If anyone told me I would be accepted into DUA, on a scholarship, I would have said bullshit! But when mum told me they had approved my application, I was over the moon. I didn't even know how to process it well, I was so happy and excited!
But I was also so scared. I only had a week before the new session started, and I hadn't gone shopping for it. I still needed to buy my instrument since it was mandatory for all students and… deep breath Crystal. Deep breath. In essence there was so much to be done, and I hadn't even started yet. But mum was ever supportive, and she followed me shopping. We spent hours at the mall, and it was even better because there was a sale and I got so many outfits for half the price. It was amazing. When we got to the music store, the love of my life caught my attention in less than a second.
I didn't think much about flutes until I saw that one. It was just sitting there in the display, like it knew it was too beautiful for this world. The first thing that hit me was the colour—white, but not boring white, more like this soft, pearly white that seemed to glow under the store lights. And then there was this subtle blue that ran along the length of it, swirling in delicate patterns, like water gently flowing around the edges. But the real showstopper? The gold.
The keys were all this rich, gleaming gold, perfectly contrasting with the white and blue. It was elegant, almost regal, and each key had the tiniest, most intricate engravings on it—little swirls and curves, like feathers, but only if you looked really close. The mouthpiece had this delicate gold trim, so smooth it looked like liquid gold had just been poured over it.
And right there at the top of the flute, they'd carved this tiny swan. Not just any swan either, but one that looked like it was gliding on water, its wings slightly spread, almost as if it was about to take off. The white feathers were highlighted with a hint of that same soft blue, making it look like it belonged on some magical lake. The gold details on the swan's wings were so fine, I swear you could almost count the feathers.
I couldn't help but stare at it for way longer than I should've. I mean, how could something so simple be so… enchanting? It wasn't just a flute; it was a work of art, and I wanted it. Even if I had no idea what I'd do with it. I had never played the flute before, but with an instrument like that, it would be a crime not to make beautiful music with it.
Mum saw that I was staring at it for longer than I was supposed to. Heck, I didn't check any other instrument, I was so fixated on the flute so she went up to the store attendant and picked it out for me while I was still frozen like a buffering episode of anime. It was only after she paid for it that I realised she had picked it out for me and my eyes glistened with tears. I was so sure it was a fortune, and I was eternally grateful to her.
We got back home, and we began to pack for my move to DUA. Deep down, I didn't want to leave my mum. She would need help with the chores and most importantly, she would be alone. Like she read my mind, she told me not to bother about it. And that she would be fine. I heaved a heavy sigh and hugged her so hard, every single day, she could pop.
The day finally came, and I was dropped in front of the university, and it wasn't what I was expecting.
DUA. Just hearing the name was enough to make me nervous, but seeing it? Oh, I was totally not ready for this. The place is massive. Like, skyscraper-huge, but laid out like some fancy estate. The entrance alone felt like it belonged in one of those old royal movies, with these tall iron gates that practically screamed "we're too rich for you." They were lined with gold, of course. Because why not?
Behind the gates, the main building stood there, all proud and intimidating. It looked like some castle from a fairytale, but with this sleek, modern twist. Glass and marble everywhere, shining so bright in the sunlight it nearly blinded me. The front steps? Yeah, they weren't normal steps—they were this huge, grand staircase made of polished stone that looked like it had never seen a single scuff mark in its life.
The whole place oozed money. I could feel it. The lawns were perfectly trimmed, not a single blade of grass out of place, and there were these huge fountains with sculptures that probably cost more than my entire life savings. And the flowers? God, there were flowers everywhere. Perfect little arrangements, all these rare, fancy plants I couldn't even name, but they looked expensive. Of course they did.
Students were walking around like they owned the place, dressed in designer everything. I tried not to feel out of place, but damn. This was a different world, and I was pretty sure they could smell my not-belonging from a mile away. I hesitated at the gate, just staring at the place for way too long, wondering if it was too late to turn around.
But no. I came here for a reason, and I wasn't going to let a fancy building scare me off.
I picked up my baggage and headed for God only knows where I was going. I reached the entrance and came in, the reception area was just there waiting for me and someone was kind enough to ask me who I wanted to see. I explained to her, I was a student here, and I showed all my documents, and without a moment to spare, everything was processed, and I was shown to my room. I was so nervous I felt nauseous the whole time.
When I got to my hostel, it was even better than I imagined. A four-man room and my part of the room was almost as big as my regular room back at home. I heaved a heavy sigh and introduced myself to my roommates, they were so friendly and maybe mum was right, not everyone was an asshole like James and Roxy. I settled in pretty quickly and to be honest, I could get used to this, but I was only going to be here for six months. I was aiming to get a diploma in performance music and six months was all I needed to go through the course. I felt it was so gracious to give people like me a chance to study in an elite school. If I ever saw the President of this establishment, I would thank him five hundred times on the spot!
I was pretty tired when I arrived, so I ended up falling asleep and when I woke up, it was evening and pretty dark. My roommates invited me to a fresher meetup where we would all get to know each other and have some seniors address us. I thought it was cool, it was an opportunity to make contacts and I jumped at it the second it was mentioned. When we got to the meetup, we were all so lively and friendly and yet again, mum was right, not everyone was an asshole. I was in the back of the room, talking with my roommates when I offered to get us more drinks. On coming back, I bumped into someone and the refreshments spilled all over them.
"Hey! Watch where you are going!" The irritated snarl caught me off guard and guilt struck me harder than lightning struck the earth. I rushed to get him clean.
"I am so sorry, I didn't expect you to come in front of me so fast… I…" but when the scent of his cologne hit me, I just had to see who I was so fervently apologising to, "James?" my worst nightmare.