Bad Connection✔️

Many Months Later

The air feels fresher on my new college campus. I ended up landing a scholarship for my grades in High School. After many, many restless hours and multiple all-nighters, I managed to become Valedictorian. Everyone's faces were grim as the girl they didn't like giving her speech.

I'm working to become a doctor at John Hopkins University, realizing that was the path I wanted to take in life after some research. I might change my mind one day, but truthfully I'm not worried about it at the moment.

Making my way over to my dorms, I let my thoughts wander to what my old peers would be doing right now. Last I heard from Lucas he was going into business majors to fully take over his Mom's half in his Dad's company. I asked him why he'd ever want to do that considering he hates his parents' business, and he just muttered something about having people to take care of. He chose a college fairly close to our town.

My thoughts are put in the back of my mind as I reach my dorm room. Nervously, I reach out and open the door, praying no one I used to go to school with is on the other side.

"Ah! You must be Emmi!" A small ginger girl pops out from her side, giving an exciting little clap.

"I am, but I'm sorry, I don't know your name," I say, walking in and putting my luggage on the other side of the room next to my bed.

"Oh, gosh!" she laughs, running back over to a small vanity and returning to straightening her hair, "You must not have seen the papers, then. That's okay! I'm Hazel!"

I give her a genuine smile, enjoying how much energy she seems to have.

"Nice to meet you. Do you want me to get the back?" I offer, crossing the room to her side.

"Please do! I swear, it kills my arms trying to get back there," she complains, handing me the straightener.

I take it carefully, grabbing her comb as I straighten the back side of her hair for her, careful not to touch it to her neck or ears.

"I have so much hair, and it's pretty curly. Personally, I prefer it straighter so I regularly fry my hair just to keep it tame enough for me to do anything with it! It's way easier to put up in a bun this way," she rambles as she organizes her vanity a bit more. She's moving a lot while she talks and does other stuff, making it a little difficult to not burn her.

I let her talk though, enjoying someone who's comfortable enough to break the silence. It's been a really long time since anyone talked to me like this, and I fully intend on enjoying it.

It doesn't take too long to finish the back of her hair since she had gotten some of the layers before I even got here, so I turn the iron off and hand it back to her as I grab the hairspray and give it a fair amount to keep it in place.

"If it's not a bother, could you help me with this fairly often? I mainly have to do it after my hair wash day, but sometimes it needs some extra," she asks, rambling a little again. I nod in agreement with a smile, meeting her brown eyes in the mirror.

She lights up, clapping a little as she thanks me profusely.

"I'm thinking about walking around the campus a bit to get a little more familiar with it, do you wanna come?" I ask her, grabbing a hairband from my bag and throwing my hair up into a ponytail.

She agrees, using as many words as humanly possible to express how much she wanted to go and how excited she was, to which I just smiled and nodded. Anymore, I don't like to talk as much. Luckily, I think she can fill the conversations between us.

We make our way out of the dorm, walking around while using my map. I point out the building we'd most likely be using the most, she talks more about her life from home, and I listen.

"Emmi!" Hazel whisper yells close to my ear.

I give her a confused look as she clasps her arms with mine, pointing a little as she whispers, "That boy. He's totally checking you out! Oh my gosh, he's so cute too!"

I follow where her finger is pointing to see a guy with dark curly hair and dark eyes, his skin smooth and dark as well. Once I meet his eyes, he gives me a shy smile. I can't help but smile back, he's just so adorable with the way he's nervously fidgeting.

"You should go talk to him!" Hazel whispers loudly to me again, nearly jumping up and down from her excitement.

I ponder on the idea for a moment before I laugh, shaking my head no at her. I smile up at the boy again, giving him a small wave as we make our way past him.

Maybe he'll find me again later this year when I'm ready to even think about that kind of thing again, I'd love to get to know him.

But, for now, at least, I'm very done with boys.

My phone rings in my back pocket suddenly, making both Hazel and I jump. I jerk it out, checking the screen to see his name.

"Uh, Hazel, I need to take this real quick. I'll be right back," I tell her, patting her on the arm as I was away.

Picking up the call, I ask, "Uh, hello?"

"Hey, uh, Emmi. How are you?"

"Good, I guess. Why are you calling me?"

"Oh, haha. I just wanted to call to tell you I missed you. Ya know, we could just-,"

"Huh?" I ask, crumpling up my map next to the phone, "Sorry, I can't hear you. Hello?"

"Emmi?"

"You're cutting- hello? Maso- I can't hear-," I try not to laugh as I break up my voice.

"Sorry. I must have a bad connection," I laugh, completely stopping the paper to make what I said clear as day, and then I hit the end button.

I let out a long sigh, shoving my phone into my pocket again and making my way back to Hazel.

"Who was that?" she asked, giving a questioning look to my crumpled map.

"Oh. It was no one. Let's go grab something to eat?"