The first morning of lectures arrived faster than I had expected.
I barely slept. Every unfamiliar sound in the dorm hallway kept me half-awake doors closing, footsteps echoing, distant laughter that reminded me I was no longer home. When my alarm went off at 6:30 a.m., I stared at the ceiling, letting the reality sink in.
This was it. My first real day as a college student.
I sat up and reached for my phone. A message from Liam was waiting.
Good luck today. You're going to shine like you always do.
My chest tightened. He never forgot. I typed back a quick thank you and a heart emoji, then set the phone down before guilt could creep in. Today was about me. About figuring out who I was outside of everything I knew.
The campus looked different in the early morning light. Students hurried past with coffee cups and headphones, already immersed in routines I had yet to build. The air was cooler than I expected, crisp and sharp, full of nervous energy. I clutched my schedule and scanned the buildings until I found the lecture hall for my first class: Introduction to Communications, Room 204.
The room buzzed with chatter when I walked in. Rows of seats filled quickly. I paused only for a moment before picking a spot halfway up not too front, not too hidden. Safe.
"Is this seat taken?"
I looked up. A girl with curly hair and bright eyes smiled at me.
"No, go ahead," I said.
"I'm Tessa," she said, sliding into the seat next to me.
"Maya," I replied.
"First year?"
"Yeah."
"Same. I'm terrified."
I laughed, surprised at how easy it was to connect. "Me too."
When the professor arrived, launching into introductions, expectations, and deadlines, I tried to focus. I scribbled notes, but my mind wandered. Everything felt bigger than high school. People asked questions confidently, argued ideas, and spoke with a certainty I didn't yet have. I wondered if I'd ever sound that sure of myself.
After class, Tessa hooked her arm through mine. "Coffee before your next lecture? My treat."
I hesitated, thinking of Liam, of the half-hour calls we'd used to have between classes. Then I nodded. "Sure."
The campus café was crowded, the scent of espresso and pastries filling the air. We talked about majors, dorm disasters, and professors with impossible syllabi. For the first time since arriving, I felt a flicker of belonging.
"You'll get used to it fast," Tessa said confidently. "By midterms, we'll be pros at complaining about everything."
I smiled, feeling lighter.
We parted ways after coffee, promising to sit together again tomorrow. I had an hour before my next lecture, so I wandered through the hallway, letting the buzz of campus life wash over me. That was when I saw him.
Ryan.
He was leaning against the lockers, looking like he owned the space around him without even trying. A simple black hoodie and jeans, nothing flashy, but he carried himself like the world was perfectly aligned to his step. People greeted him as they passed. Girls whispered. One waved. He nodded in return but didn't break his attention from me.
My steps slowed. My heart betrayed me. It wasn't just that he was attractive ,it was the way he moved, the confidence in his posture, the subtle grin that suggested he knew exactly how he affected people.
As if he could feel my stare, he looked up.
Our eyes met.
For a heartbeat, the hallway narrowed, the noise fading. Recognition flashed across his face, then that slow, knowing smile.
"Maya," he said, walking toward me. "Survived your first lecture?"
I forced myself not to look flustered. "Barely."
He grinned. "It gets easier. Or you just stop caring as much."
I laughed despite myself. "Comforting."
He didn't move away when a group of students brushed past. His gaze stayed on me.
"You look different," he said casually.
My heart skipped. "Different how?"
"Less overwhelmed."
"You've known me for two days," I said, raising an eyebrow.
"Still counts," he said, and the confidence in his voice made my pulse quicken.
I noticed the glances of passing students, the quiet whispers, but he didn't care. Not about them. Only about me.
"You heading somewhere?" he asked.
"Psychology."
He gestured down the hall. "Same direction. I'll walk you."
We fell into step. I became suddenly aware of everything ,the way his stride matched mine, the faint scent of his cologne, the warmth of the sun catching the edges of his hair. I focused on our conversation, though my stomach had other plans.
"So," he said lightly, "first impressions of campus?"
"It's… a lot," I admitted. "But good."
He nodded. "That's how it pulls you in."
"And you?" I asked. "Your impression?"
"Of campus?" He glanced at me sideways. "Or of you?"
Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Campus."
He chuckled softly. "It's what you make of it."
Before I could reply, we reached my classroom. I turned to him. "Well… thanks for the escort."
"Anytime."
Something unspoken hung between us curiosity, maybe danger, maybe excitement. I stepped inside the lecture hall, and I could feel his gaze linger for a moment before he walked away.
Sliding into my seat, I tried to steady my breathing. Around me, students chatted and flipped through notebooks, unaware of the storm gathering in my mind.
My phone buzzed in my bag.
Liam: How's your first day going?
I stared at the message.
Good. Busy. Miss you.
The words were true, but incomplete. I missed him. I loved him. And yet… I couldn't ignore the spark Ryan had lit in the hallway, the pull of something new I hadn't expected.
The lecture began, but I couldn't focus. My thoughts kept drifting to Ryan, to Liam, to the unknowns of the day. My heart was already stretched between two worlds, and I wasn't sure which way it would bend.
By the time the professor launched into the first discussion, I knew one thing for certain: college was already changing everything.
And the first day wasn't even over.