***The Encounter***

When I woke up, a sweet scent of cinnamon invaded my nostrils. I had barely woken up properly and my mouth was already watering. I heard the sound of my door, accompanied by footsteps; it was my mother. About five seconds later, I felt the curtains open and rays of sunlight hit my face. It seemed like the perfect morning until my little sister entered my room and jumped on me.

Get up, idiot, you're going to be late for your first day of school- she said, pulling my sheet back, leaving me uncovered. -Shut up, Sam, just five more minutes-I said, followed by a yawn, and I hugged my pillow like it was a stuffed toy.

Alex, come on little star, get up. I made you pancakes and your lunch is ready. You don't want to be late for your first day of college- Hearing my mom's voice, I open my eyes. She was one of the few people I listened to besides my dad. -I'm coming- I say quietly, still sleepy.

As I go down to the kitchen, my dog ​​jumps at me, causing me to almost fall backward. I stumble a little after picking him up.-Uh, since when do you weigh so much?- I say before dropping him on the floor and brushing off the hair I left on my shirt. -Come here, son, next to me- I hear my dad's voice across the room. I look up and see him sitting in the dining room as he gestures for me to sit next to him. I walk over and sit next to him. Following this, my mom places a plate of pancakes in front of me.

So...this is your first day of college, right?-My dad asks, as if he doubts the high school thing is true. He literally knows nothing about me, he's always out working. -Um, yeah, my first day.-I pop a piece of pancake in my mouth and sigh. -I hope today is a good first day-

Yeah... so you're studying law, right?- he asks with a curious tone in his voice. -Yeah, law. There wasn't any other major available, so I had to choose that one- I quickly take a bite of pancake. -I don't understand why men these days need a degree for that. Is that homosexuality? Don't you think? Luckily, my son is straight... right?-I feel his withering gaze on me, wishing he knew my deepest secrets. -Of course, Dad, just because I've only had one partner in my life doesn't mean I'm gay-

A small smile appeared on his face as if he'd just heard the best news in the world. -That's right, son. I'm so proud of you. Now I have to go to work. I'm running late.See you tonight, if you're still awake when I get here- He gets up from his chair, grabs his keys and his work bag. He walks into the kitchen and places his hands on my mother's waist before kissing her neck and leaving. It was like this every day, he'd get up, have breakfast, and leave. It almost seemed like he didn't have a father. This conversation is literally the longest we've had in at least five years. -Little star, come on, you're going to be late.- My mother's voice wakes me from my thoughts. I never tired of hearing her sweet voice; she was the only person I could trust. -I'll be right back, drop me off, and I'll finish eating-

After breakfast, I went up to my room to change. After I finished, I ran downstairs in a bit of a hurry; it was getting a bit late. I hurried out of the house and headed to the train station. For a moment, I stopped, and my soul returned to me. -Where the fuck am I going? I don't even know where the damn university is - I say to myself - Let me check Maps - When I take my phone in my hands and try to turn it on I realize that I didn't charge it the night before - Why does this have to be happening to me, I'm going to be late - I say in a low voice resigning myself to why I couldn't charge it. I looked around and tried to ask a couple of people where Cherry Blossom Trees University was but they all ignored me or looked at me like I was crazy. A tall guy stopped in front of me, I remember he had black hair and was wearing a suit as if he was going to give a lecture somewhere - Sir, could you please tell me where Cherry Blossom Trees University is? - The man looked me up and down, as if he was scanning me with his withering green eyes which would take any girl's breath away - And why do you want to know, you don't seem like the type to would be in a prestigious school like that, only the smartest can win a scholarship there and you look like you came from a brothel. Unless you've charmed the headmistress and she'd let you in - His comment offended me, but not that much. I'm used to these kinds of comments, a blond boy, blue eyes, a nice smile that will captivate anyone, decent height and muscles, a typical playboy. I hated being stereotyped like this but I got used to it to the point where I took advantage of it to get the best of it

For your information, sir, I earned my scholarship honestly without having to sleep with anyone-Deep down, I hated being told that kind of thing. I couldn't stand it, but I had to learn how to do it. -Well, the university is four train stops away.-I was frozen. Four train stops? There are about twenty minutes between each stop, and I was already late-Isn't there a faster way?-My hopeful eyes looked at the guy, waiting for an answer. -No, unfortunately not. Besides, the train is late today. It'll arrive in about ten minutes-It can't be. It's the first day of college, and they've already thrown two buckets of cold water on me. This day can't get any worse.-But if you run fast enough, you'll arrive in about thirty minutes, and you'll get some exercise in the process- the man said in a somewhat mocking tone. I woke up today with a terrible day, and to top it all off, this man wasn't helping. -Thanks for the... unnecessary information about running to college. I'd rather wait here for the train-

I sat down on a bench facing the tracks. The station wasn't as crowded as most times. I arranged my backpack next to me and took out a book. I was told that when you enter college on the first day, you always get pop quizzes, so it's better to be safe than sorry. A few seconds later I feel a presence next to me, I look up from my book to see that the man had sat down right next to me - The damn station was empty and this one comes to sit next to me? Are you serious? - I say to myself before looking back at my book but this action was interrupted by the clearing of his throat of the man who was sitting next to me - So... what do you study? - He asked, not really interested in whether I answered or not, it seemed as if he was asking me out of obligation - Law - I answer before looking back at my book - Interesting, law is a somewhat difficult career, right? -He asked again. I don't know why, but his voice was uncomfortable. Besides having a bad start to the day, I had to tolerate his voice, and that made me uncomfortable. -How would I know if it's my first year?-I said, uninterested in the conversation. I didn't want to start a conversation with anyone right now; I just wanted to enjoy a few moments of tranquility. -I see- he said before falling silent for the rest of the time. A few minutes later, I felt the train coming from a distance, and I put my book away. As I got on the train, I sat as close to the entrance as possible. As I put my backpack on the empty seat next to me and took out my book again, I felt a presence. I looked to my side and saw the same guy. Out of all the empty seats, did he really decide to sit next to me?

I ignored him and continued reading, trying not to let his presence bother me and trying not to imagine things. In the end, it was just a coincidence... right? Half an hour later, he was still by my side, occasionally glancing at my book. I felt uncomfortable; sometimes I felt like he was staring at me, as if trying to penetrate me with his gaze.

To be continued...

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