The Space Between Us

Chapter 1

The fluorescent lights of the lecture hall buzzed overhead, doing little to penetrate the hazy daydream Brielle had slipped into. Psych 101 with Dr. Miller wasn't exactly known for its excitement, and she found herself already wishing she'd opted for that pottery elective instead. Rows of identical desks stretched out before her; each one occupied by a student taking notes, or at least pretending to, their faces illuminated by the pale glow of laptops. The scent of stale coffee trickled through the air, accompanied by the rhythmic tap-tap-tap of nearby keyboards and the insistent cough of someone fighting a losing battle against a tickle in their throat. Brielle, however, remained oblivious to it all. Instead she twirled a lock of her long brown hair around her finger, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the laptop screen in front of her.

'Oh no, is my lipstick smudged?' she thought, momentarily forgetting about the lecture starting. She quickly swiped a finger across her lips, checking for any stray color on her perfectly manicured nails.

It was September, the beginning of Brielle's sophomore year at Marston University. It was a decent school, her father and mother had met there and they just had to have their princess attend the same school they fell in love in. Not to mention her father was a bit of a big deal as an alumni who'd donated a hefty amount to the football program.

It's not that she minded much, college was just something people did, right? For her it was a stepping stone to a life preordained by her last name and her father's hefty donations to the university. Sometimes, when she saw other students huddled in the library, faces illuminated by the blue light of their laptops, she wondered what it would be like to care so deeply about classes and school and the whole of it, but those moments were fleeting. Besides, the parties here were legendary, and the boys were definitely nice to look at. And no matter how boring and downright difficult Brielle found school, at least she'd have fun.

And fun she had. From the elaborate themed parties thrown by the fraternities to the weekend shopping trips she'd go with her friends, Brielle embraced the social whirlwind of college life. Her beauty, and radiant personality, had effortlessly placed her at the center of Marston's elite social circle, making college seem like a breeze.

In a few weeks time, she'd even be draped across a velvet sofa at Sigma Xi Delta's annual Halloween bash, fruity drink in hand and dressed to the nines in some sexy Halloween costume she'd be coordinating with her friends. But even the most dedicated social butterfly needed to attend class sometimes. So here she was stuck in Psych 101.

Brielle's gaze drifted towards Dr. Miller, who was now speaking with a touch more animation, a mischievous glint in her eye. "...and to make it even more interesting," Dr. Miller's voice echoed throughout the lecture hall, her long gray hair tied in a ponytail that seemed to bob animatedly every time she spoke, "I've taken the liberty of pairing you up."

A wave of surprised murmurs rippled through the room. Brielle straightened in her seat, her curiosity piqued. She loved meeting new people, and the prospect of a partner to share the semester-long research project sounded like it could be exciting.

"I've paired you randomly based on spinning a wheel," Dr. Miller explained, her voice boomed. "You can find your partner and your assigned topic on the handout being passed around now. Use this as an opportunity for growth. You'll be presenting your findings at the end of the semester."

Brielle eagerly accepted the handout from the girl in front of her. Her eyes scanned the page, landing on her name:

Brielle Henderson...And next to it, in a bold, slightly messy script, was scrawled: Kajiwara Akihito.

Kajiwara Akihito? Brielle mouthed the name silently, like she was tasting it on her lips. She'd never heard of him before.

She turned to the guy next to her, someone she'd seen floating around various parties last year that she even remembered playing an exciting round of beer pong with once. Her brow furrowed in thought. "Do you know who Kajiwara Akihito is?"