Twin Fate: Sun and Moon

Chapter 6 - First Week

The week drifted by without much trouble. Alex had no issues fitting in with the new group of friends—guys we'd started playing basketball with. For me, it wasn't that simple. It never was. I've always found it harder to connect with people, but I knew that eventually, I'd break through, even if it took time. We all agreed to watch the game together over the weekend. Our place was the only one big enough to accommodate everyone, so it was settled.

Friday arrived, the morning veiled in a heavy gloom. The clouds had rolled in during the night, thick and ominous, and there was no sign they'd be moving anytime soon. Rain was almost inevitable, which meant our usual post-class basketball game was off the table. I didn't mind, really.

The café just outside the college had become part of our daily routine. Alex and I went there every morning, like clockwork. Occasionally, a couple of the guys from our group would join us. Today, it was Arvid. The three of us found our usual table near the window, the soft hum of conversation around us mingling with the sharp aroma of fresh coffee.

"So, how was your first week?" Arvid asked, not wasting any time after we ordered—two espressos and one dark Turkish coffee.

"It's been good. We settled in easier than I thought we would," Alex said, leaning back in his chair with that effortless ease he always had.

I stayed quiet, letting my thoughts drift for a moment. In truth, the school had everything we wanted, and sometimes more. But it came with a different pace, a different culture that I wasn't quite sure how to navigate. It wasn't necessarily bad—it just felt foreign. I had stopped caring so much about the little things, like if my hair was perfect in the mornings, or if every piece of my outfit was perfectly in place. It wasn't that I'd let myself go, but I wasn't obsessing over every detail anymore.

"I like the feel of the place," I said after a moment, my gaze sweeping over the café. And then I saw her—the blonde girl from our class.

She walked in, her presence catching me off guard like it always did. I didn't know why, but we'd somehow started greeting each other in the hallways. No real conversation, just a quiet acknowledgment every day.

"Morning," I mumbled awkwardly as our eyes met for a fleeting second. She was glancing at me too—more than once.

"Morning," she replied, her voice soft, almost melodic, then made here way to her friends table.

I caught Arvid stealing a glance at her too, his eyes lingering a bit longer than necessary. For reasons I couldn't quite explain, the sight irritated me. I pushed the feeling aside, trying to let it slip away before Alex had a chance to notice—and make a comment.

"So," I said quickly, "quantum physics today. Excited?" The words felt stupid the second they left my mouth. We'd already talked about this last night.

"Yeah," Alex replied absentmindedly. His smirk hadn't quite disappeared, lingering in a way that made me wonder what he was really thinking about.

What felt weird is that I still didn't know her name, and yet it seemed like we were trapped in some unspoken connection, an invisible thread that neither of us could quite place. I kept thinking about how to catch her off guard and at least find out what her name was, if nothing else.

At that point, Arvid began discussing the game this weekend, which helped me distract myself until it was time to head to class. Alex and I had already become accustomed to the layout of the building. This was a new class for us, but since it was in Amphitheater 127, we knew it was right next to Math.

After we settled into our seats, I glanced around and noticed that the girl from the café—the one I'd exchanged morning greetings with for the past five days—was also in this class, just two rows in front of us. I began to mentally strategize the best way to approach her after class and introduce myself. However, as soon as I started to formulate a plan, the class began.