Chapter 1

EMILY

***

“Make sure to read the next chapter before tomorrow,” the professor said to a crowd of students that were already making their way out of the class. I was writing down one last thing on my notepad and by the time I finished packing up my bag, the hall was empty, except for the professor, Mr. Thomas, who was cleaning the whiteboard.

“I really enjoyed today’s class, Mr. Thomas,” I said as I walked to the front of the room. He looked up at me and smiled, and I could tell he needed to hear that today. I was glad I was the one who said it.

“Thank you, Emily,” he said as he picked up his books, “have yourself  a great weekend.”

“You too,” I said as I walked towards the dorms.

That was the last class of the week and I was glad it ended early because it gave me plenty of time to catch up on all the assignments I had before the new week. I hoped that I had not forgotten anything, any assignment that was due, or any group project. I never had, but I had never been able to fully trust myself and my memory since the incident.

I shook my head as if to try and stop the memory from coming back up and it worked. I didn’t have time to think about it. I didn’t want to, now that life had given me the chance to start afresh.

I had moved away from Bakersville in my senior year, and although it didn’t always work out well for everyone, my good grades gave me a chance to get into high school and graduate. Everything worked out smoothly and I transitioned from high school to the college of my dreams, and I took that as a sign, that I had made the right choice.

Here, I had the chance to reinvent myself. I could decide to be popular and not the bookworm that I was in high school. I could decide to create a whole new personality to fit the new environment. I had wanted to, but it felt like I was betraying myself so I stuck to what I knew.

I got to the dorm and found my roommate doing the usual, lying on her bed and listening to music on her headphones. I had wanted time and time again to tell her that there was no need to use her headphones because I could hear the music anyways, but I always stopped myself, reminding myself that I didn’t want any drama.

I was actually happy that I had gotten Nila as my roommate. I was just as quiet as her and didn’t want to interact. I had been afraid that I would get one of those roommates who would want to know everything about me. But I was complicated and I felt that it was better for me to remain a mystery. I felt that the fewer people who knew, the less they would judge me. Or feel sorry for me. Or both.

Another thing that made me feel like moving was a good thing was the fact that I knew no one here, and no one knew me. I had been holding my breath when I enrolled, hoping that no one from Bakersville had applied to this college, and when the orientation week went by without someone stopping me to tell me they went to the same high school, I knew I was safe. I hoped it would stay that way.

I sat at my desk but I couldn’t focus on my reading, no matter how much I tried. The music from Nila’s headphones was just too loud. I picked up my books and my water bottle and headed toward the library.

As I walked across the campus I passed by the tents that had been placed all around to promote the clubs that were available and recruiting members. I knew that I should join one but I hadn’t decided yet what I wanted to do. Part of me wanted to try something new. I wanted to try singing. It had been a secret passion that only one other person knew about, but the fact that it was him and not somebody else discouraged me from following up on it.

I would join something else, like the book club or something. As I was making my way to the entrance of the library, I overheard a conversation between two girls who passed me by.

“Isn’t Gabriel the most handsome man you’ve ever seen?” one girl said and the other squealed in response.

The name triggered me but I knew there was no chance of it being him. Life wouldn’t be as cruel as to bring us together again, in the same place. Life has given me a chance to start afresh, right? Right?

I walked into the library and found a spot at the window. I made myself comfortable and started on my reading. An hour and another passed by and I didn’t even notice. I only looked up from my books when I heard a loud noise outside.

A crowd had gathered around someone and they were making a lot of noise. Pissing a lot of people off too, I could tell from the way the other people in the library reacted. It was a group of jocks. It was always the jocks.

One of the students who were brave enough to confront them left the library and went to talk to them. I watched the interaction in earnest. I wanted to see what would happen.

I couldn’t hear anything from where I was but the guy who had gone to confront them seemed to have gotten their attention. The conversation went back and forth between them and I kept watching them when I noticed that one guy in the crowd was staring directly at me. I looked back at him and immediately my heart started pounding.

It couldn’t be.

I picked up my books in a hurry and ran out of the library. My dorm was on the opposite side of the crowd and I was relieved. I made a run for it, past all the tents and classes. I only slowed down when I got to her room. I walked in and slammed the door behind me.

“Everything okay?” Nila asked.

If that was who I thought it was, then no. Everything was far from okay.