The Missing Gem

32 | Chance Encounters

Lucas

Living in America is different. 

I don't mean to brag, or complain, but every girl in college is gluing to me incessantly, and that was only before they heard me speak - after I answered one of the teacher's questions last week, they all fight for their place next to me in class every morning. 

About the classes, so far I'm loving them. 

It'll definitely be bit hard to learn everything in only one semester, but with the dedication I have, I'm sure I'll make it work.

It's been four weeks since I moved in and started my student life, and I had already done one test. I stood in the hallway, looking at the printed grade sheet that was displayed on the cork board, secured with a red pin at the top.

My eyes skimmed through the names of the Animation class attendees until I found my own name and noticed the letter marked next to it - an A. I got an A on my very first american college test. Not too bad.

I chuckled to myself as I remembered a conversation I had with Nicole in the past, when she said I'd be a straight A student. I took the phone out of my pocket and snapped a picture to send to Nicole, but never got to hit the Send button. 

Someone interrupted me.

"Oh my God... Lucas?!" 

The voice I heard made my heart stop beating, my jaw and my muscles clenched while my brain was still connecting all the dots. 

It couldn't be. 

I turned in my heels to realize that not only it can be... it is. It's Sarah. 

While my mouth was agape, still wondering what to say, she made herself heard. "What are you doing here?" She was just as much in disbelief as I was. 

How?

"Sarah..." I said her name out loud in a small whisper, leaving a bad taste in my mouth afterwards. "I'm, uh... I'm taking a semester here."

"No way! What classes are you taking?"

She looked older. Not older in a way that she looked old, no. She still looked as young as ever, but the simple, plain mint colored dress she had on and the dark squared glasses that framed her face made her look more like a grown up, more like the adult she now was. 

Years ago, when I met her and she was twenty three, she looked like a sixteen year old teenager, jeans and a hoodie were her go to choices of what to wear all the time. It matched her personality perfectly, and right now, with a brand new looking Sarah standing in front of me, I couldn't help but think if that was still the case, and if it was, how had her personality changed? 

I spent too much time in silence, lost in my own thoughts and when she gave me a look, I answered her previous question. 

"Oh, um... Animation, Graphic Design, Visual Development, and 3D Fundamentals too."

We kept our distance, and I appreciated it.

"Well... it is what you wanted to do." She said with a smile. 

Four years ago I thought that smile was the best one I've ever seen, now I know it doesn't even come close to the smile I want to look at every morning. 

"I'm happy for you."

"Thanks." I answered almost automatically, my body and mind both trapped in the trap that I couldn't help but feel like this was. "Um... If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?"