collision

1

i awoke to the sound of keys jangling and footsteps going up the stairs; my roommate, wren, must be home. i opened my eyes and soaked in the light seeping through the curtains. i knew that it must be later than 10:00 a.m. for wren to be home already, and i knew that meant i probably overslept and missed my 8 a.m. intro to psychology class. i checked the time on my phone and seen it was 10:17. I rolled back over and closed my eyes, pulling the covers over them so it would appear dark.

i thought about all the things my mom would say right now if she knew that i skipped class again. in all fairness, this time i really did oversleep and i wasn't just feeding her excuses to try to distract her from the fact that i did not enjoy college the way i thought i would. i spent a lot of time convincing her to let me attend clemson instead of going to NYU like my parents had always planned for me. both my mom and my dad attended NYU; that is how they met and they both describe it as one of the most nostalgic times in their lives. my mom and her family are from NY, and my dad, originally from PA, moved to NY after he graduated and got an apartment with my mom. they always invisioned their kids following in their footsteps and staying in NY to stay close to them while also having the same college experience they did. i felt like such a disappointment to their hopes and dreams when i wanted to attend college in SC, especially being their oldest child and them being most excited for their first kid to go to NYU like they always dreamed. i think they still wish i would've stayed closer to home even if i didn't go to NYU, but i love it here, despite the college part. i don't think I could ever express to them how much i dislike college because i think they would take it as if i hate being in SC, which i don't. i just don't know fully within myself what i want to do with my life, career wise. i just feel as though there is more to life than a 9-5 job for the 40 some years until retirement. sometimes i think i just think too much.

i got up out of bed and ran my fingers through my tangled hair. as i walked down the stairs, i met wren at the bottom.

"good morning sunshine." she said with a grin. i grunted as i walked by.

for breakfast i had oatmeal and apple juice. after eating, i took a shower and took care of my skin. my mom always taught me the importance of skin care. i never really took it seriously until I turned 16 and realized how vital it is to develop a strict skin care routine. i've tried to get wren to develop one as well, but she is the kind of girl to sleep in her makeup after a long night out and deal with it in the morning, yet her skin is still blemish-free. lucky you, wren.

i decided to get ready for the day, as my next class was at 2 in the afternoon; mathematics. math wasn't my best subject, but it also wasn't my worst. in all honesty, i enjoyed my math class. my professor, mr. atkins, didn't make it miserable and was very understanding when it came to terms of needed extra help or explanation on a lecture or needed an extension for assignments. the class was filled with all the right people, very relaxed and kind of just kept to themselves.

after intense evaluation between myself and the mirror, i decided on wearing a pair of blue jeans and a blue lace tank top i cropped after finding it at the local thrift shop. i threw on a pair of white sneakers, threw my hair into a low bun and laid on the couch, scrolling through my social media feeds until it was time for me to leave. my class was only about 15 mins away from my apartment, so i decided to walk today. i took the elevator down and walked out of the lobby. the weather was nice and warm, but not too uncomfortably warm where you would be regretting that you chose to walk that day. the breeze made the front of my hair let loose of the bun that was secured at the back of my neck. i pushed them back behind my ear to allow my face to soak in the sun.

when i arrived at class, i sat down in the seat i usually sat in and began to open my laptop and prepare to take notes. mr. atkins started class by expressing to us that he hoped we had a good weekend and chatted with some students about their weekend activities while he pulled up his lecture notes.

when class ended, i closed my laptop, making sure to save my notes before doing so, and began to pack up. as i was leaving, a tall brunette held the door for me. i smiled, said thanks, and we parted our ways.

i decided to make a quick stop at aspen for a coffee before the walk home. when i arrived, i saw several people sitting at tables with their laptops open, drinking coffee with untouched salads on the table. i ordered an iced coffee and left some bills in the tip jar when the woman handed my back my change. as i waited for my drink to be finished, i examined everyone in the shop. i glanced at a girl with long, honey blonde hair and she looked up from her to computer to make eye contact with me. she grinned, as did i, and she went back to typing. my drink was served and i walked out the door.

on the walk home, I felt my phone buzz. it was a new article from the new york times. the title read "Woman arrested in Manhattan for ingulfing husband's 2.2 million dollar house." intrigued, i clicked on the article. it stated that the woman, who's gift was pyrokinesis, set her husband's house on fire because of her suspicions of an affair. i kept scrolling when i came across the mugshot, a middle-aged, pretty woman with highlights that was cut into a long bob. from my analysis, she appeared to have some botox of face fillers, which i'm sure her husband paid for, considering he owned a mansion.

i kept reading more on the article, learning that her husband was very successful as a realtor and that they had three kids of their own, all young adults now. i rounded a corner and took a sip of my coffee, looking up from my phone to make sure the path was clear and that i wasn't going to run into anyone/anything. i looked back down to continue reading when i was struck with the collision of another person. my phone fell to the ground and my coffee spilled all over me. i gasped in shock and looked up to see who i had just collided with. i was met with a tall, brown-headed boy with messy tendrils throughout his hair.

for a moment it seemed like we both couldn't look away or say anything.

"i am so sorry, i wasn't looking where i was going." i pleaded. i bent down to pick up my phone and my now empty coffee cup.

"no, it's okay, really. it was my fault." he said as i looked back up at him from below.

he bent down to help me gather my things. "why are you the one apologizing? i don't have a drop of coffee on me." he joked.

"i mean, i don't know. i may be drenched but i am pretty sure this was my fault." i said getting back up from the grounded and attempting to wipe off the coffee from my clothes with the one napkin i had in my hand. "you are glad i'm more of an iced coffee girl rather than a hot coffee girl." i said, grinning at him.

he stood back up and stood there kind of helplessly, not knowing what to do or say to help. i read his body language and responded with "i promise it's okay. i was just on the way back home anyways. I can clean up when I get there."

he glanced at his phone to check to time. "shit, i really have to go. i can't be late for class again." as he walked away he yelled, "i'm sorry about your coffee, i will make it up to you sometime."

as he walked around the corner, i ran back to the edge. "wait!" i yelled, almost reaching the other street. "what's your na-" i stopped mid-sentence. he was gone. i looked in every direction wondering if he went a different way. he was nowhere in sight. i stood at the corner confused knowing that there was no way he could've made it to the end of the street by now or at least farther than i could see. i began to question if that even just happened because it all happened so quickly and now i was really confused considering he just disappeared. i looked down at my clothes to see the coffee still stained all over me. I took a moment to relive the events in my head.

yes, it definitely happened.