Aria's POV
The morning sun peeked through the window, warming my face and forcing my eyes open. I groaned softly, turning away from the light. For a moment, I forgot where I was. The bed beneath me was softer than the lumpy mattress at the group home. The room smelled like lavender and detergent. Right. The apartment. Kael's place. My new... home?
I sat up slowly, brushing hair out of my face and letting out a breath. Today was my first day of university. My heart fluttered a little—half nerves, half excitement. It still felt unreal. After everything I'd been through—foster homes, therapy sessions, silence—I was finally here. On my own. Trying to make something out of my messy life.
I got ready in silence. I didn't expect to see Kael anyway. We'd barely exchanged more than five words in the past week. After the fight, we just... existed in the same space. He stayed in his room mostly. And honestly, I didn't care to fix things. Not yet.
I pulled on a pair of jeans and a plain white tee, then tied my hair into a high puff. Clean and simple. I didn't want to draw attention to myself, but I also didn't want to look like I didn't belong. I grabbed my bag and slipped on my sneakers, pausing by the mirror one last time.
"You got this," I whispered to my reflection.
The university campus was bigger than I expected. People walked in groups, laughing, talking, looking like they belonged. My steps slowed as I stared at the map on my phone for the third time. I was supposed to be heading to the engineering department... somewhere near the west wing? I turned in a circle, trying to match buildings to the blurry map.
Great. I was lost.
I started walking again, hoping I'd just magically end up where I needed to be. That was when I heard a voice behind me.
"Looking for something?"
I turned and saw a girl about my age, dressed in dark jeans and a colorful top. Her box braids were pulled into a bun, and she had a warm smile that made me relax just a little.
"Uh... yeah," I said awkwardly. "Engineering building?"
"You're not far," she said, walking up beside me. "I'm heading that way too. First year?"
I nodded. "First day."
She laughed. "Same. I'm Jasmine."
"Aria."
"Nice to meet you, Aria. Come on, I'll show you the way."
We walked side by side, and the tightness in my chest eased a little. She was easy to talk to. Bright and open in a way I wasn't used to anymore.
"So what made you choose engineering?" she asked.
I shrugged. "Always liked building things. Breaking them apart. Figuring out how they work."
She grinned. "Same here. Though most people don't think I'm smart enough for it. You should've seen my high school guidance counselor's face when I told her I was applying."
I laughed softly. "Tell me about it."
When we got to the lecture hall, the place was already half full. I followed Jasmine inside and we found seats together in the middle row. The professor, a tall man with grey streaks in his beard, walked in and started his introduction.
The class wasn't hard. Mostly talk about what the year would look like. Assignments, lab sessions, group projects. I took notes, even though most of it was already printed in the syllabus. I just wanted to stay focused. I had a lot to prove—not to anyone else, but to myself.
After class, Jasmine stretched and turned to me. "Wanna grab a smoothie before we head home?"
I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, okay."
We found a small campus café that sold fruit smoothies and sat by the window with our drinks. Mine was mango-pineapple, cold and sweet against the heat outside.
"So," she said, sipping hers, "how's the roommate situation?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Complicated."
She snorted. "Aren't they all?"
"He's not... bad," I said slowly. "Just cold. Kinda rude. Barely speaks. Keeps to himself. You know, the usual mysterious loner type."
"Yikes," she said, laughing. "Mine's never home. She might actually be a ghost. I've seen her, like, once."
We talked a little longer. About classes, hobbies, random stuff. It felt good. Like I wasn't completely alone here. When it was time to go, we exchanged numbers and promised to sit together tomorrow.
Walking home, I sipped the last of my smoothie and thought about the day. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than I expected. Maybe this was the start of something better. Maybe I could finally just... be normal for once.
I unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside, not sure if Kael was home. And honestly, not really caring if he was. I dropped my bag by the couch and went straight to my room.
Day one—done.
And I survived.
Lying on my bed with the ceiling fan spinning slowly above me, I let my body sink into the mattress as my thoughts drifted. Today wasn't some huge, life-changing event,but it mattered. It was the first time in a long while that I didn't feel like I was walking through life with a target on my back or a mask on my face. Meeting Jasmine felt like catching my breath after swimming too long underwater. She didn't look at me like I was broken, or weird, or someone to figure out. She just talked to me like a regular girl, and I didn't have to try so hard to be one. Still, part of me stayed on edge. Like the moment I let my guard down, something,or someone,would come along and ruin the calm. I wasn't used to peace. It felt unfamiliar, like a jacket that didn't quite fit yet. But maybe, just maybe, I'd grow into it. Maybe this was my chance to rewrite the story everyone else thought they already knew about me.