The wind on Our backs

8- You're Rachel

The early morning sunlight filtered through Rachel's curtains, a golden hue spreading across her room. She was already awake, her mind busy with thoughts of the day ahead. It had been a couple of weeks since she started seeing Krystal more frequently around school.

Krystal had a way of inserting herself into Rachel's day-to-day life. It started off with small things—sitting next to her in class, asking her to meet up for lunch, and sharing notes. Rachel welcomed the attention. She had spent so long feeling isolated that having someone take an interest in her felt like a lifeline.

But now, as Rachel checked her phone to see another text from Krystal asking if she wanted to meet up before classes, a small part of her hesitated. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but something about their growing friendship felt... off. Pushing the thought aside, Rachel quickly typed a reply agreeing to meet. She didn't want to overthink things. Maybe Krystal was just being nice, and she needed to stop being so suspicious.

Later that morning, as Rachel walked up to the front of the campus building, she spotted Krystal waving energetically from a bench. Dressed in a trendy outfit with her perfectly styled hair, Krystal always seemed effortlessly put together, a stark contrast to Rachel's casual and more modest style.

"Hey!" Krystal greeted as Rachel approached, her wide smile gleaming. "I grabbed us some coffee! Hope you like iced lattes."

"Thanks," Rachel said, accepting the cup and taking a sip. She wasn't a huge fan of lattes, but she appreciated the gesture.

Krystal looped her arm through Rachel's as they started walking toward their first class of the day. "So, how are things going with you? Everything okay with classes? I know the Professor Jenkins can be a pain in the ass sometimes, I mean seriously who assigns a group project on the first month school?"

Rachel nodded, feeling the familiar tightness in her chest whenever school was mentioned. "Yeah, it's going alright, I guess. Just a lot of work."

Krystal gave her a sympathetic nod, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes that Rachel couldn't quite place. "But you know...you'll be fine! You're, like, super smart, right? I mean, you're Asian, after all." She let out a little laugh, brushing it off as small a harmless joke, but it did hurt Rachel's feelings a little if she was being honest.

Rachel forced a small smile, brushing it off for now. It wasn't the first time she'd heard a comment like that, and it wouldn't be the last. "Yeah, I guess so," she gave a forced chuckle.

As the day progressed, Krystal stuck close to Rachel's side, chattering about her own life and occasionally complimenting Rachel in ways that felt just a little too rehearsed. When they weren't in class, Krystal introduced Rachel to her group of friends in the cafeteria, a collection of students who seemed to hang on Krystal's every word. Rachel, feeling out of place among them, stayed quiet and mostly observed.

"Rachel's new here, but I think she's adjusting super well, right?" Krystal said, placing her hand on Rachel's arm in a show of support. "She's going to fit in perfectly."

Rachel forced a smile, feeling the weight of everyone's attention and eyes on her. She nodded but couldn't shake the sense that she was on display, like some sort of accessory to Krystal's social life. It wasn't long before Rachel excused herself, claiming she had to catch up on some schoolwork.

She wandered outside to clear her head, finding a quiet spot on campus. The encounter with Krystal and her friends left her feeling a little uneasy, but Rachel wasn't sure if she was being too sensitive or if there was something more to it. Whatever it was, she didn't like it and she just wanted to get over it. She sat on the steps of one of the old campus buildings, the cool stone beneath her grounding her as she took a deep breath.