Standing there alone, my heart begins to ache. He just left? Why did he just leave me like this? Did I do something? As soon as Victor is out of my sight, the wind disappears and I am still left alone next to the pond, which now seems to be vacant of ducks. I let out a big sigh, and decided to head back to my dorm. I grab my bag, and sling it over my shoulder. A 20 minute walk all by myself, no friends, no Victor, just no one. I slowly take my leave as I step onto the sidewalk. I can't seem to shake this eerie feeling that's come over me. Something about that wind just didn't seem right. Almost as if it is targeting me or Victor.
By the time I am more than a quarter of the way to the dorms, the sun has already begun to set, and the sky now is a warm orange and pink, and the clouds are almost crystal clear white. Maybe Victor really did have something to do, but I can't help but feel like it is somehow my fault. Maybe it is the spells I used. Maybe I am just so bad at casting that it turned him completely off. My head starts to swirl and I can feel a ball build up into my throat. The sensation of needing to throw up is very strong.
"Freya," Jin's voice comes out in front of me as I walk almost blindly down the pathway. Jin is still wearing the school uniform, and her hair is still messy like when I saw her before class. For some reason, seeing her makes my heart relax. Her gentle face, and calm demeanor calmed me down almost immediately, and I let out a happy sigh of relief. "Hey Jin, what's up?" I readjust the bag on my shoulder and look her in the eyes.
"What are you doing out here so late? Shouldn't you be heading to the dorms? And why are you alone?" Her array of questions take me off guard, but I guess she's just concerned. "I was out by the pond practicing with Victor." I can see her face turn a tad angry from the way her brow furrows, and her eyes scan the area around us.
"And where is Victor?" Her tone of voice completely changes, and I can see built up frustration coming out onto her facial features. "He remembered he had something to take care of, so he ran off to do it I guess."
"And he just left you here all alone? That's pretty irresponsible."
"No it isn't!" I yell at Jin with force. After realizing how loud I yelled, I looked down at my feet. Jin doesn't say anything, or doesn't even try to. So I look up at her and blurt out even more words. "Well the dorm isn't too far away and there are a lot of other girls going back alone. So don't worry about me. I can make it there just fine." Before I can turn away and leave this moment behind, Jin takes my hand in hers, and looks on ahead of us.
"I can still walk you there though." And just like that, she is walking with me back to the dorms, even though she lives in an entirely different part of campus. Her hand is warm, and almost the same size as Victor's hands. Thinking of him makes my heart ache, and I try everything I can to not think about him and his sudden exit from our time together. Who am I kidding? It's not like we are dating each other. What's it matter to me where he goes? All the while walking home, I couldn't stop myself from thinking these things over and over again. Jin dropped me off, said a quick good-bye and was on her way back to her own dorm I guess.
I still have an hour before curfew, but what can I do with that time? It's not like I can just go and find him in the short period of time I have left. And besides, maybe he doesn't even want to see me. After all, he sure did seem really upset after that wind started to blow. He looked as if he was preparing to battle someone. I take my leave and head up to my room, ready to give Amelia the low down.
Even after getting into my pajamas and into bed, I can't seem to get my mind off of Victor. This seems to draw Amelia to me. "What's wrong? You've been grumbling and moaning ever since you got back." She grabs a pillow and lays it across her lap and looks at me. I hide my face in my pillow, but then turn back to look at her.
"This is entirely hypothetical, but say you're with someone. And this someone is a guy. Then out of nowhere they leave with not much of an explanation. What would you think?" Amelia looks up at the ceiling as she begins her thought process. I hide my face once again, afraid to hear her response to my question.
"Well, I would wonder if I did something wrong. Why? Did something happen today?" Caught again. She always sees me as clearly as the day and my hypothetical doesn't work. "Well, I was out practicing magic with Victor after class. Then all of a sudden he said he had to take care of something and left." Amelia stands up and walks over to my bed and sits down.
"Maybe he really did have something to do? I mean, don't let yourself become a mess over this. It could mean several things, but I think he really needed to leave." She rubs my back and leans her head closer to my face. "I mean when you're in love, even the smallest things get stuck in your mind. You've got to be worried that he doesn't like you, right?" I nod and my face flushes a beat red. Amelia giggles to herself and I can feel her excitement.
"I just can't seem to get him out of my mind. I'm thinking about him all the time. And my chest is aching. And just ugh," I let out a sigh of frustration. Silence comes between us both for some time, till Amelia lets out a gasp.
"Well, if it's bothering you that much, why don't you just ask him directly? Tomorrow, just ask him straight up if it's something you did to ruin your practice session." She smiles at me with encouragement and support. I nod back at her to confirm it, then the bell for curfew rings. Amelia and I stay up talking about classes the rest of the time till we dinner. Once we had eaten, falling asleep never came so easily.
"To me... Please....please..." The dream again. What does she want? What is she asking me? The girl has tears running down her cheeks. I wish I could just wipe them away. I wish I could take away her sadness. The dark is swarming her, almost like arms wrapping around her and taking her away deeper into the abyss.
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