2 weeks later.
Universities opened their doors for another semester. The girls were all back. Lessin and Winslow were in the same uni. River and Freya too. But daily phone calls and texting made them feel like they were in the same campus, only different dormitories.
Helzeny was now living her dream life. Single and ready to mingle, that's how she'd describe it. Her class was already put into groups and in hers she was the only girl. She was sure that among the 3 men, 2 of them were gay, one was in a serious relationship. So, she was comfortable with them. She felt very safe around them.
Those 2 weeks went fast until one day when she found a bouquet of roses outside her door. The name on the card was hers, but there was no name of the sender.
"A secret admirer?" she asked her roommate, another soft girl named Jasmine.
"Lucky you." said Jasmine, not at all jealous.
"I hate puzzles."
Helzeny dumped it in the trash can on the way to her bed. "If a guy wants a chance, he can at least reveal himself."
"True, but with time, maybe he will reveal himself."
"He's already being a coward."
"At least read what's written in the card. Maybe there's a hint."
A hint? It sounded like a fun idea. And so Helzeny dug the bouquet out of the can and unclipped the card. The bouquet went back to the trash and the card got opened to be read.
I'll be watching you.
She was instantly invaded by a spooky feeling. It's like the air in the room suddenly turned green and gooey. It sounded like a threat. She was ready to blush, but that single sentence caused her palms to sweat. She didn't want her roommate to get suspicious, so she quickly ripped the card into pieces.
"What did he write?" asked Jasmine
"Usual bullshit."
Who could it be? It felt like a bad idea to ignore it. She was determined to fish him out, only she didn't know where to start. If that was the Halloween season, she'd think it's a prank. But it was mid-January. Who the hell was playing with her head?
…
During the break, a new friendship had blossomed. I'm talking about Lessin and Sabrina. As each day passed, their bond was being cemented. A day hardly passed without a call or a text from either side. Sabrina had no complaints. She loved every second of it. But at the back of her head, there was a voice tiptoeing around. What it did was being a reminder.
Sabrina's crush on Lessin had grown. There was no hiding that she was in love with her. But she couldn't remind Lessin about it, which also meant spending more time with her without asking the important question.
What are we?
To Lessin, was Sabrina just a friend, or did her heart do a whole 360? She couldn't ask that with the fear that it might chase Lessin away again. But she still had her instincts and common sense, and a very smart brain. She could find the answer without asking the question.
Currently, she was done with class and on her way back to the dormitory. She was also on the phone with her new best friend, giggling like little girls.
"He can't be serious." Sabrina chuckled,
"I'm telling you. Our padre was born to be a singer. His summons are like 5 minutes max. After that, each word coming out of his mouth is a song." Lessin explained. "I purposely miss mass when I hear he's the conductor."
"A sinner."
"You know what? I'll take you one day."
"Is that a promise or a threat?"
"It's both, I guess. Hey, quick question."
"Hit me."
"Is it true that Phoenix University of Architecture's main cafeteria has the best food as compared to other universities?" asked Lessin.
"I haven't tried the food in other cafeterias yet, but so far yeah. The food is pretty super."
"Does one need a student ID to get served?"
Sabrina's feet froze on the ground. "Where are you?" she asked, heart beating fast from excitement.
"You're not going to believe this,"
"Oh my God!" she covered her mouth, "Don't move!"
Sabrina turned back and bolted with the speed of a certified athlete. From where she was standing, the cafeteria was 4 minutes away, but she got there in 2. The closer she got, the more that girl standing outside the entrance, wearing an orange hoodie and a long denim skirt looked more beautiful than the moon.
"Is this real?" Sabrina asked out loud.
"You'll have to touch it to know." Lessin spread her arms, "Hug?"
Sabrina rushed towards her like a train. They collided with force but never fell. The crazy wiggling and tightening of their grips made the embrace even more worth it. Sabrina was overwhelmed with joy that it scared her. What was going on?
"I can't believe you're here."
"Your university's website said they're serving Mediterranean food today. I couldn't miss it for the world."
"Aand you spoiled the moment." she let her go.
Lessin chuckled softly, "I miss you. And I miss spending time with you."
"Then it's your lucky day."
***