Beyond the Lines

Chapter 3: Lost.

Third Person:

Lectures after lectures. 

That's how Rebecca's days seemed to blur together lately. Her schedule was packed, with barely any time to breathe between classes, seminars, and study groups. 

She found herself slumped over her desk most evenings, staring blankly at textbooks that all started to look the same after a while.

Jenna, her new friend from orientation, was nice enough. 

She was always around for a chat, offering a shoulder when Rebecca seemed overwhelmed, and they shared a lot of their coursework struggles. But even though Jenna was fun and easy to get along with, it wasn't the same.

 It wasn't like them.

Charlotte, Oliver, and even Alex—she missed them so much it hurt.

 It wasn't the same without their familiar banter, their group chats filled with inside jokes and random memes that never failed to make her laugh, or the spontaneous hangouts that used to happen almost daily. 

Now, everything was different, quieter, more distant.

She talked to them often, texting back and forth, occasionally FaceTiming late at night when the homesickness became too much. 

But it wasn't the same as being with them, sitting together in the cafeteria, gossiping about the latest school drama, or teasing each other during study sessions that barely involved any actual studying.

The distance between them wasn't just physical—it felt emotional, too. Their lives were moving forward in different directions, each of them experiencing new things, meeting new people, while Rebecca felt like she was drifting.

She sighed and rested her chin in her palm as she stared at the whiteboard, her professor's voice droning on about the intricacies of Mitochondrial Disease or something else she was supposed to be paying attention to. 

Jenna nudged her with her elbow, offering a knowing smile. "You okay?" she whispered.

Rebecca blinked and nodded quickly. "Yeah, just... tired."

Jenna raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but didn't push. "Same," she said, leaning back in her chair with a quiet groan. "Uni is no joke."

Rebecca smiled faintly, but it didn't reach her eyes. 

She missed the days when she could have turned to Charlotte during class and whispered something sarcastic to make them both giggle. 

She missed Oliver's goofy grin and how he always managed to make the most boring subjects interesting with his ridiculous commentary. 

Even Alex, with his constant teasing, was a presence she longed for. He'd probably be poking fun at her right now for zoning out so much.

Her phone buzzed in her bag, and she glanced down to see a message from Charlotte: "Guess who just spilled coffee all over herself before class... Yup, me. Your absence is a curse."

Rebecca smiled for real this time, typing back quickly: "I don't know if I should feel guilty or proud."

Charlotte's reply came almost immediately: "Proud. Always proud."

Rebecca chuckled softly, her chest loosening just a bit. 

When class finally ended, Rebecca and Jenna gathered their things and headed out into the bustling campus courtyard. 

The cool autumn air hit her face, and she pulled her jacket tighter around herself, staring at the familiar sight of students rushing between buildings, backpacks slung over their shoulders, coffee cups in hand.