Chapter 16 - Who's That?

As time goes by, the excitement of life on campus for Raven, Meredith, Ben, Lucas and Maya never wanes.

They found new ways to liven things up, including pranks that only the five of them knew about.

Every weekend felt like an opportunity for adventure and freedom together.

One Friday night, they gathered in the small park near the dormitory, looking for ideas for new activities.

Ben suddenly leaned against a tree and chuckled, "We need something more exciting than just a party."

Meredith raised an eyebrow, curious. "Like what, Ben?"

Ben smiled mischievously. "Why don't we play hide-and-seek at midnight in the faculty building? They say there's a floor that never opens because... there's something weird there."

Raven laughed outright. "Gosh, that's just a story to scare the new kids."

Lucas, however, seemed interested. "Come on, this should be fun! Hide and seek in the faculty building at 12pm? I'm ready!"

Finally, with unstoppable laughter, they decided to do it. As the night wore on and the campus grew quiet, they snuck into the faculty building with small torches in hand.

"Who's going to watch first?" Maya asked, whispering.

Lucas immediately volunteered. "Me first. You have ten seconds to hide. One... two... three..."

Within seconds, the four friends scattered to find a hiding place. Raven chose to hide behind a row of old bookshelves in the faculty library. 

Raven stifled a giggle when she saw Lucas's shadow pass by, his hand holding a flashlight, searching excitedly.

Meanwhile, Ben crawled into a storage cupboard in the lab equipment room. 

Ben almost giggled at the thought of Lucas looking for him in a more open place. Suddenly, Ben heard footsteps approaching.

"Hello... anyone here?" Lucas' voice echoed softly, making Ben struggle to hold back a laugh.

However, Lucas' steps suddenly stopped, and there was an unusual silence. Ben held his breath, feeling that something was off. Within seconds, a noise came from the other direction, and Lucas fell silent.

"Ben, you can't hide, you know?" Lucas whispered almost to himself.

However, what made them all pause was the sound of heavy steps that began to echo down the corridor. Everyone paused, feeling their hearts racing.

"Raven, is that you?" Maya whispered from behind a table in the corner of the room.

Raven shook her head, even though Maya couldn't see her. "No... I'm not moving."

The steps were getting closer. Feeling increasingly tense, they all tried to find each other, staring at each other with dilated eyes. Lucas realised something.

"Guys, let's get out," Lucas whispered frantically. They started crawling and moving slowly towards the exit. However, as soon as they reached the corridor, the steps stopped, and there were only five of them there.

Meredith looked at them all, smiling as she whispered, "Okay, it's scary, but it's really fun."

"No wonder this floor is rarely used," Ben said with a relieved laugh. "Maybe there really is something strange."

Raven clasped Maya's hand as she laughed softly. "Well, at least we know, the important thing is that we're safe."

That night, they returned to the dorm with a sense of accomplishment. Although it had started out tense, the experience had brought them closer together.

They laughed at their little fears and planned their next shenanigans, filling their college days with memories that they continued to make together.

Shortly after that night, they had a new idea-hosting a "pillow fight" on their dorm floor, complete with music, balloon decorations, and even cute pyjama costumes. They invited a few other friends, and the night turned into an epic pillow war full of laughter and screams.

Raven, dressed in cloud-print pyjamas, laughed as she threw a pillow at Ben, who was wearing a funny nightcap.

"Taste this!" she exclaimed, while Ben laughed and tried to dodge.

Lucas, who always had crazy ideas, suddenly appeared from behind the table with a giant pillow, smashing it at Meredith and Maya at once. They burst out laughing, jumping up and down with excitement.

The night ended with them all lying exhausted on the floor, laughing and sharing stories until the sun was almost up. And amidst the laughter and fun, they felt that there was nowhere else they would rather be than together, facing the colourful days of college.

Raven, Meredith, Ben, Lucas, and Maya's college life is full of laughter, sweet memories, and stories that they will always remember. They are five best friends who share not only classes and assignments, but also hearts and dreams-ready to conquer the world together.