Page 16 of Don’t Forget Me

I would not show hesitance, I reminded myself.

I would remain calm, and I would show them who they were about to confront if they decided to get in my way. That’s how it usually was in movies, and it was no different in real life. The rich, pretty girls always felt intimidated by the new ones. And I would not allow anyone to curse the blessing I had received by being able to study here.

“Okay, ladies, here are your rooms. Fortunately, you will be sharing it.”

Relief washed through me; I wouldn’t be dorm mates with a stuck-up boarding schoolgirl.

“You can settle in. Your orientation will be tomorrow at 1 p.m.,” Alfred said with a slight bob of his head. He spoke with eloquence and a poised demeanor, yet there was something humble about him. If only my other classmates at this school could be more like him.

His silver-haired head disappeared among the mob of brunettes, blondes, and gingers. Suddenly, I couldn’t help but feel bare before the dozens of girls who were examining me. They were so different from me, and I was so different from them. I noticed how distinct the hue of my complexion was from theirs, as well as the coils in my hair and the shine in theirs.

“Let’s head inside, shall we?” I asked.

“Yeah, there’s way too much hostility out here,” Camille uttered, strolling her large bags into the dorm. I followed her.

“Well, I guess this will be our new home for the next year and a half.” Camille pushed her luggage away from her bed and plopped face-first on her pillows.

Although I had a serious ache in my bones from the jet lag, I began to take my belongings out and set them on the desktop situated at the end of my bed.

“Girl, do that tomorrow. Get some sleep. You’ve probably been on a plane longer than I have,” Camille said.

I remained silent, thinking.

I examined the bed and the rest of the room. It was dark, barely lit. It seemed more like a suite than a dormitory. Our dorm was lit up with small electrical sconces connected to the walls. There was a lack of personality and life here. Bland, bleak, and black.

I desperately yearned to add a hint of my soul to the corners of my new room. But Camille was right. Kicking my shoes off, I pulled on the blankets that were set atop the bed, and it was as if the mattress engulfed me in its embrace, removing my will to stand up again. The fabric of the sheets and covers smelled of lavender. I didn’t have to worry about the bed being dirty or used by someone else.

Could this all be a dream? Once I closed my eyes, would all of this disappear in a gust of simple wind? Fear almost spooked away my exhaustion, but my mind and body shut down. I was consumed by the tiredness of my travels. Perhaps it was not just the jet lag affecting me, but also the stress I had to go through to get here. The frustration I had felt my entire life beside that man seemed to seep through me as my mind was inundated with dreams.

nine

LYSANDRA

A knock echoed through my apartment. I hurried over to the door to make sure Cami wouldn’t wake. She fell asleep at 4 a.m. last night rewatching Gilmore Girls.

Red roses met my blurry vision once I opened the door, his hair almost got lost behind the colors of the bouquet.

It was Aldair.

I beamed at him as he popped out from behind the flowers. I noticed he’d been in his scrubs. There’d been slight dark circles under his emerald eyes. He must’ve just finished a shift at the hospital. It warmed my heart to think that he came here, first thing, after tiresome work hours.

Looking at him, a wide smile on his face, made me realize how he deserved better. Aldair deserved someone who didn’t fold at the sight of her ex-boyfriend. I had to erase Ezra from my mind, but the memory of him was too mesmerizing. It was an enchantment too difficult to break.

“You didn’t have to,” I said.

“Of course I did. Anything for my lady.” He embraced me; his scent reminded me of the fresh waves crashing on the beach sore. Odd, since we both hated the beach.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I wished to surprise ya,” he said. “Camille told me how the meeting went last week. I would’ve come sooner, but I’ve been having back-to-back surgeries and post-ops. It’s all been a bit crazy.” Aldair rubbed my arm.

His gentleness reminded me of the night we met. Memories of that night consumed me.

2 YEARS AGO

Old men hooted and clinked their glasses as the bitter taste in my mouth ran down my throat. Being back at The Black Orchid brought memories I wished to forget. Perhaps I was being selfish; it was Camille’s birthday, and I shouldn’t have been making this day about myself. Although I hadn’t uttered a word about my grief, I knew she was aware of my sorrow.

“We should get going,” Camille sighed, pushing herself upward.