C4 Unexpected Encounter

I was already late for class, thanks to my struggle to find the restroom. My blunder led me to the men's restroom by mistake, but eventually, a kind young man pointed me in the right direction.

I was running so fast cause I knew I had just 30 more minutes left for the particular course this morning. Funny enough, I don't know which particular course I'm taking. Yes I know I'm an unserious student but you won't blame me though I'm still new.

Finally, I got to the door. Thank you, Mother Mary. I had to compose myself so as not to attract any eyes to me. I hate being the center of attraction.

"Inner peace, breath in and breath out", I whispered to myself. I noticed I had some beads of sweat on my forehead. I brought out a handkerchief and a body mist. A girl gotta smell good, I can't afford to smell like a she goat. I cleaned off the sweat on my face and sprayed it in the body mist. I took a very deep breath, here goes nothing

I opened the door and immediately all eyes were on me. Take me now lord Jesus. I silently prayed for the ground to open and swallow me but it didn't. Now I wish I had superpowers I would have just frozen everybody and walked in. "Don't be so dumb Elizabeth", my inner mind chimed. Some of my coursemates looked at me with disgust and disdain while some with pity. I could swear they were making side talks about me.

The teacher was in the middle of his lecture holding a marker and a book with a stern look. He looked like he was not from a happy home. Maybe his wife deprived him of sex last night. I couldn't help but laugh silently at my silly joke. He was a bald, portly man sporting suspenders and sandals, with a stern demeanor. I attempted to sneak past him, but luck was not on my side. With a piercing gaze, he inquired, "... and you are?" I quickly replied, "I'm sorry, sir. It took me a while to find the restroom, and that's why I'm late."

Angrily, he retorted, "I don't care what you do with your life, miss...?" He raised an expectant eyebrow, waiting for me to provide my name. With my head bowed, I reluctantly answered, "Elizabeth Brown, sir."

"I do not tolerate tardiness in my class, Miss Brown. Find a seat quickly and do not disrupt my class," he barked, turning back to the whiteboard.

It was my first day of college, and I had already received a scolding from the teacher. "Well, this is going to be a long ride," I mumbled to myself. A blonde girl sitting nearby spoke up, trying to

console me, "Don't feel down; that's just how he is. He's always grumpy. Oh, by the way, my name is Sarah."

She extended her hand in greeting, and I responded with a smile, "Hi, my name is Elizabeth, but you can call me Lizzy for short. "Shhh," a boy with binocular glasses signaled us to be quiet. I glanced up at the top of the board, where the name of our lecturer was boldly written—Mr.Berengar. It was an unusual name, and I presumed he might be German. I was struggling to grasp the material he was covering, despite the course being essential, as failing it would jeopardize my freshman year. I had always been an accomplished student, winning awards in

almost every subject throughout high school. They used to call me the "Nerdy Dork" because I was smart, skinny, and wore glasses. But thanks to puberty and a bit of luck, I had outgrown the glasses and changed my appearance.

I felt someone's gaze boring into my back, but I chose to ignore it, as understanding calculus was my priority. I couldn't afford to fail this course. However, the staring persisted, becoming increasingly mischievous. I leaned over to Sarah and asked, "Do you know that guy sitting two seats away from me?" She leaned in closer and whispered, "I've got to warn you about that guy; he's a creep. One time, he almost jumped from one building to another, and he talks to himself sometimes. Stay far away from him."

Curiosity got the better of me, and I turned to glance at him. Our eyes locked, and he stared at me with an eerie grin while continuously flipping a coin. "What the heck is wrong with this freak?" I muttered to myself, feeling beads of sweat forming on my neck and back. Panic set in. "Why is he looking at me like that?" I pondered. "Miss Brown, get out of my class!" Mr. Berengar's thunderous voice brought me back to reality.

"Excuse me, sir, you can't send me out of your class; I did nothing wrong," I protested. "I called

you twice, Miss Brown, and you didn't respond. That suggests you were preoccupied with your thoughts," he rebuked. "I was not absent-minded, sir," I replied defiantly. "You dare talk back at me," he snarled. "Alright, then, to prove me wrong, what was the last sentence I said?" I faltered, unable to respond, and hung my head, fiddling with my fingers. "You see, class, this is what you get for being absent-minded. Leave my class immediately, Miss

Brown," he ordered.

As I made my way to the door, I couldn't resist one last glance at the mysterious guy, who now pretended not to be looking at me. "Creep!" I exclaimed under my breath.

Outside the classroom, a tear welled up in my eye. I despised being yelled at. I contemplated returning to my dorm for a nap; it was not shaping up to be a good day.

However, I decided to take a breather at the basketball court. As she settled onto a bench, she opened a bag of chips and focused on the game, trying to drown out the day's chaos.

The court buzzed with energy, the players engaged in a fierce match. Amid the game, a heated argument erupted between two senior students. Their voices carried, drawing the attention of those nearby.

Cynthia's tearful plea filled the air. "What the hell, James! You can't break up with me; I love you!". James? "Many guys are named James, it's not him", I reassured myself. James, unfazed, responded coldly, "Don't be a fool, Cynthia." "Don't do this to us James. You promised we'd never be apart" " she pleaded, trying to hold James' shirt. James retorted, "You should have thought about it before you slept with my best friend". My jaw dropped and

I whispered to myself, "Oh shoot". It all made sense now.

I couldn't help but eavesdrop, inadvertently becoming privy to their private drama. I wanted to know more about the matter. I shook her my head muttering, "Wrong timing, Mom," as my phone rang, unintentionally silencing the entire conversation around her. My mum picked the wrong time to call me. I

As I attempted to discreetly leave, I collided with someone's chest. "What the hell!?" I exclaimed with my hands on my head taken aback. A deep, resonant voice asked, "Why were you eavesdropping on our conversation?"

To my surprise, it was none other than James—the same James I knew from high school. My own James. Towering at 6 '2", he had a perfectly sculpted physique that could make head turn. He had a perfect jawline that could cut steel.

His lips were captivating. They were full and perfectly shaped with a natural rose color that was begging to be kissed. He looked like a Greek god in human flesh. He had mesmerizing green eyes. Despite my sudden shock of discovering that he was the one, I found myself mesmerized by his presence.

"Are you done staring?" he asked with a grin. "Yes, I know I'm a walking temptation," he said proudly with a smirk on his perfectly structured face.

Flustered, I tried to compose myself. I couldn't believe my eyes that he was standing there. I was taken aback by the unexpected encounter with James, I couldn't find my words. "Wait, you look familiar. Have we met before?" he asked, squinting at me. Shyly, I stammered, "Eli..za..beth."

"All the feelings I thought were long gone resurfaced with full force. My heart began to race again," Elizabeth thought as James remarked, "You look different, though. Back then, you looked like a wimp, but now you're a thick chick", he said, roaming his eyes around my body. "I know you heard everything but don't go around spreading it". I watched as he walked away disappearing into the campus landscape.

I went back to sit on the bench, the basketball game continued but my focus had shifted, I couldn't just shake off the unexpected twist my first week in college had taken.