Hali played with my hair, “Could just be the sun giving you natural highlights… it’s possible.”

I nodded, just agreeing with it because I was to shocked to do anything but comply. My hair was turning a different color… on it’s own…

How was that even possible?

We continued with our shopping trip and eventually I was on my way back to my dorm. Tomorrow I would visit my family, having lunch with them was the best idea. I needed to call mom but I would do that later… I was just to psyched out to do anything else but drive.

When had my hair done that? Last night? Because yesterday I don’t remember my hair miraculously looking different. 

I drove up to the parking lot for the dorms and I noticed Devon’s car was still here, and I smiled. Maybe she had waited up for me. It was only 5 at night and I’m sure she spent the day with her mom… or Emerson, but she was home, and I was excited to see her. 

I started unlocking the door when I noticed someone down the hallway, and I unconsciously glanced. 

It was Samantha, staring dead at me. 

I felt my heart speed up, I wanted to die right then and there just by the look she was giving me. She was seriously freaking me out and I just held my hand up, slightly waving and disappearing into my room. 

What. The. Fuck…?

Then I heard sobbing, I turned and Devon was there, trying to cover up her tears. “Shit I’m sorry Amanda… I didn’t know…”

I rushed to her, not even realizing what I was actually doing. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and that’s when I felt it, the electricity flowing through me. The adrenaline running through my body… I spoke softly, “Devon… what’s wrong? Seriously…?”

She was trying to control her crying, but she couldn’t, she was really hurting. She whispered, “I… don’t know… all I wanna do is cry. All the time Amanda. I hate that I just met you and you’ve already been introduced to all of my problems… I’m usually really good at holding it all in… but now… I just cant.”

I rocked her back and forth, trying hard to comfort her, seeing her cry broke my heart. I hugged her tighter, “Listen, I’m here, you and I have a cool relationship. I’m here to listen to you.”

Sure, I had my own problems lined up down the line but she was hurting bad, and seeing her like this… well I hated it. She looked at me, and that’s when I realized she had noticed exactly what Hali had pointed out at the mall. 

“Your hair… when did you…?”

I shook my head, “I didn’t Devon, I never touched my hair.”

She studied me, and I could see the pain grow inside her eyes as she did so. I saw her jaw clench down, as if she was trying to control her emotions, “You look… like Rachel.”

I rolled my eyes, here we go again with the fucking comparing me to Rachel. “Devon, stop fucking-”

“No,” she interrupted, getting up immediately and grabbing a picture off of her nightstand and pulling me to the hanging mirror. “Look for yourself Amanda! Look!”

I studied Rachel, not seeing anything that resembled me, but then I looked at myself in the reflection… and I saw what she was seeing. My eyes… my hair… When had I lost weight? And grown a little taller? Is that why my shoes were tight? And my jeans were a little to short?

I wanted to cry, it hurt seeing the resemblance… growing at age 18 though… that wasn’t normal.

Did something happen to me when I hit my head on the dash? Did I alter the hormone release in my body? What was going on with me?

This wasn’t possible… it just wasn’t…

I couldn’t stop looking at my reflection… this wasn’t real… no… 

It had to just be a coincidence, people change in college all the time… and it was possible that I wasn’t done growing and I hit a late growth spurt. 

That had happened to people all the time. 

I set the picture down, and walked out of the room immediately, it was all to much, and I couldn’t take it. I slammed the door behind me, feeling pain rush into me the minute I left Devon alone, but I just couldn’t take it. 

I was walking toward campus, there wasn’t anywhere’s else I really thought I could escape to. I sat on a bench and rubbed my temples, I felt like shit, seeing that picture… Devon crying… it was all to much for me. 

I wanted to forget about all of this, the first week of college was a complete roller coaster… and I had four years left?

I groaned, feeling unbearable pain inside my chest. My head was killing me and I just wanted to leave but I knew I couldn’t. 

The two months away from FSU I had been normal, with Nelson no because things started getting difficult but I was still Amanda. I still had my normal brown hair, my normal thoughts and goals…

Then I met Devon. 

I was still trying to sort that all out because it still didn’t make any sense to me but so far I had nothing. When I met Devon everything changed, my emotions, my wants, even my fucking HAIR was changing! How was that even possible?

I didn’t see the connection between me and Devon at all… we were roommates, other then that…

It was Rachel. 

How did I not see it? Rachel is the connection that was so obvious between me and Devon, but changing emotions, hair, or wants has nothing to do with her?

Then I looked up, a guy was playing his guitar out more into the middle of the quad, and I wanted to listen. The sound of the guitar… it was just pulling me in like I was on a hook. I stood, and began walking over to him.

I listened, he smiled up at me when he noticed I was there, and I wanted to hear more. I wanted to do what he was doing, I wanted to hold it and feel the strings dig into my fingers. 

He stopped, and I clapped, “You’re really good.”

He smiled again, “Thanks… you play?”

Then without thinking, it was like my mouth overloaded my ass, I blurted, “Yea, I do.”

He held the guitar to me, intriguing me to grab it, and I did. I sat next to him, and it was like holding this guitar was so familiar to me, like I had done it so many times before. I held a chord, and looking at my hands do what my brain didn’t know…

It was amazing. 

I began to play a song, I didn’t recognize it, but I loved the melody. I ended the strum and the mystery guy just stared at me, “What was that?”

I shrugged, “I don’t really know.”

He nodded, “Well, it was fucking good, I’m Trevor by the way. Trevor Jameson.”

I shook his hand that was sticking out towards me, “Amanda Phillips.”

He looked taken back, “You were in that horrible wreck months ago…?”

I felt the pain in my heart, I nodded, “Y-Yea…”

He sighed, standing and I stood with him, trying to hand him back his guitar. He held up his hands, “No, you take it, I have a ton back at my house…”

I tilted my head, “You’re giving me your guitar… and you barely even know me?”

He smiled, “I’m hoping I will get to know you though…”

Then he was gone, and I was left with his Washburn guitar and a guitar case. I put the guitar into it and closed it up and started walking back towards my dorm. I had been gone for maybe a good hour but when I glanced at the parking lot Devon’s car was gone. 

Good, I didn’t want to see her anyway. 

Then again, I was lying to myself. 

And when I walked into my hallway I saw Samantha walking with one of her friends. I felt my heart speed up as I hurried to get my keys out and she stopped while her friend continued towards the parking lot. Samantha leaned against the wall, “I didn’t know you played the guitar.”

I sighed, “Yea…”

I didn’t really know I did, but I was to ready to get away from Samantha that I’d rather just say anything to get away from her. 

She looked frustrated, “Amanda, why are you scared of me?”

I shrugged, “I’m not Samantha, you just… you want something I don’t.”

She rolled her eyes, leaning in and whispering in my ear, “I know you want me, and I want you. And you’ll come around sooner or later.”

Then she was gone down the hall.

I shivered, thinking that girl was trouble, and I knew that I was hoping it would be much, much later.