Of Wind and Dreams

She who wishes on Dandelions

Xiao growled in a corner of the room, annoyed by the boisterous commotion the others made. Summer was over, and classes resumed in the heat of the day at the Qixing University. Xiao wasn't particularly happy about this as now he would have to divide his time between practicing basketball, working at Angel's Share and attending college.

He thanked his stars he had more major papers under Professor Zhongli and that he didn't have to take the god awful literature classes with Sir Kaeya and his twisted love poems.

Chongyun flopped on the bench and offered him an ice cream stick. Without any words exchanged, Xiao took it from him and unwrapped his favorite pass-time sweet dish. Between the over enthusiastic cook Xiangling, the gossip mongering Xingqui and the rest of his insane class, he liked Chongyun the most.

Chongyun was as old as Xiao, but his features were rather childish and innocent. His unkept shirt and tousled hair made him look as if he just got out of bed and his cat eyes always had an oddly distant look.

"She will just not stop talking." Chongyun sighed.

Xiao looked at the girl in purple with long hair tied into two with lace ribbons. Xingqui and Fischl were having a detailed conversation about a book she recently completed.

"I don't understand a single word that junior says." He sighed.

"I don't understand Xingqui either." Xiao added.

Fischl, the self proclaimed diva, was popular in college for her peculiar ways of conversation. Refined and grandeur in her fashion choices, she managed to cross a lot of people in her first semester itself, which included Mona, a feisty senior in her last year known to be notoriously dedicated to her Tarot Cards.

As the blue haired guy waved a gentle goodbye to Fischl, he walked towards the two.

"She finally got over with 'The Beautiful and the Damned.' Can't believe it took her so long." He sighed as he took the seat beside Chongyun.

"I don't understand how you managed to understand the book in the first place."

"It's a little superfluous with its words but quite romantic I think." Xingqui answered.

Xingqui, the youngest member of one of the richest families in the city was also Chongyun's closest friend. Formal and refined in his own ways, Xing was also informally known as the Prince of Quixing. His clothes were always pressed and styled to perfection, and a blue and golden earring fell gracefully on his elegant neck.

Xiao sat with his arms crossed and the ice cream in his mouth.

"You could try dating her. Fischl's into gothy fashion and all that." He pointed at Xiao.

"He's not into goth." - Chong

"Oh he is. Does he ever wear bright colors?" - Xing

"He doesn't?" - Chong looked at Xiao confused.

"Nope. And he's into blondes too." Xing

"What? Really?" Chongyun exclaimed cluelessly.

Xiao's eyebrows twitched as he listened to the pointless conversation.

"My dear Chongyun." Xingqui pat his head with a smile.

Xiao looked outside his window at the basketball court which was right beside the building. He saw Razor working on his dunks and was pretty sure he was bunking classes as usual.

The entire first year, Razor and Xiao hardly attended any classes and spent their time training with the team, sprinting on the field and running away from their terrible attendance. However this year Xiao couldn't pull off such stunts.

"I'm going for a break. Will be back before next class." He got up from his seat and walked out of the room, leaving Xingqui and Chongyun annoyed but not confused. They were pretty used to Xiao disappearing randomly in the middle of a conversation.

One thing Xiao liked about the college was his secret corner away from the main building, far across a large field of unruly grass. An old tree stood with its rustic roots convoluted in the soil and its fresh green leaves bowed under the sun.

Xiao sighed in relief as he walked further away from the cheerful sounds of youth to a place he had made his repose in the last year. He slipped out his pack of cigarettes and walked towards the tree which seemed to be in a blur of warm hues.

When he realized that he wasn't the only person out there, he hesitated and felt as if someone was invading his privacy.

As he walked closer, he could see the gentle flutter of a mint dress. Short dark hair made the pink flush of her ears more visible and two loose braids fluttered in the wind.

His footsteps made her look back, a little surprised by the sound.

"Are you here to smoke?" She asked, her doe eyes looking a little more welcoming.

"Yes?" Xiao hesitated after a pause.

"Come join me." She smiled.

Strange. Xiao thought to himself.

Xiao walked up to the tree and rest his back on the bark which felt harsh and rugged. He looked at her feet that looked tiny before his.

"So you've found my secret place." She whispered.

"I've been coming here for a year. I never saw you." He puffed.

"You see, this tree and I have been good friends for a long time. And you didn't meet me because I went missing last year." She winked.

Xiao looked a little confused but he tried not to pay attention.

He stood with his face blurred by the smoke coming out of his lips. The thought of not having the place to himself bothered him.

"So you're in second year?" She asked with a finger on her chin.

"Yeah..." He spoke without looking at her.

"We're in the same year then!"

"Majors?"

" Literature Studies. What about you?" She chimed.

"I'm in History." He replied.

"Oh! Does Zhongli teach you?"

"PROFESSOR Zhongli. Yes he takes our class." He replied sharply.

"I know him since a long time so I see him more like a friend." She replied cheerfully.

"He's your 'friend'?" He asked tauntingly.

She noticed his hostile behavior and crossed her arms in protest.

"Yes. But I won't tell you how."

Xiao realized he was beeing visibly rude. Again.

He thought of trying to make up for the damages he made and introduced himself to her.

"I'm Xiao." He took his hand out of his pocket and extended it to her. He wasn't sure how girls befriend other humans.

The girl giggled and shook his hand with enthusiasm. He noticed dust at the corners of her fair fingers.

"Nice to meet you, Xiao. You can call me Venti."

"I can call you? Its not your real name?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes. I'll save that one too for sometime later." She giggled and slipped away from his grasp.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts now. Gotta rush back to class." she waved and hurried away.

Xiao stood under the boughs of the tree watching as the clouds dissolved into the blue sky. The lit cigarette that was nearing its end had a dim glow.

"Venti? What kind of name is that?"

He looked down to see where she stood and noticed there were dandelion flowers all around. But when he observed them carefully, he realized that all the dandelions were bare and uprooted, with their petals already blown off in the wind.