Chapter 5: Orientation

As I wake up, a cozy breeze brushes against my skin. My alarm blares nonstop, an annoying reminder that morning has arrived. Half-asleep, I fumble for my phone on the bedside table, my eyes still closed. I slept late last night, too excited for today.

A knock on the door. Cleo's voice calls out my name.

Groggily, I finally manage to grab my phone and squint at the screen. Past seven. My heart sinks.

"Yes, coming!" I call out, my voice still heavy with sleep.

I sit up, stretching lazily, telling myself to get ready—but then I think, Five more minutes. I'm fast at getting ready anyway. Letting out a sigh, I sink back into my pillows.

Minutes pass.

I hear my mother saying goodbye to my father downstairs. Blinking away the haze of sleep, I glance at my phone again. Quarter to eight.

Panic surges through me. I throw off my blanket and dash to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, I rush downstairs, still slightly breathless. From the dining area, I hear my mother talking to someone.

"Mom, I'm leaving! I'm super late!" I shout, hurriedly slipping my shoes on.

I want to ask her where my brother is and why no one woke me up, but there's no time. I'll ask later.

"Bye, Mom!" I call out one last time, glancing toward the dining area. That's when I notice him—Matt—standing beside her.

I pause mid-step, my brow furrowing. "Oh… hi. What are you doing here?"

A quick glance at my watch—almost eight. Panic tugs at me, but curiosity lingers. I shift my gaze between them.

"You two must go. It's already late," my mom said.

"Okay, Mom. Bye," I bid again, hearing Matt also say goodbye to her.

As we reached the gate, I turned to him, urgency in my voice. "We have to run!" Without waiting for a response, I bolted forward, my heartbeat quickening with every step.

The morning air rushed past me, my dress swaying with each stride. But after a few moments, something felt off. The usual rhythm of footsteps beside me was missing.

I slowed, then turned back—only to see him strolling at his own pace, completely unbothered, as if the world around him moved slower.

I stopped in my tracks and waited for him to catch up, watching as he walked toward me. He was looking in my direction, but with my vision still adjusting from the movement, I couldn't tell if our eyes truly met. A strange feeling lingered in my chest—an odd mix of curiosity and something unspoken.

He looked effortless—dressed in a crisp white shirt under a black jacket, his black pants complementing his calm demeanor. His bag hung lazily over one shoulder, as if he had nowhere urgent to be. Meanwhile, I was dressed for speed—a long dress flowing just below my knees, white shoes scuffing against the pavement as I hurried. My shoulder bag, packed with essentials—notes, a pen, and everything I needed—felt heavier with my rushed movements.

I let out a small breath, shaking my head with a soft chuckle. "Are you even worried about being late?" 

When he was finally near me, I expected him to stop—but instead, he simply walked past me.

I blinked in surprise before quickly matching his pace, walking beside him.

"Did you wake up late too?" I asked, glancing at him. "Or did something happen? You were with Mom earlier… what were you two talking about?"

He didn't answer.

He just kept walking, his hands tucked casually into his pockets, his gaze fixed ahead. The quiet between us stretched longer than I expected.

I slowed my steps. Then, I stopped completely.

A few steps later, he noticed. He turned around, his expression unreadable at first—until the corner of his lips curled into the faintest smile.

"If I tell you… will you stop staring at me like that?" he said, his voice calm but teasing.

I folded my arms. "Like?"

He took a step closer, his eyes meeting mine this time—no blurs, no doubts. "Like you're trying to figure me out."

A warmth crept up my neck. I looked away. "I'm not—"

"You are." His voice was softer now, playful but certain.

I huffed, turning back toward the road. "Fine. If you don't want to tell me, whatever."

For a moment, silence settled between us again. Then, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. When I looked at him, he was already a step ahead, walking forward.

"Come on," he said without looking back. "We're already late, might as well take our time."

Something about the way he said it—the way his voice lingered in the air—made my heart do a little flip.

I sighed, shaking my head as I hurried to walk beside him again. "You're so weird."

"And yet, you keep waiting for me."

I opened my mouth to argue, but the small smirk on his lips stopped me.

And just like that, the morning rush didn't feel so urgent anymore.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

We really took our time because by the time we arrived at the campus hallway where the orientation was being held, the speaker was already saying thanks and clapping as the students were standing up, getting ready to leave.

I spotted familiar faces in the crowd right away—mostly because I heard Jacq's loud laughter echoing through the hallway. It was impossible to miss.

Luke and Clerk were deep in conversation, occasionally glancing at someone who was probably cracking a joke. Meanwhile, my brother stood beside them, nodding along.

I nudged Matt, who was still looking at the stage. "There they are," I said, pointing toward them before slipping behind him and giving him a light push forward.

We made our way toward the back, where the group had settled.

Jacq looked effortlessly stylish in fitted pants and a cropped top, paired with a matching jacket. A sleek black sling bag completed her outfit, making her look like she just stepped out of a fashion spread. Luke and Clerk, on the other hand, stuck to their usual black-and-white ensembles—effortlessly cool, as always. My brother wore a dark green polo with loose black pants, a combination that somehow suited him perfectly.

As we got closer, they noticed us and immediately greeted me with curious stares.

"Seriously? You're late? The orientation's almost over!" Jacq teased, crossing her arms.

"And why is Matt with you?" Luke added, raising a brow. "He went back midway when we all came here together. Then, surprise—he shows up with you?"

Their expressions were a mix of amusement and curiosity, clearly piecing things together in their heads.

Matt, however, looked completely unbothered. Without a word, he simply walked past them and joined a group of boys in the hall, slipping effortlessly into conversation.

I rolled my eyes, suppressing a laugh. "Yeah, yeah, long story." Instead of feeding into their teasing, I slid into the seat beside Jacq, deliberately ignoring their knowing glances.

Jacq smirked. "Uh-huh. We'll get the full story later."

I just shrugged, feigning interest in the random chatter of the students nearby. Our group started talking about anything and everything—weekend plans, funny campus moments, anything to pass the time.

Yet, no matter how much I tried to focus, my thoughts kept circling back to this morning. What really happened

Out of habit, my gaze flickered toward him. He sat there, as composed as ever, scrolling through his phone like nothing had happened.

I smiled to myself, shaking my head. He's just Matt—our friend.

And yet, for some reason, just looking at him made my heart skip—just a little.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Mattian's POV

I should've been on campus by now. That was the plan but halfway there, I realized I'd left something at Aireriss' house.

When I arrived, her mom was by the door, saying goodbye to Mr. Cley. She noticed me right away and smiled.

"Matt? You're back?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I forgot something."

Mr. Cley left, and she gestured toward the dining area. "Have you eaten? I made breakfast. At least have a bite before heading back."

I hesitated. "Thank you Mrs. Cley"

I accepted the sandwich she handed me, explaining why I came back. She listened, nodding, occasionally glancing toward the stairs. Then I heard it—hurried footsteps, drawers opening and closing.

A few minutes later, she rushed downstairs. "Mom, I'll go! I'm super late!"

I stood up just as she slipped on her shoes. She hadn't even noticed me yet.

She looked up, eyes widening. "Oh, hi. Why are you here?" She barely had time to question me before saying her last goodbye to Mrs. Cley.

And then, she bolted.

I walked at my usual pace, watching as she sprinted ahead—until she realized I wasn't beside her.

I was looking at her direction and our eyes actually met or if she was just guessing in her rush.

Still, I passed her without a word, waiting for her to fall into step beside me and asked.

I didn't answer right away. Not to be difficult—just because I liked how she always asked everything at once, like she was piecing together a puzzle in real time.

She noticed my silence and stopped walking.

I took a few more steps before realizing she wasn't beside me anymore.

When I turned, she stood there, arms crossed, waiting.

I sighed, a smirk tugging at my lips. "If I tell you, will you stop staring at me like that?"

Her brows furrowed. "Like what?"

"Like you're trying to figure me out."

She looked away, flustered. "I'm not—"

"You are."

She huffed, turning back toward the road. "Fine. If you don't want to tell me, whatever."

I tapped her shoulder lightly before walking ahead. "Come on, we're already late. Might as well take our time."

And just like that, she followed.

We walked side by side, campus still minutes away.

She was still grumbling about being late, her shoulder bag bouncing slightly with every step.

I stole a glance at her. She didn't eat.

She'd rushed out so fast, barely sparing her mom a second glance. And knowing her… breakfast was probably the last thing on her mind.

I sighed. "Do you want to grab something on the way?"

She blinked up at me. "Huh?"

I pointed at a small store up ahead. "You didn't eat, right? We might be late, but at least don't starve yourself."

She hesitated, then pouted slightly—like she didn't want to admit I was right. "Fine."

I held back a chuckle as we stopped by the store. She picked out something simple, and I paid before she could protest.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I could've paid for that, you know."

"I know," I said, handing her the snack. "You can thank me by not being late next time."

She groaned dramatically. "Ugh, you sound like my mom."

I smirked. "Then maybe you should listen to her."

She rolled her eyes but took a bite anyway, clearly still half-annoyed.

But at least she was eating. We fell into an easy rhythm.

But as Aireriss rambled about something else, laughing between bites of her food, I caught myself thinking. Maybe forgetting my phone wasn't such a bad thing after all.

By the time we reached campus, the orientation was nearly over. The moment we walked in, all eyes turned to us.

"Seriously? You're late? The orientation's almost done!" Jacq teased.

"And why is Matt with you?" Luke raised a brow. "He went back midway when we all came here together. Then, surprise—he shows up with you?"

I knew they wanted an explanation. I didn't give them one.

Instead, I walked past them and sat down like I hadn't heard a thing.

Aireriss, on the other hand, had to deal with their curiosity. "Yeah, yeah, long story," she said, brushing it off as she slid into the seat beside Jacq.

The conversation shifted, and soon, they were talking about weekend plans, campus events, pointless gossip. I scrolled through my phone, only half-listening. I hadn't planned to end up walking with Aireris. I hadn't really thought much of it but now that I looked back on it…

I didn't mind.