---
The rest of the day moved in a blur.
Classes, new lecturers, crowded hallways… everything felt familiar but also slightly shifted, like the school had changed while I was gone and I was learning how to fit into it again.
By the time my last class ended, the sun was already sinking, covering the campus in this warm, golden glow that made everything feel softer.
I stepped outside and let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
It wasn't stress — just the weight of being back.
---
Lily texted me that she was stuck in a lab practical and wouldn't be back for hours. I didn't mind. The quiet felt nice. I walked around the campus slowly, letting the breeze brush through my ponytail, watching people laugh and talk and live their own little stories.
For the first time, I wasn't overwhelmed by it.
Just observing.
Letting myself exist without rushing.
---
As I crossed the main walkway, I saw Denzel again — sitting on one of the stone benches under the big tree near the library. Sarah and the others were gone, leaving him alone with his headphones on.
He looked calm. Always calm.
I wasn't planning to stop, but he noticed me passing and pulled off one ear of his headphones.
"You done for the day?" he asked, voice warm in that quiet, collected way of his.
"Yeah," I nodded. "Long day."
He smiled a little, the kind of smile that didn't need to be big to be meaningful.
"Welcome back to the madness."
I laughed softly, even though it wasn't that funny.
But something about him made everything feel lighter.
It wasn't a long conversation — just simple, easy.
But it lingered in my mind as I walked away.
---
Back to the dorm
The room was quiet when I got back. I dropped my bag, loosened my ponytail, and let my hair fall around my shoulders. The silence felt comforting, not lonely.
I changed into something comfortable and sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the familiar walls, the soft lighting, the half-packed things Lily left scattered around.
Being back here hurt a little — flashes of last semester tried to sneak in — but I gently pushed them away.
This was a new beginning.
A different chapter.
I wasn't the girl desperate for someone's attention anymore.
I wasn't waiting for messages that never came.
I was here.
Alive.
Healing.
Trying.
---
Lily burst into the room later, dropping her lab coat dramatically on her bed.
"I swear my lecturer hates me," she declared.
I raised a brow. "You always say that ."
"Because it's TRUE every time, Maya!"
We both laughed as she collapsed next to me, scrolling through random memes to show me. Her presence filled the room instantly — like she brought her own light with her.
We talked about classes, people we saw, the outfits we noticed, future plans, stupid jokes — everything and nothing at the same time.
And for the first time since returning, I felt fully settled.
Like maybe… just maybe… this semester wouldn't break me.
Maybe it would teach me something new.