I barely slept.
I had been up talking to her all night, and even though my body was exhausted, my mind just wouldn't wind down.
My alarm rang again.
6:00 A.M.
I let out a frustrated sigh and buried my face in a pillow, feeling overwhelmed.
"Why did I stay up…" I muttered.
Then I remembered.
"Early enrollment."
"Right.*
I forced myself up into a sitting position, my head feeling like it weighed a ton. But I knew I had to get moving - the sooner I finished enrollment, the better. I didn't want to get stuck waiting in those long lines that always seemed to pop up later on.
Before standing up, I checked my phone.
No new message.
"She's probably asleep," I said quietly.
Makes sense. We talked until almost morning.
I didn't bother sending it because I didn't want to disturb her.
I woke up, got dressed in something casual, gathered my stuff, and headed out the door to school.
The campus felt different.
Quiet.
There were only a few of students hanging around, the rest of them are in line at the registrar's office.
I walked inside and joined the line.
Still sleepy.
Still thinking.
For some reason, I remembered her last message.
"Ohh okay. Good luck."
I shook my head slightly.
Focus.
Then I saw someone familiar.
A few steps away from me.
"My crush." I whispered.
She clutched her papers tightly, glancing around uncertainly as if she too was searching for direction.
I froze for a second.
"What are the chances…" I whispered.
She noticed me.
"Oh, hey," she said.
"Hey," I replied, trying to sound normal.
"You enrolling too?"
"Yeah. Might as well get it done early."
We found ourselves standing close to each other in the line.
"How was your vacation?" she asked.
"Boring," I said honestly.
She laughed. " Same."
We talked for a bit. Just simple things.
School stuff. Subjects. Teachers we hoped we wouldn't get.
Nothing deep.
Nothing special.
She smiled. I smiled back.
It was normal.
Completely normal.
But while she was talking…
My mind drifted somewhere else.
Caroline.
The way she replied fast.
The way our conversation didn't feel forced.
Why am I thinking about her right now?
I was face to face with the person I had a huge crush on in real life.
And yet
It didn't feel as exciting as I thought it would.
After finishing enrollment, we said goodbye.
"See you next school year," she said.
"Yeah. See you."
I walked home, hands in my pockets,Quiet.Thinking.