"What's going on here?" I ask Link when we drive up the college road. It's a Saturday night but the campus seems to be booming with life.

"There are a couple of games scheduled for tonight. Men volleyball, a cross country meet, and women soccer," he informs me.

"I've been meaning to ask... How did your game go today?"

I'm so uninterested in sports that I completely forgot to ask about his tournament.

"Good," he answers.

"Did you win?"

"Isn't that implied?"

"I suppose."

"How was the beach?"

"Great. I surfed," I say proudly. "I mean, I tried. That should count for something."

Link takes me to the dorms and helps me take the helmet off. We are parked right next to my car and try to hurry quietly, careful not to be seen or heard by any residents.

"Thanks for driving me," I say when it's time to say goodnight.

He doesn't even take his helmet off, making it easier not to kiss him out of instinct. He gives me a nod and soon after he drives off. I open the door to my car but hesitate to get in. I want to make sure Impa is not hungover. Since I'm already here I should probably go check on her.

My text doesn't get a reply and when a group of girls open the door to the building I decide to sneak in with them. I haven't been here before but it is surprisingly easy to make out Impa's room; its door is plastered by posters and stickers of her favorite band. I knock at the door and wait. It opens fairly quickly, but Impa is not the face that greets me.

"Zelda?" Paya whispers with a bashful smile.

"Paya? Sorry, I... I thought Impa lived here."

"She does," Paya says quietly.

Wow, imagining Impa and Paya as roommates is almost as hard as imagining Link and Revali as roommates.

"Great, can I come in?"

"Of course," Paya steps aside to let me enter. One side of the room is neat and clean, the other not so much. No sign of Impa though.

"Where is she?" I ask the shy girl.

"Impa is at a frat party," she tells me.

I should have known. At least that tells me that Impa is feeling good enough to be partying.

"Will you tell her that I stopped by?"

"Okay."

"Thanks," I smile and leave the room again. Bummer. I would have liked to see Impa and hang out for a few minutes since we didn't spend much time together yesterday.

I head back to my car and drive away from the dorms, grateful not having walked into Mipha. I hope Sidon didn't tell her that I was meeting with Link. I let her go on and on about her feelings for him today and managed to keep our secret. It would be hard to explain the whole thing and appear innocent at the same time.

I come to a halt at the first stop sign. If I go left I will drive toward home, if I go right I will drive up to campus. A car approaches me from behind and I have to make a turn. Heedlessly, my car turns right and I am driving up the road. I just want to stop by and say hi to Urbosa, I'm assuming she'll be at the cross country meet.

The parking lot is occupied by multiple buses from other universities and cars of spectators and the athlete area looks busier than I've ever seen it.

As I pass the track I take a look at the athletes warming up on the grass, one team wears red and black colors and the logo of the boars is prominent. My heart sinks and interrupts my walk immediately. Even though I don't know anyone on Lorule's cross country team, it's very unsettling just to look at them. Their mascot looks so aggressive and bloodthirsty. Perhaps I should go home after all, I don't even know if Urbosa is present and seeing Lorule's school here is sort of a red flag.

Unnoticed by anyone I walk back but I am pulled away from the crowds and under the bleachers. My first instinct is to shriek but my mouth is already covered by a hand and before I can comprehend what is happening my back is locked to a guys' chest. I try to remember what Link taught me about self defence, this is the exact situation we practiced only two hours earlier. But my mind is faltering under the pressure and fear, I seem to have forgotten everything I learned that could help me right now.

Maybe I would kick him, bite him, cry, or turn to stone... if I didn't recognize the smell of his deodorant. As my breaths calm, he removes his hands and allows me to turn around to face him.

"What the actual--"

Link covers my mouth again before I can cuss him out. He lays his finger to his lips. Once I nod and promise to be quiet he removes his hand from my mouth anew.

"You could have tripped me, like we practiced" he whispers.

"I knew it was you."

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I say quietly.

"I'm avoiding a party at the frat house," he explains. "What about you?"

"Just wanted to say hi to Urbosa."

"But... the curfew?"

"I'll make it in time. Don't worry."

"It's my duty to--"

"Yeah, I know," I roll my eyes and cross my arms. If I hear him mention Father and his ridiculous request to be my personal bodyguard, it will ruin my good mood.

"Are you mad?" the poor man asks.

"No."

The look on Link's face suggests that he isn't quite convinced yet. It's just so agitating to think about Father and his inappropriate orders to have me under surveillance, and seeing Link mention it as his duty just gets the best of me. It's not Link's fault that he was chosen to watch over me. Come to think of it, it's probably best that it's him and not some other guy who'd follow me around and catch me with Link.

All these thoughts are vexing! I need to remove my life's dictator from my head, now.

I need Link to be in my head instead. Only Link. When I reach for his hand he dodges my touch in precaution.

"It's dark," I argue his very reasonable reaction. "And..." I step closer, "everyone is too distracted to look under the bleachers anyway."

He doesn't object but I can see it in his eyes that he is not persuaded. I kiss him anyway. He did this at the pier, doing it here is hardly any different. At least that's what I tell myself. I don't want any negative thoughts to spoil my head right now. I just want to feel his kiss on me.

Link takes a step backward but pulls me along, never breaking the kiss. His hands draw my hips closer to him as my arms snake around his neck. This is all I need right now. I said it before; Link clouds my mind. Usually I complain about it, saying that I can't think clear. But right now, that's exactly what I want. I want to think about nothing but him.

Kissing Link under the bleachers while surrounded by people who aren't supposed to see us is a thrill. It makes me feel like the daring cheerleader of some sappy 80s high school romance movie. I need this rush, this thrust of courage, if I want to face Father tonight. Not this again! I don't want to think about Father right now! I bring my body to Link's, closing the little space between us, and kiss him fervently. All my senses focus on him; the way he smells, the way his hands wrap around my waist, all the way to the faint sensation on my cheeks where his nose strokes my skin during our kiss. His lips embrace mine. I tilt my head and open my mouth, longing for more.

Link is evidently enjoying this just as much as me, however, he is the one to stop our kiss first.

"We really shouldn't," he breathes.

I know he's right. That doesn't stop my heart from craving more of this feeling though. I kiss him despite his concerns and neither of us is strong enough to separate our lips.

"You got drip, girl!" An athlete comments on another athlete's outfit. Link and I stop in shock and check our surroundings. My hand is pressed against my mouth, making me mute but not invisible.

"Aw, thanks! Got 'em at Dick's!" the other girl chirps, showing off her sneakers.

I spot them; two girls are standing near us, right next to the bleachers, but they haven't seen us.

"Okay, maybe we really shouldn't," I whisper and Link nods in agreement.

This was not my wisest moment. I shouldn't allow him to take over my mind like that.

As soon as I step out from beneath the bleachers, Urbosa puts her hand on my shoulder and smiles down on me.

"What a pleasant surprise to see you at a sports event," she says joyfully. "Or did you get lost again on your way to the library?" she laughs.

I'm trying to read her face. Is she smiling because she is happy to see me or because she saw me with Link under the bleachers? I look back there; he's gone.

"I came to see you," I say and watch closely for her reaction.

"Well don't I feel honored!" She laughs. "So tell me, how have you been?"

"Good. I'm trying."

"I'm sure you're doing excellent! Have you been able to talk to Link?"

"What? No? Why?" I look around nervously, reminding myself to keep eye contact when I lie.

"Last time we spoke you mentioned some concerns you had about him. I assumed you were going to talk to him."

"No, haven't seen him since that day," I shrug, trying to be casual.

"Isn't he in your classes?"

"Well yeah, outside of class I mean."

"But... A few days ago when you were running by the track, he came running after you, didn't he?"

"What?"

"On Tuesday. I waved at you and you just kept running. Link asked me where you went so I pointed him in the right direction."

Tuesday was the day Link came to my rescue behind the baseball field. I didn't know he had talked to Urbosa that day... I'm glad he did. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't stopped that guy from Lorule.

"Little Bird," Urbosa gives me a teasing smile with her eyes narrowed. "I've known you since you were born, and before that, I was best friends with your mother for years. She was just as bad at lying as you. If something is going on, you can talk to me."

I sigh and hold onto the locket of my necklace. I know I can trust Urbosa, but telling her about Link when everything is still in the unknown might not be the best idea. On the other hand, she may have some good advice for me.

"Well, I guess--"

"Not here," she stops me from blurting it out in the middle of a crowd. "Let's go to my office."

Urbosa's office is on the second floor of the sports building with a beautiful view over the track. It's quiet in the building, the hallways are dark, and it appears we are the only people indoors. Urbosa takes a seat in her big office chair and I sit on the other side of her desk.

"So," she begins. "What's been stressing you out lately?"

"School," I shrug. I changed my mind. She does not need to know about my love life.

"Are you worried that you won't succeed?"

"Well yeah, getting a 100 on every assignment is simply impossible."

"Why do you strive to receive a 100 on every assignment?"

"Because Father said I have to if I want to study biology. Along with his other preposterous rules."

"I thought the only requirement was to double major."

"I wish."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was going to be this hard."

"What are the other rules?" she asks worried.

"I can't have a boyfriend, I mustn't lie, and I have to be home by 10 PM every day."

"Then what are you doing on campus this late? Does he know that you're here?"

"No."

"Zelda..."

"I'll make it in time," I assure her. I'm already late, I must be. "I'm more worried about my grades."

Because that's the only thing he will actually notice.

"I will talk to Rhoam," Urbosa sounds resolute.

"No!" I beg. There is nothing she could say or do that will change his mind. He wants me to fail. And the only way to win this is if I get every point right on every assignment and test.

"It's not just about the grades, is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're 17 years old. You are an extraordinary young lady; beautiful and smart. Your teen years shouldn't be spent all alone in your room, studying until your brain is fried. At your age I went on my first vacation without parents, got my first tattoo, drove through my first dust storm, and had some other great first times," she laughs and I try to focus on the dust storm, not the limited possibility of other first times she may be hinting at. "At 17, I figured out what I liked and what I didn't like. I broke a couple of rules, screwed up a few times, and learned from it. Long story short; I had fun. I would hate to see you miss out on all that."

"I... It's fine, I'm fine. I promise. I went surfing today. I figured out that I don't like it. But I did like everything that revolved around it. See? I'm not missing out," I give her a smile. I didn't expect her to try and talk to Father. Their friendship shouldn't get hurt in the middle of all this. Urbosa is the closest thing to Mother that I have, and the closest friend to Father, and I can't give him any reason to prohibit me from seeing her.

"Please don't talk to him about all this. I'm grateful that he lets me study biology."

"Alright," she sighs. "I will not consult with him. For now. But I want you to keep that option in mind, okay?

"Okay."

"We can talk more on Monday. You should go home now."

We get up and walk back out of the building. She wants to hug me goodbye but I grab one of the empty water kegs next to a tent.

"I will go refill this," I offer.

"We have volunteers for that," Urbosa chortles.

"It's fine, I can do it."

She takes the keg from me and puts it down with a sigh.

"Go home, Little Bird."

"I'm just trying to help."

"You're going to be late."

"I'm being polite," I disagree.

"No, you're stalling."

"No, I'm scared!"

For a moment Urbosa is left speechless.

"You're scared?... Of Rhoam?"

"No, of myself," my voice breaks. "I'm scared of the things I might say. This morning I almost butchered my chances at studying biology. I yelled at Father, like... I actually talked back. I raised my voice..."

"And how did he take that?"

"He didn't know how to react. But I'm sure by now he has a plan on how to deal with me. Urbosa, please, I don't know what to do. I'm only a month into college, a doctorate can take 10 to 14 years! How will I do this for another 10 years? Am I supposed to just hold my tongue and let him treat me like one of his incapable servants?"

"Okay, breathe," she says in a comforting voice. "It doesn't have to be like this. In a few months you'll be 18 years old, you'll be able to make your own decisions."

"He will still be the president of the university," I'm fighting to hold the tears back. All the thoughts I've been avoiding all day come crashing down at once.

"Yes, but even the president can't change your major without your consent."

"I just... We got into a fight and I don't want to go home."

"Families fight. You will make up."

"No, I don't want to see his face!"

Urbosa pulls me into a tight hug before the tears start falling.

"Okay. It's okay. You can stay at my house tonight. I will inform your father."

"Thank you, Urbosa" I hug her back. I feel a whole lot of weight just got lifted off my shoulders.

"But tomorrow you'll have to go home and talk to him."

"Okay..."

She backs away but holds on to my shoulders. "I'll grab my bag and tell my coworkers that I'm leaving early. I'll be right back just wait here."

"Okay..."

Urbosa turns her back to me and heads back inside. She was right. I was stalling. All day long I've been dreading going home. Now that I am spending the night at Urbosa's I no longer have to worry about Father. At least until tomorrow. Still, for tonight I am able to finally breathe again.

I remain put, looking around while I'm waiting. Almost completely concealed by the dark, I spot Malice and Ganon next to the building. They are close to the wall, deliberately trying to remain unseen. I almost stumble over my own feet trying to create more distance between us, even though they aren't close to me, nor are they paying attention to me in the first place. For a moment I thought they were arguing, but Malice is now kissing him. I roll my eyes and want to turn away from them but Ganon suddenly slaps Malice across her face. I flinch, my eyes are locked on them, and I don't dare move a muscle.

"Don't start that shit! You said he'd be here," Ganon shouts at her.

"Maybe we should go back to the party," she says, much quieter.

"He wasn't there."

"His car was there though." She starts to walk in my direction but he grips her wrist and hauls her back.

"You're not going back to that fucking house!" 

"You're hurting me!" she whimpers.

"I don't give a shit! You're not going to that party, got it?"

"Okay! Fine! Let's keep chasing after your stupid boyfriend then."

"Say that again," he dares her. A nightmarish shadow of hauteur has fallen over his face and his hand is in the air once again.

Enough! Even Malice with her foul heart and sour personality doesn't deserve to get beat by her boyfriend. I rush over to them without a plan in mind.