Chapter 1: Runway Rendezvous

Isabella's POV

The backstage buzz was electric, with models scurrying about like colorful butterflies in their vibrant attire. My heart raced as I adjusted the straps of my elegant black dress, feeling a strange blend of excitement and nervousness. Who would've thought that a criminology major would find herself here, living out her fashion dreams?

I glanced over at Diana, my ever-supportive best friend. She was the perfect foil to my fashion frenzy, her down-to-earth nature a soothing contrast to my exuberance. "Can you believe I'm doing this, Diana?" I quipped, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Diana chuckled, her eyes filled with pride. "Isabella, you're going to rock that runway like a boss, as always."

Her words were the shot of confidence I needed. With a grin, I gave her a playful punch on the arm. "That's what I like to hear. If I trip, you're carrying me off the stage, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes twinkling. "Deal. But you won't trip. You're a pro at this, and besides, your golden retriever energy doesn't allow it."

I laughed, loving the way Diana always saw the bright side of things. "You know me too well. Speaking of which, do you think they have snacks backstage? A girl needs her fuel, even on the catwalk."

Diana rolled her eyes, a gesture that had become a fond tradition between us. "Isabella, your love for food knows no bounds. I'll check the snack situation for you, but right now, you need to focus on strutting your stuff."

The call to line up came, and I took a deep breath. It was showtime. As I walked towards the stage, Diana's encouraging words echoed in my mind, infusing me with the confidence to face the spotlight.

The runway stretched out before me, and the lights blinded me momentarily. But as I stepped onto the stage, all my nerves disappeared. This was my happy place, where my passion for fashion and modeling met my sense of humor, creating a unique cocktail of charm.

I strutted down the runway with the grace of a seasoned model, my thoughts dancing in italics. Just a few more steps, and then it's snack time, Bella. You've got this.

The audience erupted into applause as I reached the end of the runway. I turned with a flourish and made my way back, savoring every moment under the spotlight. This feels like home.

As I exited the stage, Diana was there, beaming with pride. "You did amazing, Isabella!"

I couldn't help but grin, my heart still pounding with exhilaration. "I know, right? I should probably consider a career change to full-time modeling."

Diana laughed, her eyes twinkling with affection. "One step at a time, Bella. But who knows, maybe you'll end up juggling criminology, fashion, and a modeling career someday."

And with Diana by my side, anything seemed possible. We headed backstage, ready to take on the rest of the event, my heart still thumping with the thrill of the runway. I may be pursuing a path of crime-solving, but for now, let's just focus on solving the mystery of these snacks.

After the event, the exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks. It was an inter-college extravaganza, but I felt like I had taken on the whole world. "Diana," I said with a dramatic sigh, "I need to go home and hibernate. There's no way I can survive more of these events tonight."

Diana nodded understandingly, her brown eyes sparkling with empathy. "Bella, you've just conquered the runway. You deserve some rest. We can catch the highlights of the other events later."

With a grateful smile, I waved my goodbyes to fellow participants and the fashion-obsessed crowd and headed for the exit. Diana and I walked together, sharing anecdotes about the event and our favorite moments.

My house wasn't too far from the venue, and I couldn't wait to take a long, hot bath to soothe my tired muscles. Baths are the answer to life's problems, I mused, grinning at the thought.

Back at my place, the soothing sound of running water filled the bathroom as I indulged in some much-needed pampering. Diana leaned against the bathroom doorframe, teasing me, "Bella, if you stay in there any longer, you'll turn into a prune."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "You know me, Diana. I'm taking this bath to another level—getting into character, like a method actor, but for prunes."

Diana rolled her eyes, but her lips curved into a fond smile. "Well, method actor Bella, when you're done turning into a prune, we should have some snacks."

Snacks! The word itself had a magical quality, and it snapped me out of my bath-time musings. "You're a genius, Diana. Snacks sound like an excellent idea. Let's raid the kitchen."

Diana's thoughtful nature shone through. She turned to our cook, Maria, and said, "Maria, you've been working hard today. Why don't you take the night off? I'll take care of dinner."

Maria's eyes brightened with gratitude, and she thanked Diana before heading to her quarters. Diana's heart is as big as her culinary skills, I thought, proud to call her my best friend.

With a mischievous grin, I glanced at Diana. "So, what's on the menu tonight, oh culinary wizard?"

Diana, with her usual humility, replied, "Well, we've got some lasagna baking in the oven, and I thought I'd whip up a fresh salad. And for dessert, there's a surprise."

My best friend knows the way to my heart, I thought, practically salivating at the mention of lasagna. "A surprise, you say? I hope it involves chocolate."

Diana winked. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Our dinner conversation was filled with laughter and stories from the event. It was times like these, simple moments spent with my dearest friend, that made me cherish life even more.

Diana and I had settled into a comfortable evening at my place. With our bellies full of lasagna and our hearts full of laughter, we indulged in one of our favorite pastimes—discussing our lives and, more importantly, our parents' latest endeavors.

"By the way, Bella," Diana said as she sipped her glass of water, "when are your parents coming back from their work trip?"

I sighed, resting my chin on my hand as I replied, "Well, it's the usual story, Di. An important business meeting, and they're globe-trotting for who knows how long. They should be back in a week, minimum."

Diana nodded sympathetically. "You know, your parents are something else, Bella. I don't know anyone else whose idea of 'family bonding' involves crossing time zones."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "They do have a knack for timing their trips around every major life event. But hey, at least it's given me the chance to perfect my 'self-sufficiency' skills."

We shared a laugh over my unintentional culinary experiments during my parents' frequent absences. Microwavable dinners will be my best friends, I mused.

As we continued chatting about our parents, our screens lit up in unison with a notification. I glanced at Diana with a raised eyebrow. "What's this, a synchronized notification dance?"

Diana shrugged, her eyes glued to the screen. "I don't know, but it's from our college group. Let's see what it's about."

The message revealed the news that a new academic session was about to begin, and along with it, came the dreaded announcement—a change in timetables for all the classes and courses.

I groaned, shaking my head. "Oh no, not the timetables! Every semester, it's like a lottery, and we're just trying to hit the class attendance jackpot."

Diana's eyes widened, mirroring my own concerns. "I can't believe they're doing this to us again. I can't even remember my current timetable properly."

We quickly skimmed through the message for any information regarding our classes, and that's when Diana found it.

"Bella," she said, excitement in her voice, "look here! Our new timetables are out, and it says we'll be having classes on the same campus."

I leaned in to read the message closely, and sure enough, it confirmed that our classes, despite being in different departments, were scheduled in the same campus. Relief washed over us like a warm wave.

"Well, that's a silver lining," I quipped. "At least we can rendezvous during our breaks, complain about the classes, and maybe even sneak off for snacks."

Diana grinned, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Exactly. And you know what, Bella? It seems like they've combined some classes with different departments. Criminology students are going to have common classes with chemistry students."

I blinked, processing the information. Criminology and chemistry students? That should be... interesting. "Well, who knows, Diana, maybe I'll learn some chemistry from you."

She laughed. "And maybe I'll learn a thing or two about solving crimes from you. We'll be a dynamic duo!"

We giggled at the thought of crime-solving chemists and chemistry-savvy criminologists.

With the promise of shared breaks, classes in a common campus, and a bit of humorous banter, the upcoming semester was starting to look like an exciting adventure waiting to unfold. Let's see where this academic journey takes us, I thought, as Diana and I toasted to the future with our glasses of water, raising a toast to friendship and the unexpected twists of college life.