chapter 6- why it was always her

Valerie's pov -

I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring in my ear, and I groggily reached over to turn it off. That's when I saw Amanda sitting on my bed, holding out a small gift box. "Happy birthday,sister," she said, her voice flat. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, taking the gift from her. "Thanks, Amanda," I said, trying to muster up some enthusiasm.

As I unwrapped the gift, it revealed a sleek new phone. A new phone? You didn't have to get me one. I smiled politely, appreciating the thought, but the gesture felt more like a duty than a heartfelt gift. Amanda just shrugged and said, after mom and dad's death you are the only family I have and I had to get you something since it's your birthday. And your old phone got broken in the accident, so I figured this would be useful." I felt a pang of sadness at the mention of Mom and dad, but I pushed it aside.

"Thanks, Amanda," I said, powering on the phone. She watched for a moment before getting up and leaving the room, seemingly uninterested in lingering. I finished getting ready for college, the new phone safely tucked into my bag. As I headed out the door, I felt a sense of relief wash over me, eager to escape the monotony of my daily routine. The familiar ache of loss still lingered, but I was used to pushing it aside and going through the motions.

Third person pov -

Valeria pulled into the college parking lot, scanning the rows of cars for an empty spot. As she turned a corner, her eyes landed on a sleek, luxurious vehicle that looked eerily similar to hers. She couldn't help but wonder who owned it. Was it a fellow student, a faculty member, or perhaps a visitor?

Valeria's curiosity got the better of her, and she found herself scanning the surrounding area for any sign of the car's owner. She noticed a few students milling about, but none of them seemed to be heading towards the mysterious luxury car.

As she parked her own car nearby, Valeria couldn't help but feel a sense of intrigue. Then she made her way towards her class as she have lot's to cover over her absence for 2 months.

Valerie's pov-

As I walked into the classroom, my eyes landed on Janeliya sitting alone, her gaze fixed on a book. Our eyes met, and for a moment, I felt like I'd been caught off guard. I couldn't help but admire her striking features and effortless elegance. My eyes lingered on her face for a beat longer than necessary, and I felt a flutter in my chest. I quickly composed myself, telling myself it was just appreciation for someone's beauty.

I made my way to my usual seat at the back of the classroom, trying not to draw attention to myself.

As I walked towards my seat, going beside Janeliya, a strong, pungent smell hit me like a punch to the gut. I stumbled, my senses reeling, and my throat feeling parched. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and my legs weakened beneath me.

"Hey, are you okay?" Janeliya's voice was soft and concerned and Before i knew it, Janeliya's hand was around my waist, steadying and holding me upright. When Janeliya's hand touched me i felt like i was struck with thousands of volt lightning current and my mind lost control of my body.

My body reacted before my mind and I pushed Janeliya aside and rushed out of the classroom, my hand clamped over my mouth. I dashed towards the bathroom, feeling a wave of nausea wash over me. As I stumbled into a stall, I leaned against the wall, trying to calm myself down. The strange sensation coursing through my body was unlike anything I'd experienced before. It was as if my body was humming with an otherworldly energy, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was awakening within me.

For what felt like an eternity, I stood there, my heart racing and my senses on high alert. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. The sound seemed to ground me, and I slowly began to feel more like myself. As I emerged from the stall, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes looked wild, and my skin was flushed. I took a few deep breaths, trying to compose myself.

What was happening to me? I felt like I was losing control, like my body was doing something that I couldn't understand. I didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to head back to class and try to focus on the lesson, but another part of me wanted to take some time to figure out what was going on with my body. I wasn't sure which part would win out.

I splashed some water on my face, trying to calm down. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw a girl who was struggling to understand what was happening to her. I took another deep breath and tried to gather my thoughts. What was going on with me? And proceeds towards classrooms as more absence from class can leads to some serious issues later.

As I stepped back into the classroom, the chatter and laughter of my classmates enveloped me like a warm blanket. I made my way towards my seat, my mind replaying the earlier incident with Janeliya. I felt a pang of guilt for pushing her aside; I hadn't meant to be so rough. When I passed by her desk, that same pungent smell wafted towards me again, though it was fainter this time, mixed with the scent of perfume and fresh paper. I wrinkled my nose, trying to place the smell, but it remained elusive.

I deliberately avoided eye contact with Janeliya, the memory of our awkward encounter lingering uncomfortably in my mind. I didn't want to make things any more awkward between us.

As I reached my seat, Emily and Maya greeted me with warm smiles and happy birthday wishes. They hugged me, and I felt a surge of affection for my friends. But my mind was still preoccupied with Janeliya; I hoped she wasn't too upset with me.

"Happy birthday, Val!" Emily exclaimed, handing me a small card. Maya nodded in agreement, and they both oohed and ahhed over my new phone. "This is so cool!" Emily said, saving her number in my phone. "We'll use it to share notes and catch up on missed lessons." Maya chimed in, and I smiled, feeling grateful for their thoughtfulness.

Despite their warmth and camaraderie, my thoughts kept drifting back to Janeliya. Was she okay? Had I hurt her feelings? I pushed the thoughts aside, trying to focus on the lesson, but they lingered in the back of my mind like a nagging doubt.