CHAPTER 8

Clara was woken up by her alarm at exactly 5:00 a.m.

The shrill sound filled her room, disturbing the peaceful silence that had settled over the dorm, She groaned, pulled her blanket over her head, and blindly reached for her phone on the bedside table.

She managed to silence the alarm after a few unsuccessful attempts.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled to herself.

But she knew better than to fall asleep again. Her classes started at eight, and she still had to shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast before leaving for school. The last thing she wanted was to arrive late on her first week of medical school.

With a reluctant sigh, she pushed the blanket aside and sat up.

Her room was still dim, illuminated only by the faint glow of the streetlights filtering through her curtains. Everything was quiet. she had no roommate for now, she was paired with a student, whom hadn't resumed for now which made Clara wonder why.

Clara stretched her arms above her head before picking up her phone.

Since it was still early, she decided to spend a few minutes checking her messages before getting ready.

As soon as she turned on her Wi-Fi, notifications began flooding her screen.

There were messages from the various groups she belonged to, a few missed notifications from social media, and a message from her mother reminding her not to skip breakfast.

Clara smiled faintly.

Her mother could somehow find a way to remind her about food even when they weren't in the same room.

She opened the message and quickly replied, promising that she would eat before leaving for school.

Then she noticed another notification.

Daniel.

Her thumb hovered over the screen.

For a moment, she considered leaving the message unopened until she had finished getting ready. However, curiosity got the better of her, and she tapped on his name.

His message appeared.

"Hey, Clara. I've thought about what you said yesterday, and I'd really love it if you'd reconsider your decision.

"I won't force you, but we can take things slow if you don't mind. Let's go on a date."

Clara read the message once.

Then she read it again.

There was something about the way Daniel had worded it that made her smile. He wasn't pretending that her earlier response hadn't happened, nor was he demanding an immediate answer. He was simply asking her to reconsider.

She placed her phone on her lap and stared at the wall opposite her bed.

A date.

The word sounded so simple, yet the thought of actually going somewhere with Daniel made her feel a little different from usual.

She had spent enough time talking to him to know that she enjoyed their conversations. He could be thoughtful, occasionally playful, and surprisingly patient when she needed time to think.

Still, she didn't know him well enough to understand everything about him.

Perhaps meeting in person would help.

Clara picked up her phone again and began typing.

"I'll think it through and give you an answer after classes today."

She read the message before sending it.

It sounded reasonable. She wasn't promising anything, but she wasn't closing the door either.

She pressed send.

Almost immediately, the message was marked as read.

Clara frowned slightly.

She glanced at the time displayed at the top of her screen.

It was barely past five.

What would he be doing online at this time?

She considered asking him but decided against it. Maybe he had woken up early, or perhaps he hadn't gone to bed yet. Either way, it wasn't something she needed to investigate.

She shrugged and returned to her mother's message, replying with a promise to eat properly.

Afterward, she scrolled through her phone for a few more minutes, checking the messages she had missed overnight.

Eventually, she dropped it on the bed and stood up.

"Enough phone for today," she announced to the empty room.

She headed into the bathroom, determined to get ready before she could find another excuse to sit down.

By the time she finished showering, the sky outside had begun to brighten. She dressed in a simple outfit suitable for school, brushed her hair, and checked her reflection in the mirror.

Satisfied, she picked up her bag and returned to her bed to retrieve her phone.

Daniel's message was still open on the screen.

Clara shook her head at herself, slipped the phone into her bag, and left the room.

She had classes to attend.

She would think about the date later.

---

The morning passed more quickly than Clara had expected.

Her first lecture was interesting enough to keep her attention, although the amount of information the lecturer covered left her wondering how she would remember everything by the time examinations arrived.

Medical school was already proving to be a different experience from what she had imagined.

There were unfamiliar faces everywhere, new concepts to understand, and lecturers who seemed determined to remind them that they had chosen a demanding course.

During one of the lectures, Clara found herself scribbling notes so quickly that her handwriting became nearly impossible to read.

She paused, looked at the page, and sighed.

"What does that even say?" she whispered to herself.

The student sitting beside her glanced at the notebook and stifled a laugh.

Clara gave her a sheepish smile before attempting to rewrite the sentence.

By the time the lecturer finished, her hand ached, and her notebook was filled with enough information to keep her occupied for the rest of the afternoon.

She packed her materials, adjusted the strap of her bag, and stepped into the corridor.

Students were already moving toward their next classes, chatting about lectures, assignments, and the different ways they planned to survive the semester.

Clara spotted Amara near the classroom entrance.

Her friend was leaning against the wall, scrolling through her phone with an expression of deep concentration.

"Amara!"

Amara looked up.

"Finally! I was beginning to think you had decided to become one of the lecturers."

Clara laughed as she approached her.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you take your notes like your life depends on them. I have never seen anyone write that fast."

"At least I'll have something to study when examinations come."

"And I'll borrow your notes."

Clara stopped walking and stared at her.

"Excuse me?"

Amara grinned.

"What? Friendship is about helping each other."

"That is not what friendship means."

"It means different things to different people."

Clara burst out laughing.

"You're unbelievable."

"I've been told."

They fell into step together, heading toward the cafeteria.

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the morning's lectures. Students streamed out of their classrooms, walking in pairs and groups of three or four as they headed toward different parts of the campus.

The corridors gradually emptied as everyone dispersed.

Outside, the campus was alive with activity. Some students hurried toward the library, others gathered beneath the trees to continue conversations, and a few sat on benches with their books open, determined to study during every available minute.

The sun had risen higher, and the morning breeze had given way to a warmer afternoon.

Amara rubbed her stomach dramatically.

"I could eat a whole building right now."

Clara turned to look at her.

"Are you a foodie, Amara? We took snacks to class, remember?"

"Yeah, but I need real food. Those were just snacks. Besides, that chemistry class was so boring. Why wouldn't I get hungry?"

She delivered the argument with such seriousness that Clara couldn't help laughing.

"You were the one who kept whispering questions throughout the lecture."

"Because I was trying to understand what was happening."

"You asked me whether the lecturer was speaking English."

"And I stand by that question."

Clara laughed harder.

"You're impossible."

"Whatever you say. Just walk faster."

Amara quickened her pace, but Clara deliberately moved ahead of her.

"Wait for me!"

Clara heard her shout and laughed as she slowed down.

"Then stop complaining and catch up."

Amara hurried to her side, shaking her head.

"One day, I'll find a friend who respects my suffering."

"Good luck with that."

They continued toward the cafeteria, arguing playfully about everything from the morning's lectures to which of their classmates looked most likely to fall asleep during the next class.

By the time they reached the cafeteria, Amara had already forgotten her complaints about the walk.

The place was crowded with students. Conversations overlapped, chairs scraped against the floor, and the occasional burst of laughter rose above the general noise.

The smell of freshly prepared food filled the air.

Amara stopped at the entrance and inhaled deeply.

"Now this is what I'm talking about."

Clara shook her head.

"You're unbelievable."

"I know."

They joined the queue, examining the available dishes while trying to decide what to eat.

Amara changed her mind three times before finally settling on her meal.

Clara watched her with amusement.

"You spent five minutes deciding what you wanted, only to choose the first thing you saw."

Amara picked up her tray.

"Sometimes, a person has to take a journey before discovering what they truly want."

Clara stared at her.

"Did you just turn choosing lunch into a life lesson?"

"You're welcome."

They found an empty table near the window and sat down after getting their food.

For a few minutes, they concentrated on eating.

Amara, who had spent most of the walk complaining about hunger, attacked her meal with impressive enthusiasm.

Clara watched her take another large bite.

"Slow down. Nobody is going to steal your food."

Amara swallowed and pointed her spoon at her.

"You don't understand. I have been through a lot today."

"You attended two lectures."

"Exactly. Two lectures too many."

Clara laughed and returned to her food.

For the first time that morning, she felt she could relax. There were no notes to take, no lecturer to listen to, and no immediate assignment demanding her attention.

She leaned back slightly in her chair, enjoying the brief break.

Then her phone chimed.

She reached into her bag and pulled it out.

Daniel's name appeared on the screen.

Daniel: Morning, pretty. Got your text. Looking forward to your reply.

A smile immediately spread across Clara's face.

She read the message again, her fingers resting lightly against the edge of her phone.

It wasn't an extraordinary message. Daniel hadn't written a long paragraph or said anything particularly dramatic.

Still, the casual warmth of his words pleased her.

She began typing a reply, then stopped.

What am I supposed to say?

She deleted what she had written and placed the phone beside her plate.

She would respond later.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten that she wasn't alone.

Amara had been watching her.

"Someone's got a boyfriend but won't admit it."

Clara's head snapped up.

"What?! No!"

Amara leaned back in her chair, wearing an expression of complete satisfaction.

"Then why are you smiling like that?"

"I'm not smiling!"

"You definitely are."

Clara quickly picked up her spoon, hoping that eating would distract her friend.

It didn't.

Amara leaned forward.

"Who was that?"

"Nobody."

"Nobody has a name saved on your phone?"

Clara looked at her.

"How do you know it was a name?"

"Because I have eyes, Clara."

"You're so annoying."

"And yet, here you are, smiling at your phone instead of paying attention to me."

Clara shook her head, but the smile threatening to return to her lips betrayed her.

Amara gasped dramatically.

"Oh, my goodness. It's him, isn't it?"

Clara sighed.

"Fine. I admit it. I like him, but I'm not sure whether he's serious about me."

Amara's teasing expression softened.

"Daniel?"

Clara nodded.

"The same Daniel you've been talking about?"

"Yes, Amara. How many Daniels do you think I'm talking to?"

"Don't ask me. You're the one keeping secrets."

"I'm not keeping secrets."

"You haven't even shown me his picture!"

Clara blinked.

"Why do you need to see his picture?"

Amara placed a hand over her chest.

"Because I'm your best friend, and I need to inspect the situation."

Clara burst out laughing.

"Inspect the situation?"

"Exactly."

"And what exactly are you inspecting?"

"His face, obviously. I need to know whether this boy deserves the amount of attention you're giving him."

Clara covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

"You're ridiculous."

"Maybe. But I'm also concerned about your romantic future."

"My romantic future?"

"Yes. Now, are you going to show me the picture, or do I have to start asking questions?"

Clara hesitated briefly before unlocking her phone.

She opened her gallery and scrolled through her pictures until she found one of Daniel.

For a moment, she considered changing her mind.

She had never really thought about showing his picture to anyone. Daniel was someone she had been getting to know privately, and sharing a photograph of him suddenly made the whole situation feel more real.

But Amara was her closest friend at school, and she knew she would never hear the end of it if she refused.

Clara turned the screen toward her.

"Here. Take a look."

Amara took the phone.

She stared at the picture.

Then she looked at Clara.

Then she looked at the picture again.

Her eyes widened.

"Oh. My. God!"

Clara burst out laughing.

"What?"

"Girl!"

"What?"

"You didn't tell me he looked like that!"

Clara covered her face, embarrassed.

"Stop it."

"No, I'm serious. He's actually cute!"

"Amara!"

"What? I'm only stating the obvious."

Amara brought the phone closer to her face, studying the photograph as though she had been given an important assignment.

Clara reached for it.

"Give it back."

"Wait!"

"What now?"

"I haven't finished my inspection."

"There's nothing else to inspect!"

"How do you know? I haven't even checked whether he has a nice smile."

Clara groaned.

"Amara, please."

Her friend laughed and finally handed the phone back.

Clara snatched it from her and placed it face down on the table.

"You are never seeing another picture of him again."

Amara grinned.

"That's what you say now."

Clara shook her head, trying unsuccessfully to suppress her smile.

For a few moments, they returned to their food, but Amara's curiosity had only increased.

She rested her elbows on the table and looked at Clara with renewed interest.

"So, tell me everything."

"Everything about what?"

"Daniel, of course."

"There's nothing to tell."

Amara gave her a disbelieving look.

"Clara."

"What?"

"You just showed me a picture of a cute boy who sends you sweet messages, and you expect me to believe there's nothing to tell?"

Clara laughed.

"You're making it sound like we're already in a relationship."

"Well, are you?"

"No!"

"Do you want to be?"

Clara opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Amara's grin widened.

"That's what I thought."

"Can you please eat your food?"

"I'm eating."

"Then concentrate on it."

"I can do both."

Clara shook her head, smiling despite herself.

After a moment, Amara picked up her drink and took a sip.

"So, when is this date happening?"

Clara's smile faded slightly as she glanced at her phone.

"I don't know yet. I told him I'd give him an answer after classes."

"And what are you going to say?"

"I haven't decided."

Amara studied her for a moment, no longer teasing.

"Do you actually want to go?"

Clara considered the question.

She liked talking to Daniel. She enjoyed the way he could make an ordinary conversation interesting, and she appreciated that he had asked her out instead of assuming she would automatically agree.

She was also curious about what spending time with him in person would be like.

"I think I do," she admitted. "I just want to be sure I'm not agreeing to something I don't understand."

"That's fair," Amara replied. "You don't have to rush into anything. If you want to go, you can go. If you decide you're not ready, you can tell him that too."

Clara nodded slowly.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

Amara took another bite of her food before suddenly looking at her again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You're going to ask whether he's your boyfriend again, aren't you?"

"No. I'm being serious this time."

Clara raised an eyebrow.

"Alright. Go ahead."

Amara put down her spoon.

"Do you think you're giving him a chance to get to know you, or are you so busy trying to decide whether he'll disappoint you that you're not allowing anything to happen?"

Clara went quiet.

She hadn't expected the question.

For a moment, the noise of the cafeteria seemed to fade into the background as she considered what her friend had said.

She had spent so much time trying to understand Daniel's intentions that she hadn't stopped to consider what she wanted from the situation itself.

Perhaps she didn't need to have every answer before agreeing to meet him.

Perhaps a date could simply be an opportunity to talk, laugh, and learn more about each other.

She looked at Amara.

"Why do you suddenly sound so wise?"

Amara immediately sat up straighter.

"Because wisdom has finally found me."

Clara burst out laughing.

"There she is."

"What do you mean, 'there she is'?"

"You were beginning to sound like my mother."

Amara gasped.

"Take that back!"

"No."

"Clara!"

They dissolved into laughter, attracting a few curious glances from students at the neighboring table.

Amara lowered her voice, although her smile remained.

"Seriously, though. You like him. You're curious about him. And he seems willing to give you time. You can take things one step at a time."

Clara looked down at her phone.

Daniel's message was still waiting for a reply.

She unlocked the screen and opened their conversation.

For several seconds, she stared at the empty message box.

Then she began typing.

I've thought about it, and I think I'd like to give it a try.

She paused.

The words looked simple enough, but sending them would mean making a decision instead of continuing to postpone it.

Amara leaned slightly toward her.

"Are you replying to him?"

Clara quickly tilted the phone away.

"Stop looking!"

"I'm not looking!"

"You absolutely are."

Amara raised both hands in surrender.

"Fine. I'll mind my business."

Clara smiled and returned her attention to the screen.

She reread the message, then deleted it.

"No," she murmured.

Amara turned toward her.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. I just want to think about how to say it."

"Then say what you mean. You don't have to make it complicated."

Clara considered that advice.

She didn't want to make promises she wasn't ready to keep, but she also didn't want Daniel to think she was dismissing his feelings.

After a moment, she typed a new message.

Clara: I've thought about it, and I'd like to give it a try. We can go on a date, but I want us to take things slowly and get to know each other properly.

She read it twice.

Then, before she could overthink it, she pressed send.

The message appeared beneath their previous conversation.

Clara placed her phone on the table and released a quiet breath.

Amara watched her expectantly.

"Well?"

Clara tried to maintain a straight face.

"Well, what?"

"Did you send it?"

Clara nodded.

Amara's mouth fell open.

"You actually did it!"

"Keep your voice down!"

"I'm proud of you!"

"Amara!"

Her friend laughed and reached across the table to squeeze her hand.

"Seriously, I'm happy for you. Just remember that you should be able to enjoy getting to know someone without feeling pressured to move faster than you're comfortable with."

Clara smiled.

"I know."

"And if he does anything you don't like, you tell me."

"What are you going to do?"

Amara considered the question.

"First, I'll ask you what happened. Then I'll decide whether he deserves another inspection."

Clara burst out laughing.

"You're never going to let this go, are you?"

"Absolutely not."

They returned to their meals, the conversation shifting to their upcoming assignments and the lecturer who had promised them additional reading materials.

For a while, Clara forgot about her phone.

She listened as Amara complained about the workload, offered her own suggestions, and laughed at another exaggerated account of how difficult their morning had been.

Then her phone vibrated against the table.

Clara glanced at the screen.

Daniel had replied.

Daniel: You just made my morning, Clara. Thank you for giving me a chance. I promise we'll take things at your pace. When are you free?

Clara read the message, and a genuine smile settled on her face.

This time, she didn't try to hide it.

She picked up her phone and began typing her response while Amara watched her with a knowing grin.

"Don't start," Clara warned without looking up.

"I haven't said anything."

"Your face is saying enough."

Amara laughed.

"Alright, alright. I'll leave you alone."

Clara shook her head and returned her attention to the message.

For once, she didn't feel the need to find the perfect words or predict every possible outcome.

She could simply answer him.

Clara: I'm free this weekend. We can discuss the details later.

She pressed send.

A moment later, Daniel's reply appeared.

Daniel: It's a date, then. I'll let you know what I have in mind.

Clara smiled at the screen before locking her phone and slipping it into her bag.

Across the table, Amara was still grinning.

"What?" Clara asked.

"Nothing."

"Amara."

"I'm just happy that my best friend might finally have an interesting love life."

Clara rolled her eyes.

"You're the one who's going to make this unnecessarily dramatic."

"Me? Never."

They exchanged a look before bursting into laughter again.

When they finally finished eating, they cleared their table and headed outside.

The afternoon sun had softened slightly, and the campus was quieter than it had been earlier. Students moved between buildings, while a few gathered beneath the trees, enjoying the brief break before their next classes.

Amara linked her arm through Clara's as they walked.

"So, what are you going to wear?"

Clara stopped.

"Amara, the date hasn't even happened yet!"

"Exactly. We have to prepare."

"Prepare for what? We're just going out."

Amara looked at her as though she had said something ridiculous.

"Just going out? Clara, this is your first date with a boy you actually like. There are important decisions to make."

"Such as?"

"Where you're going, what you're wearing, what you're going to talk about—"

"I can talk to him without preparing a speech."

"That's what everyone says until they sit across from someone they like and forget their own name."

Clara laughed.

"That sounds like a personal problem."

Amara gasped.

"You're becoming rude."

"You brought it upon yourself."

They continued walking, their conversation filled with jokes and exaggerated plans for a date that was still days away.

Clara knew Amara would probably remind her about it every chance she got.

And, despite pretending to be annoyed, she found herself looking forward to having someone to share the experience with.

For now, she had lectures to attend, assignments to complete, and a growing list of things to learn.

The date could wait until the weekend.

But as she walked beside Amara, Clara caught herself wondering what Daniel would be like when they finally sat across from each other, with no phone screen between them.

She smiled to herself.