The first day of college was always exciting, especially when your brother was also studying there. I had come to study acting and, miraculously, I did. Ever since I was a child, I had dreamed of becoming an actress, and now, finally, that dream was slowly starting to come true.

Raven had promised to pick me up that morning, but due to some unexpected issues with his fiancée, I had to take the bus at 8 a.m., and we would meet there.

At the next stop, the bus jolted violently before slowing down, and as soon as the doors opened, my attention was drawn to a red-haired man who boarded the cramped vehicle.

"Go talk to him," my heart urged. I wasn't sure what to say or how to approach him. I'm usually a very private person when it comes to meeting new people.

But just a few minutes later, he handed me his phone and a note that said, "You're very sweet. Can I have your number?"

My heart started beating faster and, for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. With slightly trembling hands, I punched in my number and rushed out of the bus at the next stop. My cheeks were burning, but I was so proud of myself for being able to be pretty, as the guy I liked had taken my number himself.

"Good morning, Nessie!" I said. "I was afraid I would have to find the right offices and buildings on my own. But why didn't Raven meet you?"

"Alice had some kind of emergency... He told me which bus to take to get here. It would have been better if I had gone with you yesterday."

"Come on, we ended up meeting, so we can explore together." He smiled radiantly and held out his hand.

Of course, I had seen the building from the outside, but not the inside. So, as soon as I saw those moldings on the walls, arches in the aisles, and statues in the corridors, I gasped involuntarily.

Lin shared this surprise with me, and we moved around the campus in search of the right office, our mouths agape and our eyes wide. "Now I understand why it's so difficult to get into this college!" I said. "Lin... I doubt it's just because it's beautiful here."

After 10 minutes of searching, using the campus map, we finally found the cherished office 4B and entered. We were greeted by the literature professor. "Vanessa Allister and Lynnox Gray, right? You're a little late. We've already started. Come on in."

"Excuse us," Lin began. "We got a little lost while we were looking for the office."

The professor was a short, slightly gray-haired woman with glasses that she constantly adjusted. She was wearing maroon hair dye, which she tried to hide, but it was obvious. Her voice was calm and sometimes too quiet. The girls in the back were whispering and giggling, but the professor, although she paused for a moment and looked at them, did not say anything.

A thin boy with glasses sat next to me. He seemed a little different from the other people in the audience. I noticed that he either watched Miss Bridget intently or shifted his gaze to me from time to time.

"Hi, Vanessa," he began the conversation after an hour had passed since I had sat down next to him. His voice was soft and slightly hesitant.

"It's just Ness," I replied, "the full name is too formal, especially for peers."

I smiled and looked back at my notebook. His steely gray eyes studied me as if I were some new species. Maybe it was because I tend to be somewhat aloof with strangers at first.

The boy tried to talk to me a few more times, but he didn't receive the most elaborate answers in return.

When the class ended, Mrs. Bridget said goodbye and left us to read "Pride and Prejudice" at home. Fortunately, I had already read the book! The truth was, though, that Lin didn't share my enthusiasm.

"I've been reading it for a hundred years!" she complained. "It's so boring!"

– Don't worry, I don't think that here, like at school, the teacher will run after you and make you repeat things word for word. We laughed and at that moment, I received a text message. I was so hopeful it was from the red-haired boy on the bus, that I even felt my cheeks blush. "Will you come out? I'm here, Nessie," it said. It was from Raven.

Forgetting about everything else, I grabbed Lin's hand and hurried towards the exit of the building. My brother was standing by a red Chevrolet Camaro, which he had bought three years earlier, just when we had last seen each other. "Ray!" I jumped into my older brother's arms, and he lifted me slightly. Lin calmly walked up and started looking around the car. "I'm glad to see you too, little one. How do you like my present? Do you like it?" "What are you talking about?" I wasn't stupid, it was just that the joy of seeing him after such a long time had dulled my senses slightly, and I hadn't quite understood what Raven meant.

My brother handed me the keys and I felt a sense of relief. "Apparently, I had passed my driving test for a reason that month," I thought to myself.

I couldn't let my sister use the local buses in the mornings. Trust me, it's a nightmare. And considering the cost of apartments in this area, we have to drive about an hour to get anywhere.

In response, I just nodded, shocked at his insight.

"Do you live together?"

"Yes," Lin replied, smiling and shrugging. "Ness insisted. Although at first, I wanted to stay with you and let her be on her own. You know her."

We laughed and I playfully shoved my brother, pretending to be annoyed, even though I knew he was joking.

"Well? Will you give it a try?"

The smile on my brother's face made me want to agree. There were still twenty minutes until the next class, so I decided to give it a shot.

The cabin was very clean and tidy. Behind the driver's seat, there was a vending machine, which was generally very convenient. The interior was pure black and had tinted windows, which added to the overall aesthetic. While the front of the car was not as strong as the back, it still looked great. There was also a pleasant smell of coniferous trees, mixed with my brother's cologne, creating an interesting blend.

I carefully pressed the gas pedal, and the car started moving briskly. With plenty of time to explore the city, I decided to take a tour around the college and get familiar with the car.

"Did you enjoy it?" my brother asked.

"Absolutely! It's amazing. I love it, Rachik," I replied, giving him a hug.

He pulled away and said, "I hope you won't mind if I'm not able to help you adjust to the city for a while. Alice and I have to go to the capital on business."

- I'm not as excited as I was five minutes ago, but I can't complain. The main thing is that we're seeing each other again and we won't disappear again. And thanks for the ride, but how about you?

My favorite thing about him is his dimpled smile and averted gaze. Yeah, Alice is lucky to have him as a brother. I chuckled to myself at the thought.

I've gotten myself a new shirt, I'll show it to you when I get back, okay? Also, I want to introduce you to some of my friends.

Ness - Lin interrupted me, about whom I had forgotten all about during this conversation and immediately chastised myself for it - we better head out, we're going to be late for the next class.

- D.. yeah, let's go.

Raven and I said our goodbyes, and I spent the next couple of hours in utter boredom compared to Lin. He had physical education, while I had a boring class.

Of course, I have no problem with the Roman Empire. Unfortunately, history has never interested me, either in school or here at work. Today, I was looking forward to two things: getting behind the wheel of my car and receiving a text from a friend. Although I knew I would only be waiting for the first, I still had high hopes.

Surprisingly, my third class was very easy, and I even made a new acquaintance. As I went outside to wait for my friend, a familiar mop of white hair approached me. When he sat down, he appeared taller than I expected, but he was only slightly taller than me in reality. He was thin and pale, which suited him well. The guy seemed to be heading my way.

"Hi, again," he said, looking away shyly. "Could you give me your phone number? I think you might need a college guide and I could help you with homework."

"Oh, sure, here," I replied, writing down my number.

After exchanging numbers, we stood there for a while until Lin got into his car. I politely said goodbye, and he promised to contact me in the evening.

Well, the evening will come. In the meantime, we are looking forward to exploring the city we have moved to and taking a trip around it.