Twice The Trouble

Chapter 11: A New Friend

Sophia

June 9, 2016 marked the fourth day of my first year as a college student.

I made sure to log down this entry in my journal before I forget or feel too lazy to do it.

At the moment, I was sitting on a bench underneath a large tree, healthy and ancient, gallantly protecting me in its shade, at the same time giving me fresh oxygen and the alluring scent of nature. I loved that smell, the smell of the world as it once was, void of people and pollution.

I tilted my head and marveled at the beauty hovering over me. The sunlight slipped through the leaves and branches above me, creating golden patches on my face. I felt warm and happy.

6:15, I scribbled down on my current entry page. Stacy and I had arrived at Orion a bit too early, and she wouldn't let me hear the end of it. So I suggested she find something to read at the library and I had stifled my laughter at the look of horror on her perfect face.

She had told me: "I'm sure there's more fun stuff to do besides reading." And I had seen her dart a lingering smile on a passing male student, who was immediately prey under her spell.

And off she had went, the college guy in tow. It was just like fishing, except she was her own lure.

What to write? What to write? I propped my elbows on the marble table, cradling my cheeks in my palms as I lowered my brown eyes to the opened notebook with a pencil resting on top of it.

I've kept a diary since I was six years old, and I dutifully got a new notebook after the last one got clogged up with my notes, poems, thoughts, dreams, and opinions.

I was more of a writer than a reader. I love writing. A teacher would assign us a report, and I'd always give more than the required number of pages. I loved how the paper and pen gave me the freedom to express my thoughts into words without being judged.

The day was still young, so I picked up my pencil and jotted down a spontaneous starter of my log:

Yet another beautiful morning, and I got the honor of being embraced by the magnificence of mother earth. I'm surrounded by green trees, the faint cologne of soil and paint, and the coveted peacefulness most people yearn for. Birds are chirping and the breeze has grown cold. Good thing I was prepared. I brought my favorite Bay-max hoodie, but I'm not chilly enough to put it on yet. It's Thursday today, which means last period would be Club Activities. I'm sort of nervous and excited at the same time. I got accepted into The Orion Arrow, the school newspaper.

A pleased smile threatened to invade my face, but it trespassed anyway. I clapped my notebook shut, then replaced it inside my green backpack, along with my pencil. After contemplating whether I should eat a light snack or read the book I brought with me, I chose the latter.

With tender caution, I pulled out The Little Prince from my bag, then checked its front cover.

I have been reading books since I was five years old, and though it was weird for someone that young to be so engrossed in thick novels, Stacy supported my nuttiness, and we often went on meticulous hunts and adventures to find the books on my long,lengthy list. At the age of 5, I had printed out 1001 Books to Read Before You Die. Stacy scolded me for being morbid, so she made me change the title to 1001 Must-Read Books. She's such a marshmallow sometimes.

To name a few, I've already finished To Kill A Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities, And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, Jane Eyre, The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Rings, The Harry Potter Series, The Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, Little Women, Of Mice and Men, Crime and Punishment, Sense and Sensibility, and Anna Karenina.