Shadows

Chapter 14

"What we are going to do today is a bit different than all of our previous sessions," the art professor - Professor Peters or Macy as she told us to call her - said while looking at each one of us seriously.

Over the past week that I've been coming to this club, I've discovered that it became something that I actually look forward to all through the day. Macy just graduated from this same university last year, and since she's close to our age, she treats us as if we're her friends not her students.

The other members of this club are also extremely friendly. So far, I've become best friends with Joanna, who's also a freshman. I'd also say that Blake and I moved from being acquaintances to friends. 

They both sometimes make me forget that the main reason I've joined this club was to gather information on a certain someone and her roommate. So, I do have to say that I'm so glad that I joined this club, even if it was for the wrong reasons.

"I know that university can be stressful, especially if you're freshmen like some of you here are. Even if you're not a freshman, university, in general, can be quite challenging. With all of you living in the dorms away from your families, and with some of you struggling to make friends, you might find yourself getting affected negatively. You might find your mental health suffering."

It's as if she's describing you.

This is probably the first and last time that I'll be agreeing with my annoying subconsciousness. Should I be concerned that I'm relating to everything she's saying? I know for a fact that I've been suffering since coming to this university.

It's not only because of the academic aspect itself as much as it's from the journal, the constant fights with Lena and finally, the note. Even though I'm not exactly the poster child for happiness, I couldn't help but notice how I've been having more bad days than good, and how I've been feeling off every morning.

Well, almost every morning, for this morning I've definitely felt happy when I woke up this morning. I feel myself smile a little when I remember how the dorm's atmosphere was light this morning as opposed to the tense one every morning for the past two weeks. 

Since Lena and I had our first classes at eight, we both woke up at the same time. Lena then played really loud music on her speakers before we both started having a mini-concert in the room.

After realizing that we were going to be late to class if we don't hurry, we sadly had to end our concert, but the fun didn't stop there. We decided that we were going to quickly stop by the café to get my hot chocolate and her coffee, and on the way, we had a mini-competition over who could make the other laugh louder. Safe to say, we received some not so happy looks from the other students.

This morning was how I wanted the rest of our college years to be like. I want them to be fun and full of happy moments. However, as soon as Lena and I parted ways, I felt my momentary happiness slip away because, in reality, I have a crazy stalker slash kidnapper to look out for.

Hearing Macy start to talk again, I shake off my thoughts and focus on what she's saying.

"The problem is that if your mental health is suffering then you're never going to be fully happy or at your one hundred percent. And if you reach the point where you can no longer find happiness in anything, then not only will you be mental health suffer, your social life and grades will as well," she says with a faraway look in her eyes as if she's talking from experience.

"So, I think the best way to...let's say try to not reach the point of being affected mentally is by controlling the reasons that this happens in the first place, like stress. It's one of the most things that affect almost all students, right?"