Just fixed my rose gold satin scrunchie after tying my hair into a ponytail, and I was ready to storm out of the dormitory. Having an ample amount of time for the classes to get started, I was contented that I was getting punctual day by day.

Looks like someone is excited to attend lectures now.

Uh- clearly not. Those boring hours when sleep could take over any minute and to stop me from smudging my mascara-never.

Why are you smiling like an idiot, then? Let me guess ice-cream da-

No, never. Shut up!

I glanced at myself in the mirror and slapped myself playfully to make that weird smile go away. My scrunchie was making me mad because my hair got loose out of the ponytail, and it was frustrating to tighten it every freaking time.

The sun had found its way out of the clouds enough for a windy day to be carried out with a bright light.

I bid my farewell to Kia and left down the stairs, dancing my way and reached the dormitory gates.

A familiar figure caught my attention and my feet took their direction. I saw Vian outside the dormitory gates resting on the hood of a car, caught in a rhythm of his own.

His voice was so melodious that it devoid the need of any instrument for him to support. I wondered what was that song as I had never heard that tune.

His eyes found their way and connected with mine, and he cleared his throat and stood still.

"Hey!" I said and started walking towards him.

"H-hey!!" He said, rubbing the back of his nape.

"Are you waiting for someone?" I asked casually as I never saw him around the dormitory.

"Uh-no, actually, I was just passing by," he answered.

"Oh-okay," I said.

"Do you w-walk to the university?" He asked, signaling towards the university route.

"Yeah, you wanna join?"

"Yeah, sure!" He exclaimed and slid his backpack around his shoulders.

Someone's in a good mood today. Do you like his this personality?

This personality? And no- shut up! Don't make it complicated.

Love is complicated.

We took slow steps in silence.

I looked at her and an unknown smile formed over my face. It was peaceful to just look at her.

She looked at me slightly, turning her chin up, and our eyes met. I immediately shifted my gaze to the other direction and a chuckle left from her lips.

I wondered if it was awkward for us, but I wanted her to speak. To listen to her voice.

I looked straight and then towards her, who was trying her best to tie her hair. Some strands of her hair got lost from her grip every time she tried to take a hold of them, while she blew on those to get them away from her face.

I chuckled at her cuteness and offered to help. We stood by the crossing near the fencing and instead of tying her hair, I pulled the rubber-type thing made of cloth and let her hair fall free. The tint of brown along with the sunlight made her face shine out like a crystal. Wait-what am I thinking? Focus Vian.

My hand automatically moved and tucked the loose strands behind her ear, and a sudden Déjà vu kicked in.

I felt a feeling that I had done that before, but a sound of a giggle brought me out of my imagination.

I handed over her scrunchie, that's what she called it, and moved her towards the other side away from the busy road.

"What was the song which you were humming? It was so good and your voice too," She complimented looking at me.

"It was uh- I don't remember the name actually," I lied. She like my voice? How could I tell her that it was my song? It was not even ou-

"Hey!! I remembered suddenly from the word you used, remember so-" she said something, but I couldn't remem- wait understood her.

"Long story short! It's a week trip to some forest!! I'm so excited! It'll be fun, right!?" She said enthusiastically and dropped the sentence with a question in the end.

"Have you been to any forest before?" I asked suddenly. Honestly, I didn't know why I asked.

"Um-no."

"I haven't been to any, but I always felt that I know how a forest smells like. Like, you know, like a spell of wood and soil with the continuous chirping of different birds humming along with the crickets. I know it sounds weird and strange, sorry," I explained.

"First, there was not a single reason to be sorry about, so take your sorry back," she commanded.

"Uh- yeah, sorry," I said. Shit.

"No sorry, I don't want you to apologize to anyone unnecessarily, there is nothing to be sorry about, you just shared your thoughts, okay!?" she said kind of scolding me to which I nodded.

"Good, second of all it might sound a little strange, but I can't say so as I have witnessed some strange things around me too recently. You know what, I think I have been to somewhere like the view you mentioned! My dad took me there when I was little," she remarked.

My dad took me there when I was little.

My dad took me there when I was little.

My feet stopped in their tracks and a sudden feeling of puke erupted. Casey, I need to find Casey, was all I thought that time.

"What happened?" She asked, furrowing her brows.

"Uh-nothing, you go ahead, I have got some work," I stated and moved towards the opposite direction to walk.

We never went somewhere and even if we did, something bad had happened which got us nothing else than- bad memories.

˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚

"Dad, let's go on vacation! Please! My friends are going out of the country and when they asked us, we had nothing to say, so brother lied and said that our dad took us there when we were little," Mia requested in a baby voice.

"We can, but a vacation costs so much! And your mom's salary is not enough to even manage the household, how can we afford a trip?" Mr. John Marshall protested.

"But dad, you said that if we would study well and get good grades, you would take us on vacation!" Vian kept his point.

"Shut up, you fool! Who permitted you to speak against me! Huh?!" John said, raising his voice.

"Don't shout at him, he is just a kid, and he said nothing wrong in my opinion," Mrs. Cassandra Marshall said.

"Who gave you the right to talk in between, it's the matter between Vian and me. You stay out of here. It's all your fault that these little pets are arguing with me," John shouted.

Mia started crying at said," I don't want to go on a vacation, please don't shout dad, I'm scared."

Vian went towards her and tried to shush her and asked her to not say anything.

"Wow, now this girl dares to order me! Perfect, what a family we have got!" John shouted.

"I'll speak in between, they are my kids too, and they said nothing wrong," Cassandra protested.

John had lost it, and he took the first thing he got in his hands and threw it on the floor, resulting in a loud thud. The glass vase was broken and one of its pieces hurt Vian's arm. The wound started to bleed, and Mia covered her ears and shed tears.

"Vian!" Cassandra shouted in concern, but her voice came out hoarse.

"It's okay Mia, don't cry, it doesn't hurt okay," Vian said in an assuring tone. But deep down, the unbearable pain stung him like a dagger.

"What are you doing? Are you out of your mind? Why are you throwing things?!" Cassandra shouted.

"I'll do whatever I want!" He said and yanked Vian's arm and left the room.

"What the- poor child's arm is hurt!" Cassandra cried and brought the first aid kit.

"Don't worry mom, it's nothing, I don't even feel the pain, see," Vian touched the wound to stop Cassandra and Mia from crying.

"Thank God, you are fine, brother," Mia sighed and wiped her tears away.

"You are so brave, Vian, so brave," Cassandra cried.

˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚˙༓࿇༓˙˚

"I miss you, Mia, and mom," I whispered hoping for them to listen to my cry and a tear escaped from my eye. I looked upwards to suppress that memory deep down, but if the wound is not properly sewed, it has chances of getting reopened and that's what happened. These incidences were uncountable, but the wound was open and fresh in my heart.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

We gave our names for the confirmation of the trip and Vian left immediately. He was acting like a jerk again, I thought to myself.

I told you before, not to judge.

Fine!

We sat in the cafeteria and made plans for the weekend, which was just near.

"Amusement park is a good idea! Let's go~" Kia exclaimed, to which everyone agreed except Xavier.

He hated those rides and I loved them. The whole squad loved the enticing and adventurous things, except him.

We all started to praise him for his braveness so that he could agree when my phone buzzed.

I took an excuse and went out of the cafeteria to a quiet place. Though it was a call from an unknown number, I answered just to show that I was brave too.

"Hello!" I exclaimed. There was no sound from the other side.

"H-hello!" I said again. I heard a gasping sound and the other person cut the call.

That's why I don't answer calls from unknown numbers! Don't call when you don't want to talk!

I marched my way back to the cafeteria when Abby spoke, "Jo, he's still whining like a baby, now only you can convince him."

I went near him and whispered in his ear," Give in, loser, and show us your courage, little creature."

He was triggered, I knew it and finally agreed.

"Still, is it necessary for me to come?" He asked again.

"Yes, it is."

─•❉᯽❉•─

A/N

Hey 🦋,
The same question, drop your views, hehe.

I'll meet you guys soon!
Until then,
Take care ❤