Aether

– Kat, are you sure you have everything you need? I hear my mom asking me for the thousandth time.

– Yes, mom, I reply, already bored, rolling my eyes while I look through the piles of boxes scattered around the room.

After I arrived at the dorm and checked the list of new residents, I found my name assigned to Dorm 6, Room 22, next to Liz Nova, a second-year student.

Since she wasn’t in the room, though her things were everywhere, I only allowed myself to collapse on the bed, satisfied, and answer my mother’s insistence over the phone.

– Call me if you need anything or if you can’t get used to it. Take care of yourself, my girl, she tells me in a thin voice, and I realize she’s holding back from crying.

I bite my lip, uneasy, and say:

– Don’t worry, please. We’ll talk tomorrow after classes.

I hear her agreeing, and in my mind I see her nodding. Then she hangs up.

I exhale in relief and yet the weight on my heart doesn’t get any lighter. She didn’t agree with my moving out and, of course, not with the fact that I’m so far from home. It’s a three-hour drive, which isn’t much, but it feels that way when you don’t have a car. I can see her trying to get used to the idea, but honestly, I don’t know if I’ll manage either. We’re apart, alone… more alone than ever.

I push away those depressing thoughts and get up from the bed. I don’t have the slightest energy to unpack my clothes and place my personal things on the desk. I scan the room with one look. It’s quite spacious.

Two copies of the same furniture are found in different corners: two beds, two desks, two nightstands, two wardrobes, two chairs, and a single table by the three double-glazed windows. My side is lifeless and colorless, but Liz’s side is… something else.

Colorful blankets cover the worn mattress, a cloud-shaped plush leans against the purple pillow, and a lamp is still on, glowing on the nightstand. Next to it, a picture – probably with her family. Underneath, books and papers, a pair of headphones, and a laptop covered with stickers. On the table sits a kettle, and on the chair’s arms hangs a black leather jacket. I open the fridge in the corner and see a few snacks and some bottles with blue liquid, but no proper food.

Maybe she went to the cafeteria, I think, already aware of my own hunger. I look out the window and see the back of the campus filled with dorm students. The football field is hosting a match, and next to it I notice the recently renovated cafeteria. The buildings in front are the university halls of Los Angeles University.

Slowly, the sun sinks behind the trees and the campus is bathed in a warm golden light. I don’t think I’ll find the cafeteria open, but there must be a store where I can buy something to eat. I grab my jacket from the hanger and leave the dorm.

The farther I walk, the quieter the students’ voices become. It’s silent, it’s evening, only the shadows around me play along. After ten minutes of continuous walking, I notice a small shop with the lights on, a sign that it’s still open.

I hurry toward it, hoping this restless wind won’t bring rain with it. I open the door and the chime of the bell above rings into the quiet room.

– We’re closed, a deep voice says from behind the counter.

I only see his back as he continues undisturbed with his task. I open my mouth and close it again a few times. I don’t know what to say. Looking around, I realize the small room is more of a café than a shop. Sure, there are shelves with chips, cookies, and other junk, a fridge with sandwiches, another with soft drinks, but the place has a few tables and fluffy blue couches scattered around. A few paintings and wall lights, a fan palm in one corner beside a nightstand with a laptop on it.

The music is off, as are the bar lights, leaving the boy drowned in a play of shadows. Only the wall lights by the tables animate the place.

– Sorry, I saw the lights on and thought it was open. I really just want a few things, I say, rushing to the counter and grabbing along the way a bag of chocolate chip cookies, a raisin bar — which, honestly, I don’t even like — and a bottle of warm water. I set them on the register with the sweetest smile I’ve ever put on my face.

Only then does the boy turn, and I hear him scoff. He slams the rag he was using to wipe the coffee machine and grabs the counter with both hands, clutching the wood tightly. My smile falls, and he leans toward me with a fake one. A dimple appears on the left side of his mouth.

His black hair falls over his forehead, and his gray eyes burn into me with aggression. Then he runs a hand through his hair, fixing it, and after a long minute that feels like an hour, he straightens up again.

A cold sweat runs down my back. I’m bothering him. I can tell my presence — like any unwanted customer’s — is met with hostility. This uncomfortable feeling unsettles me, and I don’t know if I should leave, say something, or just wait. His gray eyes scan me, and I pull my jacket tighter around me, as if it could protect me from whatever he’s doing to me with that look. It’s a strange sensation, and my frown makes him say:

– Relax, I don’t bite.

I smile awkwardly and watch as he takes the items from the counter and scans them. I breathe out in relief, grateful. And, God, I’m so hungry, I think. Meanwhile, the coffee machine gleams behind him and my mouth waters. I hadn’t even realized I was leaning toward it until the mysterious boy says:

– Don’t even think about it, he says flatly. His lips form a harsh line as he bags my things and hands them to me.

It feels like he’s the only one who animated the conversation, so I force my mouth to let out a small laugh, trying to ease the tension.

– I wasn’t thinking that at all. I was just noticing how… shiny it is. You’re really good with that rag.

As soon as the words leave my mouth — words I didn’t even mean — my face falls. God, what nonsense am I saying! I mentally slap my forehead. I purse my lips, wondering what to do. Why can’t I just say something normal like “thank you” or “goodbye”? I grab the bag quickly and leave money on the counter.

More unexpected is the way his gaze turns back to me, followed by a laugh slipping from his lips.

– You’re a terrible liar, freshman! he says cheerfully.

– How did you know…? Never mind! I say, turning toward the exit. Thanks for… I raise the bag in the air… this.

I open the door quickly and hurry out of the café’s sight. My face burns.

– I’m so stupid, I say out loud. I exhale exaggeratedly, and once my heart steadies into a normal rhythm, I slow down on the same path I came, now wrapped in darkness. The students have left the field, leaving me the only being around. The sounds from the trees and the animals make everything feel like a horror movie. I’m not scared, I’m used to monsters. My father was one.

I push the thought away so it won’t ruin my mood and focus on something else. That boy’s eyes come back to me. So piercing, like the ashes of a fire, stirring strange sensations inside me. I feel as though just a look could leave scorch marks on my skin. I wonder what a touch from him would feel like, not just a glance. My thoughts are nonsense, but not for long, because I hear a noise behind me, louder and stronger than the ones I’d gotten used to.

I stop, and only the whistling wind is audible. Maybe it was a cat or a dog. Then, suddenly, thunder breaks the silence, followed by lightning. For a second, light floods behind me and I see a shadow, a dark figure, and then… nothing. The light goes out and I’m back in the same darkness.

My heartbeat pounds harder in my chest. Fear runs through my veins, pulsing with my blood. My breathing grows heavy, the weight on my heart presses down harder, crushing me. I spin around and run. The bag slips from my hand, but I don’t stop until I reach people again, lights again. I pass drunk, happy, noisy students, shoving past them on the stairs.

– Sorry, excuse me, I blurt automatically.

I don’t stop trembling until I reach my room. Here I’m safe, here no one can hurt me. Here I’m strong, I tell myself. I close the door behind me and collapse onto the floor. Breathing exercises help me return to normal. A single episode of fear and everything comes back to me.

I can’t I can’t I can’t think about it. No! I open my eyes wide and force myself to calm down.

One second… Two… Three. I get up, go to the window, and look through the glass. I don’t see anything. Once I’ve calmed down, I think maybe I imagined it. I have to stop being afraid. I have to fight my demons. Then the rain begins to drip from the sky, washing away whatever thoughts I had.

The door behind me opens, but not the entrance — the bathroom. A girl covered with a towel, her hair wet, exclaims:

– Oh! I thought I heard something. Hi, I’m Liz, your roommate, she says with the brightest smile and holds out her free hand.

I feel warmth and light radiating from her pores, and I take her hand in mine, feeling a surge of electric energy. Maybe it’s just from the steam and hot water, and I’m cold. Another strange, unfamiliar sensation.

– Hi, I say in return. I’m Katrina.

– Kat, I like it, she says as if analyzing me. What do you say, in the mood for a party? she winks playfully.

– Umm…

Officially, this is the weirdest night. And it’s only just begun.