The Clash, Book One

Chapter 33: Pretty in Blue, Part I

University of Virginia, 4 Years Ago

Alena sank down on a bench just outside the business building. She just finished her last class of the day - which included her giving a presentation - and tired wasn't a strong enough word to describe how she felt.

No matter how much Alena slept at night - or how many naps she took when she wasn't in class or studying - she always felt tired. She had been feeling this way for a few weeks, and she was hoping it would let up.

No such luck, as she caught herself nearly dozing off. She quickly shook her head and stood up, only to be met with a brief sensation of dizziness.

"Maybe I just need something to eat," Alena thought as she began the fifteen-minute walk back to her apartment.

She normally would have driven, but thanks to her vomiting spell this morning, she had been running late, and she knew that she'd never find a parking spot.

As she continued walking, she tried to focus on the sights around her. The University of Virginia was a beautiful campus, and Charlottesville was an equally beautiful place.

She was truly lucky to have spent four years here, and the thought brought a smile to her face.

That smile faded when she caught sight of a couple holding hands, sharing smiles and laughter. It was easy to see that they were in love.

Alena struggled to hold back the tears as images of Jack and the time they had spent together flowed through her mind. She had been in love before him, but no one had ever understood her the way he did. She had never shared the connection that she had with him.

And now, he was goodness knows where, and he was likely cursed, and she didn't know how or when in the bloody hell she was supposed to get back to him.

She just sighed and ran her fingers through her hair as she came to her apartment building. She trudged through the front door and made her way to her first floor apartment.

She usually greeted her landlord, but she couldn't help but be grateful that she and her husband were out of town.

She grabbed her keys from her purse as she came to her door. She unlocked it and slowly made her way inside, depositing her purse and backpack on the couch.

She then made her way into the kitchen to see what she could have for dinner. She opened up the cabinet and spied a can of tomato soup.

"That'll work," Alena commented as she grabbed the red and white Campbell's can.

As she did feel rather hungry, she quickly prepared the soup. As soon as it was ready, she grabbed a bottled water from the refrigerator and took a seat at the counter.

Unfortunately, as soon as she took a bite, she felt a wave of nausea hit her - just like it had this morning.

She groaned as she rushed to the bathroom. She luckily made it in time, and she sank back against the tub after she flushed the toilet.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with me?" she wondered aloud. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her phone beeping.

She got up off the floor and made her way back to the kitchen. She grabbed her phone and opened the notification to see that class had been canceled for tomorrow.

Alena would normally worry about missing important information, but she found herself sighing in relief. Maybe all she needed was a good night's sleep.

She then grabbed her tomato soup and walked the short distance to the living room. She sat down on the couch and then proceeded to eat as much of her dinner as she could, flipping on the TV and watching Friends as she did so.