POV: Max
The first day of college felt like the start of something new. A new city. A new place. A new me.
I walked through the gates of the university with a heart full of hope and a backpack full of books I probably wouldn't open for the first week. The sun was warm on my skin, and for once, everything felt... okay. Like maybe life had finally decided to give me a break.
I found my class, slipped into a bench near the window, and watched students settle in, buzzing with nerves and excitement. That's when she sat beside me—headphones in, hair tied up in a lazy bun, and a sparkle in her eyes that said she didn't care about much, but somehow still cared deeply. Her name was Kitty.
"Hey," she said, grinning. "You look like you overthink everything."
I blinked. "That obvious?"
"Painfully."
We clicked faster than I expected. By lunch, we were already joking about skipping lectures (but totally not doing it), and by the time we walked out into the campus together, it felt like I'd known her longer than just a few hours.
We roamed around, from the library steps to the gardens, taking pictures and pretending we were in a campus movie. When we reached the canteen, I didn't expect anything more than coffee and casual laughs.
But then I saw him.
In the crowd, leaning casually near the counter, laughing with someone—him.
My breath caught.
For a second, I thought my mind was playing games. But no... that messy hair, the way he smiled, the curve of his jaw. I knew that face like a lyric I never forgot.
My first crush.
My first heartbreak.
The boy who taught me that silence hurts more than words ever could.
The world blurred. Everything else faded—the noise, the smell of food, even Kitty's voice.
I turned away too fast, blinking away the sting in my eyes.
"Hey," Kitty said gently. "You okay?"
I wanted to say yes.
I wanted to lie.
But the truth sat heavy in my chest.
"No," I whispered. "Not really."
And just like that…
everything was fine—until it wasn't.
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