Chapter 1
I stood in front of the large college building, its towering brick walls stretching high above me. A roundabout sat at the entrance, crowded with cars as parents pulled up to say their final goodbyes before driving away. I watched as my Uber driver pulled my suitcases from the trunk and set them on the pavement beside me. My mum couldn’t make it. She was off on holiday in Spain. Did it upset me? Sure. But standing here, in front of the college I’d worked so hard to get into, I couldn’t let that overshadow everything else. “Ms. Brooks, your other bags are in the courier van. They should be here in about an hour,” my Uber driver, Tag, said. I nodded. “Thank you for your help.” I smiled ''You’re welcome. Good luck with your first day.”he climbed back into his car and drove away, leaving me alone with two suitcases, a campus full of strangers, and a future I could only hope would be everything I’d dreamed of. I walked towards the large entrance doors, already propped open for the stream of new students arriving. A woman stood just inside, a booklet tucked beneath her arm. “Name?” she asked. “Jade Brooks.” She ran her finger down a list of names before giving a small nod. “Your key card is at the front desk. There’ll be a campus tour later this afternoon for all new arrivals.” She spoke so much with her eyebrows that I had to look away to stop myself from laughing.thanked her before making my way towards the front desk, weaving through groups of nervous students and overly emotional parents who still hadn’t managed to say goodbye. “Jade Brooks?” the receptionist called, already holding a white envelope. “That’s me.” She smiled, handing it over. “Inside you’ll find your room number, key card, campus map, and your orientation schedule.” “Perfect. Thank you.” I slipped the envelope into my tote bag before pulling out the key card. Room 314. Third floor. Of course it couldn’t have been the first. I wrapped my hand around the handle of my suitcase and headed towards the lifts, following the signs hanging from the ceiling. Every hallway smelled faintly of fresh paint and disinfectant, like the university had scrubbed every inch of the place for our arrival. The lift doors opened with a quiet ding. I stepped inside, dragging my suitcase behind me, and pressed 3. The doors slid shut. For a few seconds, there was nothing but the soft hum of the lift climbing. I stared at my reflection in the mirrored doors. The doors opened again. Third floor. I stepped out and immediately found myself standing in another long hallway, lined with identical doors. 301. 302. 303. I started walking. The wheels of my suitcase rattled against the floor, far too loud in the otherwise quiet corridor. 310. 311. 312. I slowed down. 313. One more. I looked at the key card in my hand before turning to the door beside me. 314. “Well,” I muttered under my breath. “Here goes nothing.” I tapped the card against the reader. A green light flashed. The lock clicked. I pushed the door open. It was huge—definitely big enough for two people I hadn’t realized we were sharing until I saw the bags scattered across the floor. I stepped inside slowly, taking it all in. The living room was to my right, with a small couch and a coffee table pushed against the wall. To my left was the kitchen, modern and surprisingly spacious, with white cabinets and a long counter running along the back. Straight ahead was a huge window overlooking Ottawa. The city stretched out below me, buildings filling the distance beneath a pale afternoon sky. There were two bedrooms, one on either side of the apartment.I looked down at the bags again. Whoever my roommate was, they had clearly arrived before me. A woman suddenly walked out of the bathroom tucked beside the kitchen, her damp hair wrapped in a towel as she rubbed it dry with another. She froze the second she saw me. She wasn’t wearing any clothes. I immediately snapped my head away. “Oh my God,” I muttered under my breath, staring firmly at the floor. “Oh my God!” she squealed, scrambling backwards and grabbing the towel hanging over her shoulder to cover herself. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red as she fumbled with the fabric. “I—I didn’t know anyone else was here!” “I didn’t know I had a roommate,” I said quickly, keeping my eyes fixed on the wall. “I swear I’m not looking.” There was a brief, painfully awkward silence. “You can turn around now,” she said, her voice quieter. I let out a relieved breath before glancing back. She was a redhead, quite short, with bright blue eyes that stood out against her flushed face. “I’m Azura,” she said, still clutching the towel tightly around herself. I smiled awkwardly. “Jade,” I said. She nodded, giving me a small, embarrassed smile. “So...” She glanced down at my suitcase. “You’re my roommate?” “Apparently.” She let out a quiet laugh. “Well, this is awkward.” “Just a little.” She laughed again, and somehow the tension in the room eased. I glanced down at my phone. My brother should be arriving soon. He’d taken a separate cab, so I figured he couldn’t be too far away. Luke had slept in this morning. I’d told him to set an alarm, but he insisted he would wake up on his own. Look who was right. Me. Azura disappeared into her bedroom, finally giving me a chance to check out mine. I dragged my suitcase down the short hallway and pushed the door open. It was huge. A big window took up most of one wall, letting in plenty of light and giving me another view of Ottawa. There was a bed pushed against the opposite wall, along with a set of drawers and a small bedside table. I stepped inside, looking around. I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked the screen again. Me:Where are you?
The three little dots appeared almost immediately.
Luke:five minutes
I stared at the message. Five minutes. That usually meant fifteen. I rolled my eyes and tossed my phone onto the bed before looking around the room again. I walked over to the window and pulled the curtain back slightly. Ottawa stretched out below me, completely unfamiliar. Cars moved along the streets, people walked between buildings, and somewhere in the distance, I could hear the faint sound of traffic. My phone buzzed a few moments later. I looked down at the screen.
Luke:Down the hall. My room number is 412. What’s yours?
I glanced towards my bedroom door.
Me:314.
A reply came almost instantly.
Luke:Wait. You’re on the third floor?
I frowned at the message.
Me:Yeah?
Luke:I’m on the fourth.
Me: Meet you downstairs
grabbing my phone before leaving the room. I headed down the stairs and spotted him almost immediately. Luke was sitting in one of the chairs near the entrance, a Red Bull in one hand and dressed in gym gear like he’d just walked straight out of a workout. I stopped in front of him. “You went to the gym? Seriously?” He stood up and pulled me into a quick hug. “Nice to see you too, Jade.” I laughed, hugging him back. I hadn’t seen Luke in about a month. He’d been staying with our father in Italy, helping him with some work before coming back for university. He pulled away from the hug and looked me up and down. “You’re still fucking tall.” I stared at him. “Good morning to you too.” “I’m serious. Why are you so tall?” “I don’t know, Luke. Genetics?” He looked offended. “Clearly you got all the good ones.” I laughed. “You’ve got plenty of height.” “I’m average.” “You’re six foot.” “Exactly. Average.” I shook my head. “I’ve got my key card, so I’m going to head up to my bedroom. I’ll see you later for the tour.” “Yeah,” Luke said. “I’ll come find you.” I nodded, smiling. It was good seeing him again. Luke had been doing some pilot engineering work with our father while he’d been in Italy. I didn’t have any contact with him anymore, but Luke still did. I wasn’t sure why. Honestly, I thought Luke only went along with the work because it gave him an excuse to do the pilot training he’d always wanted. I walked back inside the dorm, and Azura was already changed, sitting on the couch with a coffee in her hands. “Hey, come sit,” she said. I raised a brow but walked over anyway, dropping down onto the green couch beside her. She took another sip of her coffee, looking completely comfortable already. “So,” she said, turning towards me, “tell me about yourself.” I stared at her for a moment. “Well, we’ve established my name is Jade. I’m twenty, I have a twin brother, and I’m studying medicine to become a doctor,” I finished. Her eyes widened, her pupils dilating slightly. “Wow. That’s impressive. You give off an intelligent presence.” Her voice was raspy, almost husky. I gave her a small smile. “Is that your polite way of saying I look like a nerd?” She laughed, nearly choking on her coffee. “No. Not at all.” I leaned back into the couch, crossing one leg over the other. She studied me for another second, like she was trying to figure me out. “What about you?” I asked. “You can’t interrogate me without giving me something in return.'' She smiled. “I’m Azura. I’m twenty-one, I’m from Vancouver, and I’m studying fashion.” I glanced at her. That explained the outfit. I glanced down at the watch on my wrist. The courier must be close by now. I stood, smoothing down my shirt. Azura looked up at me, a confused expression crossing her face. “Where are you going?” “The courier should be here soon. I’ve still got some things coming.” Azura nodded, sipping her coffee. I took that as my sign to leave. I had barely reached the door when the courier came through behind me, carrying several of my bags inside. Clothes. Shoes. A couple of boxes. I stepped aside to let him through, watching as he carefully placed everything down. “That’s all you brought? Honey, that’s nothing,” Azura said, looking at the bags. I placed my hands on my hips and let out a small laugh. “I don’t need much,” I said. The courier carried in my desk next, followed by several boxes filled with my books, notebooks, and stationery. She looked at me. Then at the boxes. Then back at me. “You don’t need much?” I shrugged. “Apparently, I have a very loose definition of much.” She laughed, taking another sip of her coffee. “I can see that.” Once they were done, I let out a groan, realising I had to put all of this away and set everything up before classes started on Monday. I looked around at the boxes covering half the room.
I unpacked my boxes and spent the next two hours setting up my bedroom. By the time I was finished, everything had a place. My books were stacked neatly on the desk, my stationery was organised, and my clothes were finally put away instead of living out of my suitcase. I showered and changed before heading downstairs to the lobby for the tour. Luke was already there, standing in a tracksuit and looking around the lobby. “There you are. I looked like an idiot,” Luke said as soon as he saw me. I raised an eyebrow. “Looked like?” He gave me a look. “Very funny.” I smiled, looking him over. “Gather everyone.” The same woman from earlier stood at the front of the lobby, holding her booklet against her chest. “Welcome, all new students. Welcome to the tour of the college.” She looked around at the group before raising her voice slightly. “Follow closely behind. If you get lost, that’s not my fault.” A few students whispered and giggled to themselves.Luke leaned slightly towards me. “She’s terrifying.” I bit back a laugh. “She can probably hear you.” He immediately straightened. “Then I said nothing.” I smiled, shaking my head as we continued following the group. “Lev, you are late to the tour.” A man had arrived, jogging slightly to catch up with the group. He wore Nike activewear shorts and a compression shirt, both doing very little to hide just how built he was. He was buff—clearly someone who spent a lot of time in the gym. Drops of sweat clung to his forehead, slipping through his dirty blonde curls. “I am here now,” he said simply. His voice was deep, carrying a thick Russian accent. A couple of his friends immediately started shoving him around, laughing as they welcomed him. “Fuck, I need his workout routine,” Luke mumbled under his breath. I looked at him, trying not to laugh. “Are you serious?” He nodded, completely serious. “Have you seen him?” “I’ve seen him, yes.” Luke looked back towards Lev, who was now walking with his friends near the back of the group. “I need to know what he’s doing.” I shook my head. “You go to the gym enough.” “Clearly not.” I let out a quiet laugh and turned my attention back towards the tour. The woman was explaining where the main lecture halls were, pointing down one of the long corridors as everyone followed behind her. Lecture halls. Library. Student centre and the Medical facility where I am studying. I mentally filed each one away. Monday suddenly didn’t feel very far away. I had a lot to learn, a lot to organize, and absolutely no desire to get lost on my first day.
By the time the tour finally ended, my feet were starting to ache. It was now 6:30 p.m. Dinner was at seven in the hall, which gave me just enough time to head back upstairs and rest. I checked the time again. Thirty minutes. I picked up my phone and headed back towards the dorm, wondering what dinner would be like. Hopefully, better than the tour. Luke spent most of the walk back telling me about his new roommate, Kai. Apparently, he was a pain in the ass. My rest didn’t last long. Before I knew it, I was standing in the dinner hall, staring at the rows of students making their way through the buffet. Spaghetti and meatballs. Not exactly the grand introduction to university dining I’d imagined, but it smelled surprisingly good. Azura stood beside me, looking over the food with an expression that suggested she was already deciding what she wanted. “Well,” she said, picking up a plate. “At least they’re feeding us.” We sat down after grabbing our food. “Hey,” Luke said, sitting down beside us. “Oh, hey. I’m Luke.” He held his hand out towards Azura. She looked at his hand for a second before taking it. “Azura.” “Nice to meet you.” “You too.” Luke nodded, picking up his fork. “You two look exactly alike,” Azura said, looking between us. “Don’t make Jade jealous,” Luke said. I placed my fork down and looked at him. “Jealous of what? Your lack of charm and decency?” He shook his head, completely unfazed. “Jealous of my good looks.” I raised both my hands. “We’re twins.” Azura laughed, looking between us again. “Okay, I can definitely see it now.” Luke leaned back in his chair, looking far too pleased with himself. “See? She agrees.” “I said you look alike,” Azura corrected. “I didn’t say he was good-looking.” I snorted. Luke looked genuinely offended. “Wow.” I picked my fork back up. “Hey, Luke.” A guy sat down at the table beside him. He had black hair, dark eyes, Japanese, I thought, although I wasn’t completely sure. “Oh, Kai,” Luke said, dragging out his name, his expression immediately dropping. Ah. So this must be Kai. “Hi, guys. I’m Kai, Luke’s roommate.” He gave us a polite smile. “Jade. Nice to meet you,” I said. “Azura,” she followed, giving him a small smile. Kai nodded. “Nice to meet you both.” Luke leaned back in his chair, looking between Kai and us. “Don’t let him fool you,” he said. “He’s a menace.” Kai turned towards him. “I literally just sat down.” Kai and Luke proceeded to bicker over who got the better room, their argument quickly dissolving into petty complaints and exaggerated accusations. They were somehow managing to turn a conversation about dorm rooms into a full-blown debate. It was impressive, really. Give men a bed and suddenly it became a matter of national importance. I decided to tune them out and focus on the so-called food. It wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t particularly good, either. I twirled the spaghetti around my fork The sauce was lukewarm before it even reached my mouth. I miss Mum’s cooking. I didn’t even get one last meal from Mum before I left. “Jade, what are you studying?” Kai asked, pulling me from my train of thought. “Medicine.” Surprise flickered across his face. “Really?” he said. “I would’ve guessed something low maintenance... like fashion.” Azura’s head snapped towards him so fast I thought she might’ve pulled a muscle. “Excuse me?” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Low maintenance?” Kai blinked, “That’s... not what I meant.” “No?” Azura folded her arms. “Because it sounded exactly like what you meant.” I bit the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh. Kai rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m studying medicine too,” Kai said, as though the last thirty seconds hadn’t happened. “So, I’ll see you there.” Moments ago, he’d decided I looked like someone who’d pursue a “low-maintenance” degree. Now, without a hint of irony, he was telling me we were studying the exact same course. The contradiction was almost impressive. Either he was astonishingly unaware of what he’d just implied...or he had an unfortunate habit of speaking before engaging the part of his brain responsible for tact.
The first day of classes had finally arrived. A strange mixture of excitement and nerves settled in my chest, each emotion refusing to overpower the other. Mum had called me earlier that morning to wish me luck, reminding me to eat breakfast and asking me to pass the same message on to Luke. I promised I would. After getting ready, I slipped on a pair of black tailored trousers, a white button-up shirt, and comfortable shoes. I clipped my hair back, grabbed my backpack, and gave my room one last glance before heading for the door. I walked into the lecture theatre, my eyes immediately scanning the room. It was enormous. Rows upon rows of seats curved around the theatre, each one fitted with a fold-out desk overlooking the front of the room. I chose a seat a few rows from the front, close enough to see the lecturer clearly without looking overly eager. Pulling out my laptop, I set it on the desk and waited as more students gradually filtered into the room. “Нет, мама.” The guy from two days ago appeared through the doors, speaking Russian into his phone. My eyes briefly scanned his clothes. He wore a brown coat over a black shirt and black jeans. His curly hair was still wet, pushed back from his face, and he held a black coffee in one hand. His eyes darted towards me as he hung up the phone. I immediately looked away, focusing on my laptop. Then he sat down beside me. Out of all the thousands of empty seats in the lecture theatre, he chose the one next to me. I tried not to think too much of it. Then I caught the scent of his cologne—warm wood with something spicy and amber underneath. “You want to be doctor, yes?” he asked. His voice was deeper when he spoke English. His pronunciation was good, although there was still a slight hesitation in the way he formed certain sentences. I looked at him properly for the first time. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown, almost warm against the otherwise serious expression on his face. “That’s why you’re here, correct?” I asked. He looked away, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Unless I’m in the wrong lecture.” I glanced at him. “That would be unfortunate.”More students began filtering into the lecture theatre, filling the empty seats around us one by one. The quiet room slowly became louder, conversations overlapping as people greeted one another and searched for somewhere to sit. “Jade, hey.” Kai walked over, his backpack hanging from one shoulder, the weight pulling it down slightly on the opposite side.“Hey,” I said. He glanced at the seat beside me. “Anyone sitting here?” I looked at the empty chair. “No.” He nodded and took the seat, setting his bag down by his feet. Apparently, this was going to be a very small medicine cohort. The lecturer had walked in.
