Before Everything Changed
It was a normal day. Boring, ordinary — the kind of day that quietly drifts by without asking to be remembered.
I cruised through narrow alleyways on my skateboard, passing beneath old rusted pipes that carried the damp metallic smell of rain and age. Kate Bush played softly through my Walkman, her voice blending with the distant rumble of traffic as I made my way toward my evening class.
The weather was pleasant in a melancholic sort of way. Heavy gray clouds lingered above the city, threatening rain but never quite delivering it. Somewhere nearby, my neighbors were arguing again like it was part of their daily routine. Honestly, it was getting hard to tell whether their shouting annoyed me or comforted me.
Oh, right. I should probably introduce myself.
My name’s Jake. First-semester university student... though saying it out loud still feels strange. I love books, but somehow life never leaves enough time to actually read them anymore. I used to be good at sports too. Then adulthood showed up with its endless responsibilities and quietly stole all my free time.
But enough about me.
By the time I finished wandering through my own thoughts, I had already arrived at the university.
The place looked less like a campus and more like a giant concrete fortress built to imprison education itself. Massive hallways, towering staircases, endless empty spaces — and somehow, despite its size, barely any people. Maybe that’s why talking to others felt so difficult here.
Not that I was good at talking to people in the first place.
As I dragged myself up the dull staircase, the first bell rang sharply through the building. The sound echoed across the walls like a warning siren. I hurried through the crowded hallway searching for my classroom.
And miraculously... I found it without getting lost.
That alone felt like an achievement.
The classroom was enormous, lined with countless rows of seats stretching almost endlessly toward the back wall. The professor’s distorted voice crackled through the speakers, instructing everyone to settle down.
Naturally, I chose the back seat.
The back seat was safe. Quiet. Invisible.
I slipped into my chair and isolated myself from the rest of the class while students continued chatting around me. Their conversations blurred together into meaningless noise. Resting my head against the desk, I closed my eyes for what was supposed to be only a second.
Then suddenly-
A GENTLE HAND PATTED MY SHOULDER.
SPARKING A LIGHTNING THROUGH MY BODY, I WOKE UP AND TURNED AROUND.
THERE SHE WAS.
MY FIRST LOVE.
CALLING OUT TO ME...
