In Echoes of Us, Izuko and Sarah start as best friends, but a misunderstanding drives them apart for a year. When they reconnect in their last year of high school and college at 18, they discover the love that has always been there. As Sarah, the ol...
First days are supposed to be exciting, right? New school, new faces, and the whole "fresh start" vibe. Well, let's just say I wasn't exactly buying into the hype. College wasn't Hogwarts, and my acceptance letter didn't come by owl. Still, there I was, standing in front of the mirror, making sure my eyeliner was on point while my best friend, Nya, was honking like she was in a Fast & Furious movie outside.
"Atleast I look amazing", I thought
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(The outfit she was wearing)
"Izu! Move it, or I'm leaving without you!"
Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my bag and strutted out the door like I was on a runway, because hey—if I was going to survive this new chapter, I might as well look fabulous doing it.
Timeskip (a few min later)
With one last glance in the mirror, I headed out. The sun was already high, signaling that I was probably running late—not that I cared much. Nya was already waiting, leaning against her car, sunglasses perched on her head.
"Finally," she groaned dramatically as I slid into the passenger seat. "I thought I'd have to drive off and leave you behind."
I smirked, putting my seatbelt on. "Like you could survive college without me."
She laughed, turning the engine on as we sped off toward our first day of college, the excitement building up whether I liked it or not.
...........................................
Nya, of course, was in full pep-talk mode as we zoomed through the streets. Meanwhile, I was mentally rehearsing how to look awake during the principal's snore-fest speech.
"You excited for the orientation?" she teased, glancing over at me like she didn't already know the answer.
"Excited isn't the word I'd use," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "More like...prepared to be bored into a coma."
Nya laughed, adjusting her sunglasses. "Come on, Izu! Maybe it'll be better than high school."
"Ha. The bar is so low it's practically underground," I replied, watching the college gates come into view. "Just wake me up when something interesting happens."
Timeskip to Auditorium
We walked into the auditorium, and I kid you not—it was like stepping into every boring teen movie ever made. Rows of students, most of them half-asleep already, the faint smell of burnt coffee in the air, and our principal standing at the podium with a smile that said, "I'm about to ruin your morning with the longest speech of your life."
I threw Nya a look as we found our seats. She stifled a laugh, whispering, "You think anyone's actually listening to him?"
"Oh, definitely," I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "This is the highlight of everyone's year."
"Welcome, new students! We are thrilled to have you here to begin this amazing journey..." he started.
Cue the internal eye-roll.
Nya leaned over and whispered, "Bet you ten bucks he says 'journey' at least ten more times."
"If he does, you owe me ice cream," I whispered back with a smirk.
Time skip (30min later)
Thirty minutes later and, sure enough, the word "journey" had been dropped more times than I cared to count. By the time he finally stopped talking, I was seriously considering starting my own journey—right out the door.
"Well, that was... an experience," I deadpanned as we made our way out of the stuffy auditorium. "You owe me double scoops now."
"Only if you promise not to run away this time," Nya shot back, giving me a playful shove.
I laughed, shaking my head. "No promises, but I'll try to stay grounded."
But just as we were about to leave, something stopped me dead in my tracks. I heard singing. No big deal, right? Except it was a voice I knew all too well.
"Hang on," I muttered, my sass fading as curiosity took over. Without waiting for Nya's confused expression, I followed the sound down the hallway, toward a room tucked beside the auditorium.*
Nya trailed behind, half-annoyed and half-curious. "Izu, where are you going?"
"I need to see who's ruining the peace with their singing," I replied, trying to sound indifferent but failing miserably as my heart raced...
The singing grew louder as I reached the door, and I felt my heart skip. My fingers brushed the handle, and I pushed it open, peeking inside.
And there she was...
Sarah.
I froze, my sassy attitude hitting a brick wall. Sarah's voice cut off as she spun around, her eyes locking with mine. In that split second, everything from the past year hit me like a tidal wave. Anger. Regret. Confusion. And... something else.
Nya leaned over my shoulder, eyes wide. "Wait... isn't that—"
"Yeah," I whispered, voice barely above a breath. "It is."
Cue internal scream.
Our eyes met, and time stopped. The air thick with unspoken words and a year's worth of silence. What was she doing here?
Neither of us moved, both frozen in that moment, as if waiting for the other to make the first move.
Well....that's the first chapter, l hope you guys like it!
