Adrift: The Ship That Defied the Seas

1| A New Start

The university function room buzzed with energy, a mix of excitement and awkwardness as students gathered for one of their first in-person events since the pandemic. It felt strange to be back on campus after spending the past two years attending classes through screens. Now, as juniors, they were finally meeting the faces behind the virtual names that had become so familiar, yet still so distant. For many, this night marked the beginning of a new chapter—not just in their academic lives, but in their social ones as well.

Lewis stood near the back of the room, leaning casually against the wall. His eyes scanned the crowd, though he wasn't particularly interested in networking or socializing. His best friend, Ally, was off making small talk with a group of classmates, leaving Lewis alone to his thoughts. He glanced at the entrance every so often, wondering if he might see the girl he'd been thinking about lately. She was in their year, and he had been meaning to talk to her. Tonight might be his chance.

"Hey, isn't that Clarisse?" Ally's voice suddenly broke into his thoughts.

Lewis shifted his gaze toward the refreshment table, where a small group had gathered. Sure enough, standing with her friend Sophie was Clarisse, laughing at something Sophie had said. She looked different in person, more vibrant somehow. Lewis recognized her from their online classes and a few brief encounters on campus, but they had never really spoken. She was always the type to have her hand up during discussions, ready with an answer. He knew of her, but that was about it.

"Yeah, that's her," Lewis replied, watching as Clarisse chatted animatedly with Sophie. "We've had a bunch of classes together."

"Well, why don't you go say hi?" Ally gave him a playful nudge. "You know, be friendly."

Lewis raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Isn't she with someone?"

"Yeah, but so what? It's just a conversation. Besides, she's nice. Could be a good chance to get to know her."

Clarisse was indeed in a relationship. She had been dating a guy from another department for quite some time. Lewis knew that much, which made it easy to push aside any thoughts of something more. Still, Ally had a point—they had been in the same classes for years and barely exchanged more than a handful of words. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to be friendly.

Across the room, Clarisse glanced up, scanning the crowd herself, and her eyes briefly landed on Lewis. He stood out, taller than most of the people around him, and appeared deep in conversation with Ally. She knew him from their business classes. He was always thoughtful, participating in class discussions and delivering insightful points, though they had never really interacted much beyond that.

Sophie, ever perceptive, noticed the brief glance and nudged Clarisse playfully. "Thinking of saying hi to someone?"

Clarisse rolled her eyes, smiling softly. "That's Lewis. We've had classes together since first year."

"Oh, the famous Lewis," Sophie teased, wiggling her eyebrows. "Why don't you go over and talk to him? You've always said he seems interesting."

Clarisse shook her head, laughing lightly. "We barely know each other. Besides, I'm with Ethan, remember?"

"Right, right," Sophie said with a knowing grin. "But there's nothing wrong with making new friends, right?"

Clarisse had to admit Sophie had a point. There was no harm in getting to know Lewis better. After all, they would likely be working together in the future on group projects or other events like this one. Building connections was never a bad thing.

At that moment, as if reading her thoughts, Lewis caught her eye. After a brief hesitation, he started making his way over, leaving Ally behind to continue his own conversation. Clarisse felt a small flutter of nerves. It was strange finally meeting someone face-to-face after only seeing them as a small square on a screen for so long.

"Hey, Clarisse," Lewis greeted her with a friendly smile as he reached the table. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."

"Yeah, same," Clarisse replied, her voice light and welcoming. "It's kind of weird, isn't it? We've had all these classes together but never actually talked."

Lewis chuckled. "Yeah, two years of virtual learning will do that."

Sophie, sensing the opportunity, gave Clarisse a wink before slipping away, leaving the two to continue their conversation in private.

"So, how's everything going?" Lewis asked, glancing toward Sophie as she joined another group. "You and Sophie seem to be having fun over here."

"We were just catching up," Clarisse said with a small laugh. "It feels strange being back on campus, but in a good way."

"I get that," Lewis agreed. "It's like starting all over, even though we're already halfway through our degree."

"Exactly," Clarisse said, nodding. "It's nice to finally see people outside of a screen. How about you? What brings you here tonight?"

"Ally convinced me to come," Lewis admitted, glancing toward his friend across the room. "He's always been the social one."

Clarisse smiled. "I know the type. Sophie's the same way. Honestly, I'm only here because she insisted."

Lewis chuckled. "Seems like we're both here under peer pressure."

The conversation flowed easily, surprising both of them. They hadn't expected to hit it off so naturally, given that they'd barely spoken before. There was no awkwardness, no forced small talk—just an easy back-and-forth, the kind that came with meeting someone you were already somewhat familiar with.

"So, are you focusing on marketing too?" Lewis asked, steering the conversation toward something a bit more academic.

"Yeah, marketing's my main focus," Clarisse confirmed. "How about you? What's your area of interest?"

"Same. I've been leaning toward digital strategies lately, especially after how much things shifted during the pandemic."

"That's smart," Clarisse said thoughtfully. "The pandemic really did change how we approach things, especially in marketing. I think we're going to be dealing with those changes for a long time."

Lewis nodded. "Yeah, it's made me think more about adaptability and how fast things can change. It's crazy to think how different everything was just a few years ago."

Clarisse agreed, and for the next few minutes, they found themselves deep in conversation about how the pandemic had reshaped not only their personal lives but also their studies and career aspirations. They shared ideas, discussed projects they had worked on, and even exchanged a few laughs over the challenges of remote learning.

Neither of them realized how much time had passed as they continued talking. The rest of the room seemed to fade into the background, the buzz of conversations around them becoming a distant hum. For the first time, they were seeing each other not just as classmates, but as potential friends. There was no romantic tension, no hidden agenda—just two people connecting over shared experiences.

Eventually, the event began winding down, and students started to trickle out of the room. Lewis glanced at the time, surprised at how quickly the night had passed. He had originally planned to talk to the girl he had been eyeing earlier, but somehow, that seemed far less important now. Clarisse, too, had found herself completely immersed in their conversation, not once thinking about Ethan or anyone else.

"Well, I guess I should get going," Lewis said with a small smile, glancing around as the room began to empty.

"Yeah, me too," Clarisse agreed, though she felt a little reluctant for their conversation to end.

Lewis hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "It was really nice talking to you, Clarisse. Maybe we can catch up again sometime."

Clarisse smiled, feeling a sense of warmth at his words. "Yeah, I'd like that."

They exchanged one last smile before parting ways, each heading off in different directions. Neither of them knew it at the time, but that simple conversation was the start of something new. A connection had been made, and while they hadn't yet become friends, they had laid the foundation for something that could grow in time.

As Lewis walked out of the function room, he felt lighter, more at ease. Clarisse, too, left with a sense of contentment. Tonight had been about connection—nothing more, nothing less. And in a world that was slowly starting to return to normal, that was more than enough.