To Be With You : Beneath Your Paradise

Chapter two

                                  
                           Anastasia 

                           🍋 𓍯𓂃𓏧

"I know I’m supposed to be happy now,
That everything’s fine now…
But you got me feeling like a child again."

"Address the letters to the holes in my butterfly wings,
Nothing’s forever, nothing is as good as it seems..."

The melody wraps around me like a familiar hug, as I'm arranging the last of my books when there's a knock on the door .  My heart jumps—I'm not expecting anyone.

"I hope your okay ..."

I take a deep breath , putting my music on pause and pull open the door, coming face-to-face with the girl from the hallway. She’s wearing a friendly smile, her brown hair pulled up in a messy bun.

"Hey, we’re having a meet-and-greet downstairs in a few minutes. Thought I’d see if you wanted to come?" she asks, her voice casual but warm.

I hesitate, glancing behind me into my half-unpacked room. I’m not sure I’m ready for all this...meeting people, pretending everything’s fine. But she stands there, waiting, her smile not fading.

“Uh...” I rub the back of my neck awkwardly, “I’m not sure. I’m kinda still settling in.”

“Oh, come on,” she insists, leaning on the doorframe. “It’ll be fun. It’s just a small thing to meet everyone—no pressure.”

I bite my lip, weighing my options. A part of me wants to say no and hide away in the safety of my room. But another part of me—the part that’s tired of feeling alone—nudges me to say yes. Before I can second-guess myself, I nod.

“Okay, I’ll come.”

“Great!” She beams. “See you down there in a few.”

After she leaves, I sit on the edge of my bed, taking a deep breath. You can do this, An, I tell myself. I throw on my hoodie, pulling the sleeves over my hands, and make my way downstairs.

When I get to the common room, I stop outside the door, peeking through the small glass panel. Inside, a small group of girls is laughing, chatting easily with one another. It looks like they’ve already started. Maybe I should just go back upstairs... The nerves tighten in my stomach again, and I consider turning around when—

“Hey.”

I jump at the voice behind me and spin around. Another girl is standing there, looking at me with tired but kind eyes, as if she’s already been dragged down here by someone. She raises an eyebrow.

“Are you going in or...?”

“Oh, um, it looks like they’ve started already,” I mutter, feeling stupid for just standing there.

She smirks slightly and shakes her head. “Doesn’t mean you can’t join. Come on.” She gently wraps an arm around my shoulders and leads me toward the door. Before I can protest, we step inside together.

As we enter, a few heads turn our way. The girl I met earlier waves brightly, and others smile at us. I manage a small, awkward wave back. I try to make myself as invisible as possible, taking a seat at the far end of the couch, folding my arms across my lap.

The room buzzes with conversation, the atmosphere light and welcoming, but I still feel out of place. Just as I start to think I can disappear into the background, one of the girls calls out to me from across the room.

“Hey! What’s your name?” Her voice is friendly but curious, and all eyes turn toward me.

I clear my throat, feeling my face heat up. “Uh... Anastasia,” I say, my voice quieter than I intended.

“Well, hi, Anastasia!” she grins. “I’m Emma. What’s your major?”

I grip my sleeves tighter. “Interior design,” I reply, trying to sound confident but still feeling like I’m shrinking.

“Oooh,” she says with genuine interest. “That’s so cool! Here, have a drink.” She hands me a can of soda, but I shake my head quickly.

“Thanks, but I don’t really drink these.”

Emma laughs lightly and takes the can back, setting it on the table. “No worries. More for us, right?” She winks before leaning back against the counter.

As the others continue talking, introducing themselves, I sit back and listen, feeling a bit more relaxed now that the attention’s off me. There’s Kelly, a performing arts major, Emma studying psychology, Dammy doing chemistry, and Paige who’s doing law. They all seem friendly, chatting and laughing like they’ve known each other for years.

For the first time since arriving, I start to think maybe I can get used to this. The warmth of their laughter, the way they joke around, it feels...welcoming. Maybe this unfamiliar space doesn’t have to feel so lonely.

But then Kelly’s voice cuts through the chatter, her tone suddenly serious. “Y’all, it’s good to have fun and all, but definitely stay away from Jack Carlos and his crew if you wanna have a peaceful semester.”

Paige looks up, curious. “How do you know about them?”

Kelly leans forward, arms crossed. “My cousin goes here, and last year she told me one of the juniors in the Science department got into some serious trouble with them. It ended with him transferring to another university.”

“Whoa, seriously?” Emma pipes up, her eyes wide. “I hate those kinds of people. Rich, entitled jerks who think they own the place.”

There’s a murmur of agreement around the room, and they all laugh. I manage a small chuckle, even though I don’t really know what they’re talking about.

Emma catches my eye. “You heard that, right, Anastasia? Stay away from those guys.”

I nod quickly. “Yeah...stay away from Jack Carlos.” I force a smile, trying to laugh along with them.

Emma chuckles, nudging me. “Cute. But yeah, it’s probably best to avoid them. From what I’ve heard, they’re trouble.”

Jack Carlos. The name sticks in my mind even as the conversation shifts. I didn’t expect to hear about people like that here. This place is prestigious, no doubt, but I didn’t think it came with big names that sent people running. Still, I shake the thought away.

The evening goes on, filled with more laughter and stories, and for a moment, I let myself relax. It feels nice, being around people like this. Maybe this year won’t be so bad after all.

But as I head back to my room later, curling up under my blanket, I can’t help but think about what Kelly said.

This place might be more complicated than I thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~
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