Underneath her heart

Chapter 1 - Her first day

On the first day of her freshman year, she felt completely out of her depth.

She was shy, awkward, and too nervous to even look up—let alone walk over and introduce herself to someone. Coming from a quiet suburb, she had not been prepared for the size of the university she had spent years dreaming about.

She had worked so hard to get there. But somewhere between cramming for exams, chasing grades, and fighting for her place, she had forgotten to prepare herself for the real culture shock: people. People from different cities, different families, different lives.

After dragging her bags up to the dorm, she offered her new roommate a small, uncertain smile. Then she sat quietly on her bed and stared at the floor.

What is wrong with me? she wondered. I knew this was coming. Why do I feel so scared?

The next day, she walked into her first lecture hall.

And somehow, it felt easier.

Academically, she was in her element. She knew the material. Numbers, theories, notes, and lectures made sense in a way people often did not. Sitting quietly in her geeky glasses, comfortable trousers, and worn-out sneakers, she focused on writing every word down.

Then the girl beside her smiled.

It was small. Simple. Unexpected.

But it made her entire day.

Isn't that all it takes sometimes? she thought. One smile can make a person feel like they belong.

That was the day she met Sue—the kind of loyal friend she had never believed she would be lucky enough to find.

Days slipped into weeks. Soon, she and Sue were happily trapped in their own little world: classes, late-night snack runs, whispered conversations in the dorm, and endless midnight chats about everything and nothing.

For a while, everything felt perfect.

And then, there was him.

The first time Noah crossed her path, she told herself he was just another pleasant breeze passing through her life.

He had a small dimple in his chin, a lean build, and toned arms. He was exactly the kind of tall she had always secretly imagined—the kind where, if she ever hugged him, her ear would rest against his chest and she would be able to hear his heartbeat.

Is he just another passing breeze? she wondered.

Or is he like the UK weather—always changing, impossible to predict, and somehow always there?

She laughed quietly at the thought.

But deep down, even then, she knew the truth.

This was not something that was going to pass.