How boring.
Nothing pretty much happens around here. 4 years of college and it's always the same day all over again. I don't even pay attention to the lectures anymore. My head just blanks out after a few minutes of my Professor's rambling. Every word he says just comes and goes. If I knew most of this back in High School, why learn it again?
Everyone, though, felt otherwise. They were in complete focus, writing down each lesson on their binders like machines. I felt like I was the only person there who was human. It even makes me uncomfortable at times.
"Hey man, can I borrow a pen?" A man from behind muttered at me.
"Here," I passed the pen I was holding on to him.
Since I don't write down anything, I never needed a pen. After I gave it to him, I did a glance about the room just to check my surroundings. Nobody even looked up. Everyone was too occupied with their books and notes. It's getting creepy seeing this every day.
After a few minutes, I felt uneasy for some reason. Like something was missing or an empty hole was inside me. Was I hungry? No, clearly not. I just ate lunch 3 hours ago, so I think I'm good on that part. It's starting to get annoying though since I keep moving around my seat a lot. I never feel nervous around my seat, not even on a normal day. Well, whatever it is, I needed to get out. I could be getting claustrophobic from all the white noise around the room. Maybe some fresh air would clear my mind a bit.
My pocket watch was already at 3:45, so only a few minutes left and I'll be fine.
This will all end. You just have to wait.
My mind had to be occupied. The more I think about it, it could get even worse. I could cause attention to myself. It would be middle school all over again. That would be bad. I needed some sort of distraction. I just had to direct my attention to something else...
And that's when I saw her.
Since I sit next to a window, looking outside was my only option — and I'm glad it was. People were walking around the campus. Trees and grass covered the entire ground. But what caught my attention was her. Sitting on a bench by the lawn was a woman roughly around my age. Her eyes glimmered in the sun. She glowed like the goddess Athena or Aphrodite. She was like a bush full of roses in the afternoon daylight. I don't know why, but it was as if all my senses suddenly stopped like I was frozen for some reason. I've only had this feeling once in my life. I don't want to miss this chance. Not again.
"Mr. Carter, are you alright?" The professor's voice snapped me out of my fantasy.
"Uh-ye-yeah, I'm fine," I was stuttering a bit but nobody seemed to care. He just went back to his lecture while I thought of a way to get down.
My watch was at 3:55, just 5 minutes before 4 PM. The room was two stories up, and the elevator was broken. The only way down was the stairs. If I need to get to her, I need to run. Fast. The hallway was going to get filled before I get out of here. Unless luck is on my side, I'm going to have a hard time squeezing in. I glanced at the watch again...
5.....
4.....
3.....
2.....
"Alright, class dismissed," The professor called out.
I immediately packed my stuff up and went for the door. Passing through my classmates, I was the first to burst out, much to everyone's surprise. I was the most silent person you could ever meet in that room. Seeing me running like a mad dog might be a bit suspicious. But that didn't bother me at all. I was too focused on her. The image of her in my mind, sitting by that mahogany tree is something I could never erase. I just had to see her again.
I was running so fast, I didn't realize I came up to the Main Hall. It was already filled with students, chatting and gossiping. The stairs were just passed all of them so I had to be careful. Since the building was a bit small, I had no choice but to go through. I slipped in the crowd, hoping to get to the other side much quicker.
"Hey, watch it!" A senior called me out while I was pushing through.
"Sorry about that!" I shouted back, but he just stared in anger and went to his locker.
I kept hitting a few people, but they didn't seem to care. It was quite cramped between all of them, but I managed to get through. After seeing the flight of stairs, I power-walked down.
Universe, don't fail me now.
I got out pretty easily after that. Since the bottom had a wider area, I had no problem running to the exit. Adrenaline coursed through my blood at that moment. There was no stopping me now. I busted out of the door and went for the side of the building.
The campus was pretty big. Plenty of ground was covered with greenery from the grass. Even the sky was covered with tree foliage, but just enough for the sun to come through. Across my building was the library, which had a Greek design for "a nice aesthetic feel." At least, that's what the tour guide said when I came here. The wind was nice while I was running. I was pretty constant at my speed at that point. Nothing could hold me back, right?
"Hey, Dan!"
I jinxed myself.
I didn't have time to react, but I realize it was Claire, a friend back in my senior year of high school. I skidded my shoes onto the pavement, forcing me to stop on hard friction.
"Hey! I really can't talk—"
"Chris told me earlier to give you your umbrella back," She handed me a turquoise umbrella, the one I always use.
I already forgot about it until then. Chris borrowed it for a play production last Wednesday. But I didn't mind it, so I just grabbed it and stuffed it in my backpack, trying not to waste a second.
"Alright, thanks. Bye!" I ran off before she could answer.
I manage to look at my watch one last time. 4:10 PM. Already 10 minutes passed. I was almost there.
God, please. Let her still be there.
I started to slow down once the wooden seats and tables were in my sight. I took a deep breath to catch some air. I looked up to the window near my seat, hoping for some good luck to come. I looked down and...
Nothing. No one was there. I stopped as soon as I saw the empty bench in front of that tree. Looking left and right, I saw no sign of her, just students who were minding their own business. No one that resembled her was around.
Damn it.
I slowly walked up and sat on the bench, sulking on what had just happened. I was running down, only to find an empty seat. This was the second time it happened. Only this one felt more literal and shorter. She reminded me a lot about her. Her dark brown hair waved in the air. The way she sat on her seat with elegance. The resemblance was uncanny. I even realize that the feeling I had in class was gone. It was as if she was some kind of cure.
I kicked my foot back when I felt something on the ground. It looked to be a chain of some sort. I bent down and picked it up to examine it better. A golden chain was hanging from my hand and on the end looked to be a heart— a locket.
I didn't see anyone trying to find something, but I knew it had to be hers. The locket reminded me of something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I didn't bother to think and just forgot about it after a while. I just placed it in my pocket and waited a bit. If someone were to find it, they would probably retrace their steps back here.
My watch ticked on 4:25 PM. 25 minutes of running only seemed like seconds. I was just in utter disbelief at that moment. I guess that's what time does to you, huh?
I managed to get myself up after minutes of sitting around. Nobody seemed to be curious about any lost item. I didn't want to wait until 5 PM, but I also don't want to keep the locket. I needed to go home already. I might as well just come back here and report it to the office tomorrow.
My mind felt empty. All I could think of now was just my surroundings. Students were sitting on the grass. They seemed to be occupied with their phones. One laughed and showed something to what looked to be his friend. I looked over at the library. The way the pillars stood up in shining white reminded me of the Parthenon. Behind it though was the outdoor court. A few were playing some basketball. I managed to catch a glimpse of a slam dunk, which everyone there looked impressed about it.
I was too tired to care, though. So, I just kept moving on. Walking towards the gate, I was pretty quiet. I just laid my head down and walked, like I usually do. There was no need to be sad about it. I mean today was already the end of the semester. I could have some time for my hobbies for once. I can take some photos around the park like I planned to. Maybe I can finish that story I was writing months ago. I may actually have some free time to enjoy myself. Yeah, all by myself.
ns 15.158.61.54da2
