Dysfunctional Lover

2.

"Love does not dominate, it cultivates."

••••

Chris bangs on my door, I know she is worried.

"I need some time alone Christina." I use her full name to put more emphasis. She sighs from the other side.

"If you ever need me, I'm just a phone call away okay?" She says and I reply by a weak yes.

The rest of my day is spent holed up in my room, arranging my stuff in the closet and decorating my side of the room. I brought some of my favourite bedsheets and posters and faery lights and my novels and some other stuff which I hope will make this strange place feel more like home.

I change into a soothing light blue pyjama and matching tshirt. Hopefully this will calm down my nerves. After tying my hairs up in a high ponytail with the help of a scrunchie, I decide to take a walk around the campus and be more familiar with the routes and all.

I put on my bright white sneakers and exit the room. I didn't realise it was dark by now. But it is. Pitch black. I check the time on my clock. It's barely seven thirty. It will take me some time to adjust to the atmosphere here as well.

Just as I turn to leave the dorm, I collide with something and fall down on my butt. Ouch.

Suddenly I feel a hand on my arm and Kai's face comes into view. Just few centimetres away.

"Hey sorry I uh.."

I jerk away from him before he can complete which makes him remove his hand.

He crouches down now. "Are you alright?" He tries to hold my arm once again but I put a hand forward and shift further back.

"Just... go.." I try to calm down my nerves. No. I will not have a cataplexy attack. Not on the first day. I will not be a freak.

I feel control slipping out of my hand. Kai is saying something but I can't comprehend it. I increase my breathing rate and count till ten again and again.

After a few moments, I return to my senses and get up.

Kai is still standing in front of me and now a small crowd has formed around us.

"You freaked me out. Are you fine?" He asks frantically.

I nod.

"Are you sure?" He takes a step towards me and I step back.

"Stay away. Please. Just.. don't touch me.." I say.

He frowns and gives me a grave look. "Fine! Sorry for being worried. I will keep in mind to never help you again." With this, he storms away.

I hurriedly get back inside my room and plop on the bed. I take out my box of medicines and take a few pills. I should just sleep. I need to be fresh for my classes tomorrow.

-----------------------------------

Chris waves at me from the other side of the road when I step out of the dormitory. I should've known this.

I walk over to her.

"Black means glum. Why are you glum. You should've been wearing yellow. Excited." She comments at my attire which comprises of a halter neck, skin tight, black top which stops just above my belly button and black skinny jeans with mustard heels.

I shrug. We start walking to my first class which is English lit. "Last night I almost had a cataplexy episode. In front of everyone." I shudder at the memory.

Chris stops dead in her track. "Why did you not tell me?"

I grab her wrist and force her to walk again. "Because I couldn't really call when it was happening and there was no reason to worry you afterwards."

She sighs. "Maybe I should have shared a dorm room with you."

There she goes. Making me feel guilty again. I hate it like anything.

"No. What you did was right. Don't you dare blame yourself."

She gives me her dimpled smile and I relax. "Ofcourse not. You're not my baby sister anymore. You're all grown up. I am not gonna look after you now." She teases.

"Yeah totes. Who needs you anyway?" I tease back and we laugh. Finally one good thing happened on this dark day.

"Did your roommate show up yet?" She asks.

"No. I don't know if it's a good thing or bad. For now it's fine I guess. But what if I start having nightmares?"

"Elena we've talked about this. Dr. Roberts clearly said that they won't unless you call them. You understand?" There comes my strong, bossy older again once again.

"Okay okay I won't 'call' them."

We reach the building where I'll be having my class. I know that Chris's class in not in this one. Her journalism studies hall is on the other side. Not really far away but not close either.

"Promise me you won't come to pick me up." I say before we disperse.

"Yeah, I won't even see your face for the rest of the day." She jokes and waves me a goodbye and jogs off.

I enter the building and ask one of the girls the proper direction to the class which she happily gives me.

Everyone seems high in spirits today. That's a plus point. But on the negative side, I get these creepy looks from many of the boys passing by which freaks me out. I am not used to it. No one stares at you like that in a girl's school. I so miss my school.

The day goes by pretty quickly. The faculty are really great of this institute. I enjoyed almost every class and barely felt sleepy.

I also succeeded in maintaining distance from boys for much part of the day. Politely denied their offers to come to some party or go on a date. They were pretty direct I'm telling you.

Lunch in the cafeteria wasn't half as bad. I sat with two girls from my psychology class, Erica and Gemma, who also invited their roommates and their boyfriends and all in all it became a big group.

When I come back to my dorm room, I find that there is other stuff in there. Which isn't mine.

That means my roommate has arrived.