Knowing (ON HOLD)

Chapter 6- Freshers Week (Aftermath)

Needless to say, that night I didn't sleep a wink. I was way to paralysed with fear, too scared to shut my eyes in case the dreams came back to haunt me again. The main reason I was scared wasn't because of the visions of disaster, but instead, the people. The people that if Pj an i had gone back to; would maybe be alive.

By the time we had gotten through the crowds of students watching the firefighters trying to tackle the blaze as if it were a t.v show I had no less than three break downs. In the end Dan had, had to carry me back to my room and Liss was responsible for getting me into bed and into comfort. For a while my cousin had sat with me as I did nothing but uncontrollably sob, but as soon as I had calmed down, and I was fit enough to be left alone, she had gone back to her room with the information that - if I needed her she would only be a few doors away. I hadn't said anything, I was too fixated with staring at the painted bricks that made up my dorm room wall. But I had acknowledged her, and was grateful for her sudden compassion. Something that if you knew Liss was rare. She was a self absorbed 'bitch' as many had described her, but at the end of the day she was my cousin and I had to accept that she was that way and would never change for anybody.

When dawn had finally broken a small knock sounded on my door, and Liss's denim clad form entered my darkened room.

"Hey Popps" she said holding something up. I wasn't properly focusing on her, just on the wall. I hadn't let my eyes wander from once, "Poppy, are you okay?" Liss's sudden touch made me jump and shift backwards in my bed.

"Mmm, yeah fine. Just fine" I gabbled.

"Ah-okay, I brought you coffee and some granola. I thought you might be hungry"

I nodded at her in a way of thanks, and reached out to grab the paper cup and take a sip. The warm liquid slid down my throat and made me realise quite how thirsty I now was.

"Today's the day when everybody meets up. We'll all get to meet the people on our courses and hopefully our lectures too" Liss smiled, "Are you going to go?"

I looked at her for a second and thought before I nodded my head and stood up to get my change of clothes and my wash bag and make my way to the shared bathroom. Maybe by getting myself back into the swing of things I could hopefully seek some solace and try to forget the events of the previous day.

Liss, Dan, Chris and I all stood in the school atrium chatting among ourselves as the hubbub of other students swarmed around. The large room seemed pretty packed full of new students starting off their higher education but it didn't really faze me. Whilst they all chatted away I looked round and analysed some of them. 

Urggg...slut. Those shorts combined with a cleavage flashing tee-shirt. Ever heard of cleavage and leg being a faux-pa?

Jock...surely studying sports or something macho. Either that or he's a closet homosexual.

Oh wow, nice face. I've never seen that much plastic even on Barbie herself!

"Poppy, I said are you okay? You look slightly pained" Chris's voice shook me from my thoughts.

"Y-yeah I'm fine. I meant to ask, where's Pj?"

"He decided to stay in his room until later on. He couldn't cope with this just yet. Ya know if things get to much for you just tell me and we can step outside if you want"

I nodded my head and smiled at Chris's compassion. Despite not knowing him, Dan and Pj for too long I could tell that they all were going to be great friends who seemed to care very much, "Hey Chris, do you think Pj would want some company until he feels ready or-"

Chris shook his head "N-no he said he wanted to be left alone, well for now. So it'll be best you stay away"

I nodded my head and smiled over at one of the girls who was waving at me, strangely I recognised her but couldn't quite place her face. She was stood with two other boys who I also recognised, but none of them I could place. The girl who was waving beckoned me over and I nodded, not quite sure about what I was doing.

"Hey" She grinned when I had walked over. Her light green eyes were shimmering and her perfectly white teeth pretty much shone, "I was just wondering Poppy, how are you? You know.." She lowered her voice and whispered into my ear, "After the crash thingy"

I bit my lip, "Shaken up to say the least. It was truly horrific" 

"Ahh bless you" She said pulling me into an embrace, "It must have been terrifying. You're so brave for coming out here today. You really are"

I nodded my head and sniffed back the tears that were threatening to fall. When the girl had let go of me I blinked, "Her sorry, I can't for the life of me remember your name. Sorry"

"Don't worry" She said brightly, "I'm Kizzy. A friend of Pj's, anyway as I understand he was there with you too. How is he?"

I shook my head and shrugged, "I haven't seen him to say"

"Don't worry then. I'll see you around some time. Bye" She said before walking off.

~*~

"Welcome students to a new year at The University of Manchester. I am Head Chancellor Micheal King, and it is my very honor to be stood before you all today. I will hope to be seeing you all around and getting to know you all personally, but I'm afraid time is limited today as you all must go off and meet the staff you will be spending the rest of you time here with. But I wish you all the very best and good luck"

"He's a bit full of himself" Liss whispered into my ear as we all gazed up at the stage where the Head Chancellor was speaking, "Just look at him! What a prat" 

I snickered, I couldn't help but agree Micheal King did look very much every bit of a prat stood up on that stage lording over us all. Okay, he was the Head if you like, but he seemed to be looking down on us all. Oh well, hopefully I wouldn't have to spend as much time as he hoped getting to know him.

"Now I will hand over to our subject lecturers and get you to all go off and see the facilities you will be able to use throughout this coming year"

Micheal King walked off stage and left us to get on with finding out who we would be with in lectures and who we'd be having to lecture us for that year