Our fallen souls [EN] (High Enough) : VOLUME 1

11 - Joséphine

I wake up with a start, disoriented by the shrill ringing of my phone. Its volume is far too loud for a quiet morning. Groaning in displeasure, I quickly turn it off, trying to regain some calm. I leap out of bed, still drowsy, and make my way hesitantly to the bathroom. Once under the shower, the warm water trickling over my skin, I feel my mind slowly awakening. I slip on a black lace top and a pleated skirt, trying to compose a casual look.

As I savor my delicious breakfast, my eyes absentmindedly scan the endless feeds of social networks, getting carried away among the captivating publications and comments. Suddenly, my gaze falls steadily on the stool where Blake was sitting last night. I recall the moments when our eyes met, feeling like an invisible caress on my skin. His eyes were filled with a penetrating glow, conveying subtle messages and sometimes even veiled warnings. Her words, both tender and sharp, still echo in my head.

Intrigued by our conversation the day before, my fingers instinctively glide to her profile. It's the first time I've embarked on a kind of personal investigation of someone. I immerse myself in his photos, rare though they are. Blake has always been discreet, as he is in real life. I notice that there are very few shots where he's smiling, but he's often surrounded by his friends. His publications focus mainly on landscapes, as if he were really stopping to contemplate the world around him.

Suddenly, insistent knocking on my door startles me. I scramble from my chair and head for the entrance. When I open the door, I discover Cassie standing before me, a radiant smile lighting up her face as usual. She's taken the time to get ready, dressed in an elegant gown and sporting a pearl necklace. Her red hair is carefully pulled back into an impeccable bun.

"Shall we go to class together?" she asks me, her infectious good humor spreading through the air.

"Wow, you are beautiful. What's the occasion?" I ask, overwhelmed by her boundless energy.

"I need an occasion to make myself beautiful? Come on, hurry up," she retorts, laughing.

"Um... okay, I'm coming. Just give me two seconds."

After dropping my bowl in the sink, I grab my bag and close the door behind me. Cassie is already there, leaning against her own door, clearly impatient to leave.

"Did you manage to talk to Blake?" she asks me as we descend the stairs.

"Yeah, he just told me some guys were bothering them, nothing too specific. But I don't think he'll ever tell me the whole truth."

Cassie thinks for a moment, then adds, "Mmmh... Clyde told me the same thing, but I don't really believe it. It didn't just sound like a normal mess."

After our stop at Starbucks, where Cassie orders her usual coffee and I treat myself to a delicious cappuccino, we head to the university.

"How was your hospital appointment with Clyde?" I asked.

"We didn't have to go to the hospital, he was feeling better, so we were able to keep our appointment. It was amazing, let me tell you, when we got home last night, we had a great time...," she starts to recount, but I quickly interrupt her. "No, I don't want to hear about it," I say, pretending to cover my ears, causing Cassie to burst out laughing.

She hurries off to her first class, her silhouette gradually melting into the crowd. I follow her with my eyes, soaking up the early-morning energy of the campus, before heading to my locker to deposit my belongings. With a slight creak, I open the metal door and carefully organize my books and notebooks inside. Once my belongings are neatly arranged, I abruptly close the locker, not anticipating the sudden resounding sound of this gesture. A metallic clatter echoes, provoking an involuntary startle in those nearby. The curious eyes of my fellow students turn to me, drawn by the unexpected noise.