My first day of lectures was eventful but really tiring. By the end of the day, as I was having my chemistry lecture, I felt like my brain was going to explode.
The whole day I tried to distance myself from everyone else. I was an observer - I could already see the friendships forming between students. I sat on the outside, a few seats separating me and my nearest classmates.
During chemistry class I thought a breakdown was in due course. I didn't know how I was able to survive this whole day; it was probably because of the adrenaline of my first day of classes at Yale University. But - 4 more years of this? I shook my head in disbelief. How do these students do this?
After the lecture a girl walked up to my seat. She was a brunette, with big sparkling-blue eyes.
'Hey, are you Olivia?' She asked politely, smiling a little.
'Yeah, but please call me Liv. You are...?' I trailed off.
'I'm Alana, nice to meet you!' She grinned. 'I saw you sitting by yourself in some of the classes we shared. I just thought I'd come by and say hi.'
My heart sank a little when I heard that she came to me out of pity. My defensive mood flared up, but I forced it down. She's just trying to make friends, Liv. Don't make it hard for her.
'Aww, I really appreciate that! If I'm being honest, I haven't tried to make many friends here. I've wanted to change that for a while but I haven't found the right opportunity. So—thanks for being here, Alana,' I smiled.
'My pleasure. Hey, since class is over, do you want to come to my dorm for a chat?' She asked. I didn't have any homework to do in the evening—plus, this was a great opportunity to make a new friend.
'Sure thing!' I replied enthusiastically.
——
A couple of hours later, I was sitting with Alana on her bed, basking in her multi-coloured fairy lights.
Alana came from Greece, and like me, she also lived in the countryside. We traded stories of our childhood, and I lost myself in her world of beachside towns and clear blue waters and moussaka and its sun-kissed people.
In no time, Alana already felt like an old friend. However, throughout the night I couldn't help but feel waves of guilt wash over me, when I felt like I was abandoning my friends in Aus. Calm down, I'm sure they couldn't be happier for you, I reminded myself.
After I got over these initial waves of guilt, I was able to enjoy the moment. Looking back, that was probably the most fun I'd had in weeks up until then.
Alana made me feel so good about myself, and our energy just seemed to feed off one another.
I was so glad I'd met her.
YOU ARE READING
A Crowded Place
RomanceI breathed in his sweet cinnamon and autumnal scent, relishing in the way his lips moved with mine, his sensual touch as his hand moved to the small of my back. A euphoric symphony seemed to crescendo from the silence as we kissed, complemented by...
