had always been this relentless.