CHAPTER 1

Kapittel 1

It was Friday, the day most awaited by most collegian folks as they're finally about to take a break from a week jam-packed with stress and headaches of college, especially those who were graduating in a few months. The weather was purely gloomy. The whole sky was concealed with dark grey, thick clouds, and the wind strongly blew against the trees that rendered the semi-orange leaves loosen their grasp on the thin branches and prance like little ballerinas in the air, slowly falling down the dusty ground. It seemed that it was about to rain hard. Every person who was finishing their work on the campus was in haste, fearing that they would catch the rain, but the weather meant nothing to Allison. The rain meant nothing. Everything meant nothing.

Everyone who knew her knows she hasn't been her usual self lately. Her lovely green eyes were pale and sad, not to mention had heavy, dark bags under them. She always seemed to be looking somewhere far, spacing out, let alone the fact that she had gotten pale and lost weight that had become worse and worse every day. Whenever people, especially geeks see her, they think of only one thing: she looks like a zombie from a survival horror game or movie. She walked like she was drunk or high, bumping into both male and female collegians, who in turn, would often turn their heads to glare at her, but she didn't care. She didn't pay attention to class anymore and sometimes even skipped them without noticing it. Her enthusiastic and bubbly character had faded and turned melancholic; she was like a person in a vegetative state, let alone the fact that she didn't even speak anymore, her once thin and red, now pale lips never changed an angle or parted. She hadn't spoken to anyone and didn't want to. Her friends have been concerned with her well-being, they have been trying to cheer her up and convince her to open up, but to no avail, none of their tries worked.

She walked down the halls meticulously with cautious steps and remembered what date it was today. It was November 8. Almost three months after, she broke up with Dane. She mused what had happened that painful day and her heart started squeezing in pain. She was hurt and confused. She wanted answers why he cheated on her. For what reason? Was he sick of her? Why did he find another? Was that woman prettier, sexier, more attractive, and jaw-dropping than her?

Up until now, she found no answer to any of those questions. Her masochistic side wanted the answers to come out from Dane himself.

Stepping out from the university's humongous, newly painted gates, Allison embraced herself against her sweater as the cold, strong blow that carried the scent of the Northern wind passed by, sending chills to her frail body. Moments later, the sky began to cry. Feeling her emotions wringing her little heart into a pulpy juice, she bit her lower lip, preventing herself from crying. It was just like three months ago; it rained. It drizzled when she broke up with him. When he confessed to her that he cheated on her, the day he broke her heart, the moment when he crumbled her whole world. When he tore her apart like a piece of useless paper, the rain reminded her of him, and every memory of him shattered her fragile heart that was broken beyond repair. The wound was still fresh, aching badly, and could not seem to be healed. But only the odds know that it would not be for long.

"Here is your white coffee, ma'am," a voice said that startled Allison. She lifted her head and realized it was one of the café's waiters, smiling warmly down at her and offering a sizzling, frothing white coffee in a personalized cup with her name scribbled in sloppy handwriting. She was about to smile back in return, but then she saw the familiar look of pity in his eyes. She felt like she was kicked to the ground. She wanted neither any ounce of pity nor needed one. But anyone could not help themselves but feel sympathy for the poor lassie because of her current state. Drenched from her hair to the ends of her toenails and shivering because of the frostiness. She looked like she was going to faint at any second.

The waiter felt the strong urge to give her a scolding. "Ma'am, I think you need to get some rest." You badly need it!

"Thank you," she thanked him politely and accepted the cup with her pale, shivering hands. He only nodded in response with a small smile then left her to serve other customers. Meanwhile, her eyes drooped down to look at the blistering thing in her hands, giving off a radiance of heat to her cold palms. She finally decided to take a sip. She lifted the cup to her lips. A stinging pain suddenly assailed her mouth, but she tolerated it while sipping the coffee. The hot liquid had stung her delicate tongue, but the pain meant nothing, nor felt anything. She felt numb. Dane made her numb. She looked at the view outside the café. The street was oddly empty. No cars. No head aching noise of honking. Only the faint pitter-patter sound of the drizzle and the chatters of the people taking the time of their lives inside the area were the noises she could only hear.

When the rain finally began slowly to stop, Allison got on her feet. She grabbed her bag, deciding to go home to probably sulk in a corner or look at her old photos with Dane and reminisce their happy memories, then cry, or maybe watch sad movies while eating ice cream and get more depressed, or listen to sad songs, sings them out loud while crying and cursing Dane for hurting her. She began to take her steps to the egress of the cafe with her mind blank and heart lurching, feeling empty and undesirably hollow. She was too empty and ignorant to notice that the people were already gawking at her. Her mind was only filled with Dane, only him. His smooth voice, his sweet smile, the way he lo...

"Oof!" She bumped into something tall and sturdy, causing her to drop her coffee out of sheer shock. The cup fell down the floor instantaneously, and the oozing, hot liquid spilled on someone's expensive-looking leather shoes. The crowd gasped out of surprise in unison. It took a while before Allison realized what had happened. She just bumped into someone!

"Oh, God. I...I'm so sorry!" she apologized and raised her head to apologize eye-to-eye with the man she bumped into. But every part of her body stiffened, and she found all of her attention stuck to a man's cold, gray eyes.