The rest of her day was a blur of lectures and note-taking. The hours passed in flashes of scribbled words, flickering screens, and the distant hum of campus chatter. But the moment her last class ended, she felt it—that familiar pull of freedom.
Outside, the sun was warm and golden, washing the campus in a soft, honeyed glow. She spotted Marisol and Chris waiting under the old oak tree near the quad, their usual spot. The sight of them—laughing about something on Marisol's phone—made the tension in her shoulders melt away.
"Oh my gosh, you have to see this," Marisol said, her eyes sparkling as she waved her phone. On the screen, a fluffy kitten was trying—and failing—to catch a laser dot. "My friend from Arizona sent this. Isn't it the cutest thing?"
Ophelia laughed, a sound that felt unrestrained and real for the first time in days. "It's ridiculous," she said between chuckles. "But also… kind of perfect."
