Next day
Morning 6 AM
Author POV
Justin groaned softly as the dull, throbbing pain in his head dragged him back to consciousness. His mouth was dry, his limbs heavy, and a faint sting bloomed along his hand. He winced, lifting it to his face, and saw the crude wrapping-a bandage stained with faded red. Confusion flickered across his features.
What the hell happened last night? The fragments were blurry at best-shots of amber liquid, the hollow weight of something he couldn't name pressing on his chest. But amid the haze, one image shone clearer than the rest: The nerd girl.
She was there. Her voice, soft and low. The warmth of her hands. Her eyes-concerned, or was that pity?
His brow furrowed. Did we talk? He couldn't quite place her words, but there was something grounding about her presence, like she had pulled him from the edge of something darker.
Did I tell her too much? Did I... do something stupid?
Then he looked again at his hand. Glass. Blood. He blinked, suddenly uneasy. The ache in his chest deepened, not from the wound, but from the not knowing.
Why was she with me? Why would she stay?
A knot of guilt twisted in his stomach. Whatever happened, it wasn't fair to drag her into it. He sat up slowly, swaying, the room tilting for a breath before settling.
"I need to find her," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "I need to know what I did."
Just then, Andrew randomly entered the room where Justin had slept. His eyes went up to the figure sitting on the bed and rubbing his eyes vigorously. Without a second thought, he ran up to Justin. "Justin, are you okay? Are you feeling dizzy? And.... and how's your hand? Is it still hurting?"
Justin lightly smacked Andrew's head and said, "One question at a time, Andrew. Yeah, I am feeling better now. But since how long was I sleeping?" Andrew replied, "You have slept for one day, Justin." Justin blinked his eyes and gave a questioning look to Andrew.
"Justin, today's Saturday and you were drinking on Thursday night. So obviously you were sleeping on Friday," Andrew explained.
Justin's eyes widened in realization. This was the first time he slept for so long after drinking. Also the realization of missing classes for one whole day hit him harder.
"I missed yesterday's classes, Andrew. Exams are near. How the hell did I miss even a day! You guys..." Justin smacked Andrew's head and continued, "You guys didn't even bother to wake me up?! Now what do I do? I need yesterday's notes and assignments. But I don't know whom should I ask for help."
Justin put his hands on his head and went into deep thought.
Andrew knew how much of an introvert Justin is. That's why it's gonna be harder for Justin to approach any one of his classmates for help. Suddenly it struck him, Amelia is of the same class as of Justin. And she also belongs to their group, so Justin can easily ask her.
"Hey, why don't you ask Amelia? You both belong to the same class and you meet her daily in the café. Go and approach her. She will definitely help you", Andrew suggested. Justin's eyebrows furrowed. He thought in his mind, "Amelia? Oh yes, that nerd. But wait–SHE WAS WITH ME ON THURSDAY NIGHT! Justin's eyes quickly darted towards his bandaged arm. "Did Amelia do this? I can't remember seeing Liam..." He thought to himself.
"Andrew, d-did A-Amelia do this?" He asked pointing at his bandaged arm. "Uhh, yeah, we couldn't take Liam with us. So, we had to ask Amelia and she agreed," Andrew replied.
Justin nodded in understanding trying to hide the surprise beneath his expressions. He muttered an 'okay' and Andrew left.
Justin thought to himself, "That means she has already seen me, vulnerable. I thought I might have just seen her. But she was there with me the whole time. Uhh, what she must be thinking about me? I am so doomed. Okay, I'll think about that later. I should thank her, at least. Yeah, a simple thank you. Nothing more than that. Yeah. I should be get going or else I'll get late."
Three hours later
Justin POV
I decided to attend class today as I already have yesterday's pending work. Missing today's classes would only add up to the burden and as a result, I'll be miss the weekend to chill and relax.
Ignoring the throbbing headache, I somehow reached my class passing through the crowd in the corridors.
My eyes involuntarily made their way to Amelia. As usual, she was immersed completely into her books, oblivious to her surroundings.
A soft crease between her brows as she read—so focused, so unaware of the world spinning around her. The noise, the people, the looks–they didn't touch her. Not like they usually do.
She wasn't like the other girls. No flashy smiles, no strategic glances. Just... her. Quiet, serious, almost stubborn in her concentration. Like the world didn't exist outside those pages.
There was something frustratingly captivating about that. Innocent. Naive. She wasn't putting on a show. She didn't even know she had my attention. And somehow, that made it impossible to look away.
"Heck! Was I checking her out? What the hell am I doing? I am surely dead if she had noticed that I was staring straight at her," I thought to myself.
I came out of my trance and walked towards her with slow and deliberate steps.
'I just have to thank her and leave' was the only thought I had in my mind.
Excited to witness the first ever conservation between Justin and Amelia? Oh, even I'm excited!!!
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