CROSSING PATHS

Mia rushed to the restroom on Monday after class, she had told Rachel that she would meet her in the dinner hall. Mia ran through the halls, her feet moving swiftly as she hurried down the hallway. Her long legs carried her quickly across the floor, her arms pumping at her sides as she picked up speed. She had been holding it in for what felt like an eternity, and the pressure was becoming unbearable.

Her backpack bounced against her shoulders as she walked, and her hair flew behind her in loose waves. Her eyes were fixed intently on the restroom door, her mind focused solely on finding relief as soon as possible.

The hallway was bustling with students, but Mia didn't notice. She was too focused on her mission, her senses tuned in to the sound of her own heartbeat and the feeling of her bladder protesting its fullness.

As she turned a corner, she failed to notice Karl standing in her path, his eyes fixed on some point ahead, his expression a mask of indifference. His hands were tucked casually into his pockets, giving off an air of relaxed detachment.

Mia, still focused on reaching the restroom, didn't see him until it was too late. She collided with him, her momentum carrying her forward, but Karl didn't budge. Instead, he reached out with lightning-quick reflexes, his hands grasping her upper arms to steady her.

For a moment, Mia felt like she was suspended in mid-air, her feet scrambling to find purchase on the floor. But Karl's grip held firm, his fingers wrapping around her arms like a vice. She felt a jolt of surprise at the unexpected contact, her heart racing in her chest.

As she regained her balance, Mia looked up to meet Karl's gaze, but his expression remained unchanged. His eyes, a bright, piercing blue, seemed to bore into hers, but they held no warmth, no interest. He simply steadied her, his face a mask of indifference, before releasing her and stepping aside.

Mia's eyes widened in surprise as she gazed up at Karl, her mind struggling to process the unexpected encounter. She had been so focused on reaching the restroom that she hadn't even noticed him standing there, and now, as she looked into his familiar yet unfathomable eyes, she felt like she had been punched in the gut.

Karl was the last person she had ever hoped to cross paths with, especially because she always felt awkward around him. There was something about his presence that made her feel like she was stumbling over her own feet, like she was a clumsy, gangly teenager. She was always so nervous and composed around him, sometimes she even forget how to breath. The worst moments were whenever her gaze met his, she would quickly avert her gaze from embarrassment and now, here she was, standing in front of him, she was so surprised.

Her surprise was palpable, her eyes darting back and forth as if searching for an escape route. She felt like she was trapped, caught off guard by the one person she had never imagined to bump into. For a moment, Mia forgot to breathe, her lungs frozen in shock as she struggled to comprehend the unexpected turn of events.

As the reality of the situation sank in, Mia's surprise gave way to a mix of emotions. She felt a flutter in her chest, a nervous energy that threatened to overwhelm her. Her mind was racing, she shouldn't be in this situation with Karl, she shouldn't be seen with him. What will his girlfriend think of her?

Mia's eyes locked onto Karl's, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. The air was thick with tension, the silence between them palpable. Mia felt like she was drowning in the depths of his eyes, they were mesmerising.

But then, Karl's expression turned serious. His eyes seemed to glaze over, his face becoming a mask of indifference. He stepped aside, his movements economical and precise. "You okay?" he asked, his voice low and detached.

Mia widened as she blink severally. She nodded, her voice barely above a whisper, she was nervous, extremely nervous and shy. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She stood face to face with Karl, she felt a maelstrom of emotions swirling inside her. Surprise, shock, and confusion wrestled for dominance, leaving her breathless and bewildered.

Her heart racing, Mia's eyes locked onto Karl's, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. The air was thick with tension, the silence between them palpable.

"You should be more careful. You could get really hurt next time." Karl said with a serious tone, his expression indifferent.

Mia gazed into Karl's eyes and nodded slowly like a kid. As Mia nodded, Karl's expression remained unchanged. He didn't smile, didn't nod, didn't even blink. He simply stood there for a moment, his eyes fixed on hers, before turning and walking away.

Karl's strides were long and steady, his movements economical and precise. He didn't look back, didn't glance over his shoulder to see if Mia was watching him. He simply walked away, disappearing into the crowd of students milling about in the hallway.

Mia watched him go, her eyes fixed on the back of his head. She felt a mix of emotions swirling inside her, a jumble of surprise, shock, and confusion. She couldn't believe she had just run into Karl, Rachel would scream if she told her.

As Karl disappeared from view, Mia took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before walking away.

As Karl walked away from Mia, he made his way to the school's courtyard, where he knew his crew would be waiting for him. He spotted them gathered around a bench, laughing and joking with each other.

Ophelia, with her striking black hair and piercing blue eyes, caught sight of Karl first. She flashed him a bright smile, and the others turned to follow her gaze.

"Hey, man," Zarek said, clapping Karl on the back. "What took you so long?"

Karl shrugged, taking a seat next to Ophelia on the bench. "Just ran into someone," he said, his expression neutral.

Ophelia's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Someone, huh? Who might that be?"

Karl didn't respond, instead focusing on the conversation that was already in progress. The others seemed to sense that he didn't want to talk about it, and they let the subject drop.

As Karl brushed off Ophelia's question, Ember's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze fixed intently on Karl's face. She looked at him with a weird, suspicious expression, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. It was as if she was trying to read between the lines, to decipher the hidden meaning behind Karl's casual words.

For a moment, Ember's eyes locked onto Karl's, her stare piercing and intense. She seemed to be searching for something, a hint of emotion, a flicker of guilt, anything that might reveal the truth about who he had really bumped into.

Karl, however, remained impassive, his expression neutral and detached. He didn't meet Ember's gaze, instead focusing on the conversation around him. But Ember's eyes lingered on his face, her suspicion and uncertainty evident in her piercing stare.

Mia took a deep breath and made her way to the dinner hall, her mind was still reeling from the unexpected encounter. She couldn't shake off the feeling of awkwardness that lingered inside her. She felt like she was still trying to catch her breath, like she was still trying to process what had just happened.

When she arrived at the dinner hall, Mia spotted Rachel, Alex, Lyra, and Sofia sitting at their usual table. They were all chatting and laughing, oblivious to the drama that had just unfolded in the hallway.

Mia took a deep breath and pasted a smile on her face as she approached the table. "Hey guys," she said, trying to sound casual. "Sorry I'm late."

Rachel looked up at her with a concerned expression. "Hey, is everything okay? You look a little shaken up."

Mia waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine, just a little...distracted."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Distracted? What's going on?"

Mia hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. She didn't want to tell them about Karl, not yet. "It's nothing, honestly."

Lyra and Sofia exchanged a skeptical glance, but Rachel just nodded. "Okay, if you're sure you're fine."

Mia nodded, feeling a little guilty for not telling them the truth. But she just wasn't ready to talk about Karl, not yet.

Mia took a seat at the table, trying to shake off the lingering awkwardness from her encounter with Karl. She attempted to focus on the conversation around her, but her mind kept wandering back to the unexpected collision.

Just as Mia was starting to relax, she spotted Eres walking into the dinner hall. Eres was Mia's roommate, and Mia had been wanting to introduce her to Rachel, Alex, Lyra, and Sofia.

Mia waved enthusiastically at Eres, calling out to her across the hall. "Eres! Over here!"

Eres's eyes scanned the room, and when she spotted Mia, she flashed a bright smile. She made her way over to their table, her long brown hair bouncing with each step.

"Hey, Mia!" Eres exclaimed and smiled at Mia's friends. "What's up?"

Mia grinned, happy to introduce her roommate to her friends. "Eres, this is Rachel, Alex, Lyra, and Sofia. Guys, this is Eres, my roommate. It's time I introduced her."

Eres smiled warmly at the group, and they all exchanged greetings. Rachel, Alex, Lyra, and Sofia welcomed Eres into their circle, asking her questions about herself and making her feel included. Rachel and Eres exchanged a look no one noticed, they stared daggers at each other for a while.

As they chatted, Mia felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was grateful for the distraction from her encounter with Karl, and she was happy to see her friends getting along with Eres.

The conversation flowed easily, and soon they were all laughing and joking together. Mia smiled, feeling like she was finally starting to relax and enjoy herself.

But even as she laughed and chatted with her friends, Mia couldn't shake the feeling that her encounter with Karl had left a lasting impact. She felt like she was still reeling from the surprise of running into him.

At the end of classes that day, Mia packed up her things in her backpack and Rachel dropped her off at the dorm before driving home.

Mia slowly walked up the stairs to the third floor, she turned the door nob and walked into the room. The room was dimly lit, she looked up straight ahead and her eyes met with a figure with red eyes sitting with legs crossed on Eres bed.

Her eyes widened from surprise and shock, she slowly reached for the lights and turned it on, her heart beating fast, she didn't take her eyes away from Eres' bed. When the lights came on, there was no one on the bed. Mia looked around observing her environment. That was strange.

Was she seeing things now?

Mia gazes around the room strangely, her hands still on the light switch, she was really taken aback and...surprised.

"Mia." Eres called when she walked into the slightly ajar door. Mia did not lock the door when she walked in.

Mia snapped, turning around to the door immediately, fear written all over her face. She wasn't expecting Eres. "Oh..my God..Eres you scared me." She shouted.

"Sorry." Eres walked into the room and collasped on the bed.

Mia followed after shutting the door, she slowly walked to her bed and dropped her backpack beside her bed. Eres turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "What's wrong? You look like someone who was electrocuted." She laughed.

Mia shook her head like she was trying to get the image she had just seen out of her head. "I just hope I am seeing things." She said.

Eres looked confused. "Seeing things?" She repeated.

"Forget about it. It must have been stress." Mia said sighing loudly.

Eres sat up. "Did you see something Mia?" She asked.

"I guess. I don't know, maybe it was because the room was dark." Mia replied shrugging.

"What did you see?" Eres asked curiously.

"It was nothing honestly..." Mia answered.

"You saw something in this room?" Eres asked. She was not dropping the topic.

"Honestly, I think I was hallucinating. I came into the room and saw a figure on the bed with red eyes. I know I am seeing things right?" Mia asked and laughed.

Eres looked like someone who was thinking for a while before saying. "Did it touch you?" She asked.

Mia shrugged. "C'mon, you don't believe that, do you?" She asked.

Eres coughed awkwardly before saying. "You never know." She said and laid on the bed, she closed her eyes uninterested.

Mia laughed. "I was obviously seeing things."

"Your friends seem nice." Eres stated changing the topic.

"They are nice, actually. They are the first and only friends I have here in LA...except you ofcourse." Mia smiled.

"And you and Rachel, you seem pretty close with her." Eres said, her eyes still closed.

"Rachel is my bestfriend. We have been friends since LA, since childhood." Mia replied.

"Happy to know you have trusted friends. They really seem to have your back." Eres said rolling over.

Mia raised an eyebrow at Eres. "How are you settling in Santiago? You making friends too?" She asked.

"I am better off without friends." Eres replied.

"Oh.." Mia exclaimed, unexpected of Eres' reply. "You are better off without friends?" She repeated.

"I am." Eres shrugged.

"Whoa. I can't guess how life will be without friends..." Mia was saying when her phone rang suddenly. She reached for her phone in her backpack and swiped the positive button on her phone. It was her dad.

"Hi dad!" Mia exclaimed excitedly.

"Hey baby. Guess who is missing you? Me." Her dad replied with a smile at the other end of the line.

Mia giggled. "I miss you more dad." She replied.

"You are settling into Santiago just fine?" He asked.

"Oh, Mr Petrov, you have to stop worrying about me. I'm fine." Mia teased him.

"Oh miss Petrov, I have to worry about you. You are just 18. And in Santiago, that's so far away." He teased her and she giggled childishly.

She really missed him, his warm hugs and kisses. She missed how he used to make breakfast for her, she missed how he will bake for her every Saturday. He was literally the best dad she could ever ask for.

"I love you, dad." Mia smiled as she said this softly.

"I love you more baby. I hope I am the only one saying this to you?" He asked smiling, his voice teasing her from the other side of the line.

Mia laughed before exclaiming. "Dad!"

He laughed. "I am just trying to protect my 18 year old teenager who is in Santiago."

"I know, dad." Mia replied.

"You aren't seeing anyone yet, are you?" He asked still with a teasing tone.

"Dad!" Mia exclaimed laughing.

"I'm just saying okay. You don't have a boyfriend yet, do you?" He asked.

"No, dad. I don't." Mia replied laughing.

"Good. I don't want anyone to disvirgin my 18 year old now." He said.

"Oh, my God...Dad..we are not about to discuss sex please." Mia exclaimed laughing.