Writing Challenge - Day 5

Chapter 1- First Day

The sun was ruthless. It hung high in the sky, burning down with a vengeance, making the pavement shimmer as waves of heat rolled through the air. She could already feel sweat gathering at the base of her neck, dampening the collar of her shirt.

Not exactly how she wanted to start her first day.

She clutched her phone, her grip slightly damp from the heat and nerves, staring down at the campus map with a furrowed brow. 3F, Room 111B. The numbers meant nothing when every building looked the same. She glanced up, eyes darting over the towering structures, but there were no clear signs, no flashing arrows pointing her in the right direction.

Her stomach twisted as she checked the time. 9:47 AM.

Class started in thirteen minutes.

Her heartbeat picked up, pounding against her ribs like it wanted out. The fear of being late started to overpower the fear of asking for help.

She swallowed, lifting her gaze to the crowd moving around her. Students rushed past—laughing in groups, eyes locked on their phones, striding ahead with the confidence of people who knew where they belonged.

She didn’t. She seemed to be more lost than ever.

Her fingers hovered over her screen, debating whether to pull up another map, but what good would that do? She needed help. She whimpered to herself as she worried about how she will possibly make it to class on time. The anxiety at the thought of being late filled her.

Then she spotted him.

A young man, walking out of a nearby building, calm amidst the rush. He wasn’t in a hurry like the others—his pace was unhurried, his posture relaxed. Maybe she could ask him.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she moved.

She quickly walked toward him, stomach twisting tighter with each step, until she was close enough to reach out. Her hand hesitated in the air for a second before she tapped his shoulder, the touch light, almost uncertain.

"Uh—excuse me?"

He turned, blinking down at her. He was taller than she expected, maybe a junior or senior, his dark eyes mildly curious.

Her lips curled into a nervous smile, but it came out crooked, more like an awkward grimace.

"Hi, um—" she cleared her throat, her voice cracking slightly, "I'm a bit lost. I was wondering if you could help me? I'm trying to find 3F, Room 111B."

She fidgeted with her phone, shifting it from one hand to the other, already bracing for the possibility that he might be too busy to help.

But instead, he smiled. Not in a condescending way, but in the way people do when they remember being in your place once. The bundle of nerves in her chest calms slightly from his smile.

"Uh, yeah. Here, let me see."

He extended his hand slightly, gesturing for her phone.

She turned her phone toward him, gripping it like a lifeline as he began explaining.

"Each building has a letter, and each section of the building has a number," he said, pointing over his shoulder. "That building right there is 3F."

She followed his finger, eyes darting to the building he had just walked out of.

"This part of campus is Building 3," he continued. "From there, it should be easy. There are signs hanging from the ceiling—just follow them, and they’ll lead you right where you need to go."

His voice was steady, patient, but when she flicked her gaze back to him, she caught a slight tilt of his head, as if making sure she actually understood.

She didn't.

Not fully, at least. It was too much information too fast, her mind was already a tangled mess of nerves, and now it felt like she was trying to process directions in a foreign language. The words he spoke were drowned out as she focused on his voice. It calmed her down, but she couldn't retain any of the words he actually said.

She looked at him. Then at the building. Then at her phone. Then back at him again, lips parting slightly like she was about to ask for more clarification—but nothing came out.

"You got it?" he asked.

She didn’t.

But she didn’t want to be a burden. He had already helped her enough, and she didn’t want to take up any more of his time. She tilted her head slightly to the right as she tried to decide if she should ask him to clarify once more. Ultimately, she decided against it.

So she nodded slowly. "Uh, yeah. I think I got it. Thank you."

He smiled, easy and unbothered. "Yeah, no problem."

And just like that, he walked away, heading toward his car.

She exhaled sharply, like she had been holding her breath without realizing it.

Her stomach still felt like it was tied in knots, but she at least had a direction now. She no longer felt as scared as she was before, having now soken to someone at the school. Them being much nicer than she anticipated. Not as scary as she had envisioned in her mind.

"Okay," she whispered to herself. "You can do this."

With a deep breath, she turned and headed toward the building.

xoxo, @auroxisia_

Next

Previous