Chapter seven
"The dorm"
I felt real.
I walked into the dorm, descending the stairs slowly as eyes followed me from every corner. You could feel it, the curiosity, the judgment, the silent whispers floating behind hushed stares. Some girls looked me up and down, burning with questions they'd never ask. But me? I'm a chill girl. I kept my head high and moved with quiet confidence.
I open the door to my dorm room. Jasmine and Tara, my roommates, were in.
I greeted them with a polite smile and nod cool, calm, unbothered, and started unpacking my things. skincare, bundles, a toothbrush the one Alessandro had give to me of course, each item found its place like it had been there all along.
About five minutes later, while I was still organizing my stuffs, there was a knock at the door. Jasmine opened it, and two girls from the hall stood outside. One leaned in slightly and said, "Hey… can we speak to you guys for a sec? Refering to Jasmine and Tara".
They called for Tara, and without saying much, both she and Jasmine followed the girls out. I didn't stop to wonder why. I had homework to finish.
I lay down on my bed with my notebook open, zoning in on my Managerial accounting assignment. Numbers and terms swirled around in my head, just enough to drown out the buzz in the hallway.
Not long after, the door flung open. Jasmine and Tara burst back in, loud and laughing, but something about it felt off.
Forced. Offbeat. The weird energy clung to the air like perfume sprayed too heavily.
I didn't need a crystal ball to know what just happened.
They'd been talking about me.
Probably about Alessandro, he dropped me off earlier like I was somebody important. And maybe I was. Just not in the way they imagined.
Still, I didn't give a damn.
But the noise became unbearable. Their voices were sharp, intentionally loud, like they wanted me to hear, like they needed me to react.
I didn't. I just got up, grabbed my bag, and left the room without saying a word.
The library was calling, and right now, it was the only place that made sense.
---
On my way to the library, I grabbed a few snacks that could keep me crunchy and alive through the long study hours. The sun was mild, the streets quiet, just the kind of calm that made me feel like maybe today would be productive. I got to the library, found a cozy corner near the window, and unpacked my books.
Managerial accounting homework. The one subject that could drain the last bit of joy from anyone's soul. Still, I forced myself to focus. Hours went by like minutes, my pen scribbling, calculator tapping, my brain fighting not to explode. By the time I was done, my head felt heavy, and my body, stiff and drained.
I decided to take a stroll, to let the evening air brush against my face and clear my mind a bit. The campus walkway was quiet, only a few students passing by, whispering about deadlines and weekend plans. I walked aimlessly, letting my thoughts wander as the orange sky slowly folded into twilight.
Then, suddenly, like a scene from a movie that refused to stop playing, I remembered Adams and the girl in the garden.
The way he held her legs up high and fisted on her vigis as though he was an hubgry animal.
My chest tightened. I tried to shake the image off, but it clung stubbornly. The memory made the stroll unbearable, so I turned around and headed straight for my dorm room.
The hallway was silent when I got there, and the moment my head hit the bed, exhaustion claimed me. I pulled out my phone, hoping to see a notification, just one from Alessandro. He'd promised to check in later in the day as he nid ne goodbye this morning. But right now… nothing.
I refreshed the chat again. Still nothing.
"Why did I let him know my age?" I muttered under my breath, feeling the frustration crawl into my chest. "Why couldn't I just keep that part of me hidden?"
I sighed and tossed the phone beside me.
Maybe he was busy with a work trip, I tried to convince myself. He'd mentioned one earlier that morning. That had to be it, right? Still, doubt whispered louder than reason.
Different thoughts flooded my mind, Was he upset? Was he avoiding me? Did I ruin everything just by being honest?
The screen light dimmed as my eyes grew heavier. Eventually, in the quiet of my room as my roommates had just left for a party,
between unanswered messages and restless thoughts, I drifted into sleep… still thinking of him.
----
It was a Monday morning, the kind that still felt like a slow continuation of the weekend. I had fallen asleep late on Saturday and barely moved all through Sunday, just me, my bed, Netflix, and a few half-hearted text conversations. By the time Monday rolled in, I was still fighting that lazy weekend fog.
The hallway buzzed with chatter as I walked into the section of the school where most club meetings were held.
Posters for student groups covered the walls, Business Club, Environmental Society, Drama Guild, and somewhere between them was ours.
Women in Business. It was Club Day, and I'd promised myself to show up this time.
I clicked my heels softly on the polished floor as I entered the room and found a seat among a cluster of girls already chatting. The atmosphere was bright, hopeful, like everyone was ready to build something important. At the front stood our vice leader, Amelia, a poised third-year student with sharp confidence and a soft smile.
She started her speech with a calm tone that grew stronger with every word. She talked about the importance of women finding their voices in spaces often dominated by men, about courage, ambition, and lifting each other up instead of competing for the same small spotlight.
"Business isn't just about numbers," she said, her eyes sweeping the room. "It's about people. And when women support women, success stops being a competition, it becomes a movement."
Her words struck something in me. I felt my chest tighten, like she had quietly called out every doubt I'd had about belonging here.
When she finished, she invited us to share our thoughts. A few hands went up.
Wesley spoke first, her voice light and confident. "I liked how she said we can create space for ourselves," she said. "It made me think about starting something small, even a campus project to help women pitch their own ideas."
Others followed, sharing reflections about leadership and equality. Then it was my turn.
"I think what stood out to me," I began, "was how she connected business with humanity. Sometimes we forget that success means nothing if we don't use it to help someone else climb, too."
The room hummed with nods and murmurs of agreement. A few people even clapped softly. My words had landed better than I expected, and a quiet satisfaction warmed me.
After the meeting, we all exchanged pleasantries, smiles, compliments, quick jokes about upcoming midterms. I told Amelia her speech was inspiring, and she thanked me with that kind of genuine warmth that made people want to stay around her longer.
As I stepped back into the cool corridor, I felt lighter. Maybe it was the caffeine finally kicking in, or maybe it was that, for the first time in a while, I'd spoken from a place that felt real.