Something

1

I was only 18 years old.

There were several things that I had yet to understand or even fathom. However, there was no doubt in my mind that the tiny woman facing me, despised me. My choice of words could have seemed excessive had the tour guide's dislike for me not been so evident.

Indeed, no matter how I hid myself, the woman would always find me. Her extremely dry lips almost seeming at the ready as they shot snide remarks at me for the umpteenth time this afternoon.

"Miss, what are you doing?" She snapped as she pointed a fake neon pink nail at me. "Please, remove those earphones right away. We- no, I- need your undivided attention on this tour. If you do not wish to learn more about our beautiful institution, you did not need to come along! For now, at least pretend to be interested."

To contest or feign innocence in a carbon copy of her pretentious little voice?

No sooner had a mischievous smile drawn itself on my lips that I let out a small yelp. Frowning, I turned towards Liv. On good days, I would call her my one and only: my best friend. However, today wasn't exactly turning out to be a good day so I could only purse my lips at the bane of my existence.

From the moment, I had given in to her cute antics, I had known that I had been making a terrible mistake. After all, I was only going through this injustice because she had needed someone to pinch her as she would walk through the university of her dreams. As I now stopped her from pinching me once more, I could only swear under my breath as I recalled her moving monologue detailing every single reason she needed to join this University's Fine Arts Department.

All those precious hours she could have spent goofing off with me, lost in the smell of her secluded art room. All those times she had left me hanging to bury her nose in exquisite French manuscripts. They would finally pay off for both of us. After all, she would get to drink in all the knowledge she'd want every day. Enough to get more than her fill and devote her free time to me, her neglected best friend.

It was the perfect plan.

Or so it had seemed.

To hell with my love for Liv Hastings, next time she would pout at me, I would just leave her hanging.

Literally biting on my tongue, I looked straight at Little Miss Tour Guide. We exchanged the most peculiar smiles as I silently slid off my earphones. Evidently, she seemed to think that she had won. Unfortunately, Liv's hand on my arm stopped me from proving her otherwise.

Puffing my cheeks like the child that I was, I quietly fumed as Liv pulled me along. Diligently, I fell into step with the group and let my gaze wander.

From the light shimmering down the trees and onto the different pathways, all the way to the imposing University halls, the entire campus seemed to be taunting my creativity. Every single corner seemed to compete as though to see which would inspire me to create the most beautiful masterpiece.

A lonely oak tree had been about to beat out a peculiar boulder when I felt Liv's hand on my arm.

"Don't you feel like lying right there?" She whispered as she hooked her arm through my own. "I can just feel the sunlight on my fingertips as I would sketch that tree."

There was no denying the smile on my lips as my better half uttered those words. However, I would not give her the benefit of a full grin after all the hardships I'd gone through today. Therefore, I teasingly tried to shrug her off me. Not that she would budge as she simply nestled closer and pointed at a group of guys running topless.

"Or them." She whistled and I couldn't help giggle.

Much to Little Miss Tour Guide's dismay.

"Miss at the back of the group!"

From the tone of her voice, she seemed more than ready to have my head.

However, someone beat her to it.

"Incoming!"

No sooner had I registered that there was guy bellowing and running towards me, did my head violently lurch forward. Yelping, I found myself falling into Liv's arms just as the sound of a stick hitting the ground wrapped around us.

Hold on.

A stick?

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