COLLEGE WAS SEEMINGLY FUN. But she thought it was full of people who were talking too loud. Maybe too much. They thought they knew, but no, they were just trying to look smart. To use a word that no one knew seemed fantastic. It sounded more arrogant and pretentious to her.

She was the kind of person who would sit all day in the library, savoring the book she found interesting or writing her essay about women and the society, rather than involving in a dumb debate about the cruel regime out there. She admitted that she was not the best at confrontation; she was not that confident. She was afraid that she didn't read enough literature so her opinion was far from valid.

She was afraid that she sounded like everyone she hated.

That was why she was a friend of none but a boy named Tobias she knew from the first year of college. He thought the same way about college students unless he made a lot of friends. Probably, Tobias was born to be likable and she was not.

She talked in a bitter tone. Fortunately, Tobias found it cool and thought that her opinion about everything was brilliant. She needed to speak it louder.

And involved in a dumb conversation with them? She asked, without being sarcastic, but the sound was far from friendly. I'd rather not, Tobias.

Fine, he said. But, you have to come this evening. I need a companion.

She bit her bottom lip. You know I have to-

Finish your essay? You have the entire night to finish it. God damn it, he said.

Tobias knew it was vile to drag her to a club gathering this evening. Yet, he knew better, she was smart enough to finish her essay in a night. Not that she didn't even start writing it two weeks ago.

She agreed to come because Tobias promised to buy the book she wanted that cost half of her tuition fee. Tobias was rich rich and he didn't care about the money as long as he got what he wanted. He needed a companion this evening and it was final.

The club gathering was held in a white building, the university provided it as a common space for any clubs, including the debating club. The event was open for anyone. As long as they were interested, or forced to be interested.

Tobias introduced her to a few of his friends who she found boring because they were exactly the same as she thought. Loud and competitive. A girl who read Nietzsche in its original Germany asked her opinion about nearly everything, which she answered shortly.

She didn't know it was the air or the conversation. Feeling uncomfortable, she excused herself to light a cigarette in the corner. Tobias flickered to her but she mouthed, It's okay, stopping him from following her to sit on an empty chair alone.

People started to gather in the middle of the room. The debate showdown would be started in a few minutes. That was when she saw him. A boy sauntered idly into the room with disheveled brown hair. She didn't know who he was until Tobias greeted him, Hey, Francis.

Francis smiled, showing off his well-lined dents, and greeted back. She took a drag from the stick on her mouth and muttered, It's him.