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~ Day Dreams ~
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~ Chapter Thirteen ~
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~ Willow Tree ~
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~ Eighteen-Years-Old ~
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Crusty, dead leafs crunch underneath the souls of my feet as I stroll through the campus surrounded in nature, while holding a novel close to my chest and a leather brown, backpack hanging lose from my narrow shoulders. A morning breeze breaks lose and shivers over the skin of my body, nearing the Seaside market with an ocean view. Shoes sinking into the sand as I rest beneath a shady willow tree on Seaside beach; minutes away from college. Admiring the ocean view, I take in my surroundings. Just now realizing the ice-cream stall is no longer in business. The stall-man must of retired. Instead there is an ice-cream parlor amongst the market.

Peaceful nature whispers from tree to tree throughout the beach, as background commotions form near by the busy ice-cream parlour, full of people. Leaves and branches sway with the wind and birds chirp in a sing-song tune and seagull squawk for food. With a novel balancing between my cold hands, I shiver and pull my sweater over my legs full of goosebumps; in order to warm myself.

Off into my imagination of fiction, a shadow figure blocks the morning sunlight as I peer towards the sky. A stream of light shines through the gaps of the old tree branches, as the rays of sunshine cause my eyes to squint in the process.

"Hazel hey," Honey said, peering down at me, "I'm glad I ran into you, actually. But first, how's your first week of classes going? And have you signed up for a club yet? Or if you already have, today is the last day to change it at the Activities Fair." Honey says casually, taking a seat in front of me on the sand. Henceforth, saving my eyesight from further blindness.

With a shrug of my shoulders, I fix my gaze towards Honey. "Yeah, Master of Arts (Writing and Literature) is pretty interesting, but Creative Writing is my favorite," I said, swirling my fingers in the sand, "And I haven't signed up for anything yet. I might sign up for a book club maybe. I don't really know... how about your classes and have you signed up for a club yet?"

"I'm studying Law and Business,"
Honey's tone of voice dropped an octave lower. "But by far, Tourism is my best subject." Honey's facial features light with excitement, but it doesn't quite reach her hazelnut brown eyes. "And I've already signed up for chess classes, but now I'm kind of regretting my decision making. Maybe we should sign up for the same club?"

"Y–yeah, that sounds good to me."

"Cool. So... I see you're a Jane Austen kind of gal." Honey swiftly changes the subject, as she pushes her glasses up onto the bridge of her straight nose, examining the book gripped between my fingers.

I nod, shrugging my shoulders again, "Y–yeah, I guess I am. Are you a fan at all?"

"Of course I am, dude!" Honey says enthusiastically, her eyes gleam like a firehouse and her voice bellows from the rooftops of her lungs. Whatever was bothering Honey before, no longer drowns her sorrows.

I giggle and notice Jordan into the far off distance of the beach, as he struts his style towards us. Jordan paces pass oncoming college students who were paying more attention to their mobile devices. "Oh... hey there, babes," Jordan said, removing all traces of imaginary flint off his casual, button-up shirt.

"Hey uh... what classes do you study, Jordan?" I glance towards Jordan as the sun irritates my eyes.

"I study Fine Arts, Drama, and Fashion Design. Anyway, I'm glad I caught you ladies." Jordan said, changing the subject as he talks a mile per second with his hands on his hips. "So I've come up with the perfect scheme to get closer to Weston Miller."

"Dude, we've already discussed this at the party and I think it's pointless in my opinion. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but he's not gay remember," Honey states sighing, fixing her fallen glasses again.

"I know that, but I have needs as a hormonal, young adult and I want to see Weston Miller half-naked. Is that too much to ask?" Jordan fires back pretending to be hurt, leaning against the trunk of the tree.

"Woah, that's pretty wishful thinking, buddy. But if this will make you happy then so be it. We'll help you right, Hazel?" Honey's gaze stare dead straight into my mine, as she raises a thick eyebrow and frantically nods her head.

"Y–yeah, of course. I'm totally in. But I'm not in for the half-naked part," I laugh fiddling with my sleeves, as the wild wind blows around us, causing a shiver to spiral up my spine.

"Ha... okay, great!" Jordan mischievously rubs his hands together. "So I know what club we all should sign up for this year."

"Yeah... and what's that smart-ass?" Honey says to Jordan with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Swimming lessons dumb-ass," Jordan reply's jokingly, wiggling his eyebrows at Honey.

"Huh... w–what?" I said sweat forming down my forehead, as saliva swallows down the wrong windpipe and catches stuck within the back of my throat, causing a loud cough attack.

"Woah... Hazel, you okay there? Your face is bright red, dude."

Y–yeah, I'm fine thanks. I just swallowed the wrong way is all," I clear my throat as my nervousness and anxiety races a mile per second.

"Okay... so Jordan," Honey's gaze reassuringly lingers on me then towards Jordan. "You're kidding me right, with the swim thing?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding, Honey," Jordan narrows his almost black eyes towards Honey's direction.

"Wow... you really are being serious right now, aren't you?" Honey said with her head full of chestnut hair tilting to the side.

"Hell, I've never been more serious in my life than right now. Well, maybe when I bought those limited time only suspenders," Jordan said, rambling to himself with his pointer finger tapping his chin, deep in thought.

"Okay, but why swimming lessons though?" Honey questions, swirling her fingers into the sand.

"Because..." Jordan said in an obvious tone of voice while talking with his hands, "Weston and his teammates run the club and I want you girls to sign up with me. I can't go it alone."

Anxiety swirls in the pit of my stomach and my mind races a mile per second. I have not swam in years. Not since I was with Jake and the incident when I was ten. Swimming without Jake is something I have never done before, but I have to forget him. I have too. I have to be strong and move on with my life, which includes getting over my fear of swimming. But what if I drown again and nobody's there to save me this time...

"I suck at swimming. Maybe it'll be better if I sit this one out," I said in a casual tone, trying my best not to show emotion.

"Don't worry, Hazel, I'm sure it'll be fine. We'll just have to make sure that you stick to the shallow end of the pool. Since you're so short, you can lean on us for support," Honey said with reassurance hinting in her calm voice.

"Ha... thanks, I'll probably be leaning on you guys the whole time. But I don't want to be a burden on you guys," I said as my slender fingers fiddle with the book pages. I am not trying to get out of swimming, I just do not want to let anyone down and lose my new friends. I am terrified of swimming again, even if it is just a pool full of harmless water.

"Don't be a silly girl, you're not a burden at all," Honey rests a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Well ladies, we better hurry our booties and sign up now before it's too late," Jordan claps his hands together, breaking the tension in the air.

"Yeah, your right, dude. We better get a move on," Honey said.

We amble from the beach and towards the front of the campus where wild trees scatter around the field as their leaves and branches blow with the wind. The field's full of crowding people at endless club booths with big cardboard signs hanging from the tables, and students strolling around talking and laughing with their groups of friends. We scavenge our way through the horde of sweaty bodies, as their body odors take away my sense of smell. Thank God for these crazy winds or I will be suffering from the worst nostril condition.

Halting directly in front of a group full of jock males who are in charge of the booth, 'Survival 101'. The mystery guy from the bonfire who I believe is Weston Miller stands with his group of friends in charge of the clipboard, sign-up sheet.

Jordan's face flashes bright red like a sweaty tomato and he swallows his words as nothing comes out of his stuttering mouth. Honey intervenes, henceforth; saving Jordan from further embarrassment.

"Hey, us three would like to sign-up for 'Survival 101' please," Honey clarifies, not giving it a second thought. She points at the cardboard sign hanging off the brim of the table.

Weston Miller nods, handing over the clipboard and winks at us, as we sign away our names and possibly our souls along with it. Weston Miller winks again, this time at me, as we walk away from the booth. My skin crawls underneath his gaze and makes me feel extremely insecure.

Once we were out of earshot from the jocks, Jordan squeals like a little kid, "O.M.G! I can't believe Weston Miller just winked at me!"

"Oh good Lord, here we go," Honey rolls her eyes ironically.

"Sorry, about that, babes. So anyway, anyone of you ladies keen for some lunch? Because I'm starving."

"Hell yeah, dude. I'm hella keen," Honey agrees.

I nod and follow along with them towards the crowding food cafeteria. We stand in line for self-serve and fill our plates with food and sit nearby the closest table, as I drop my brown, leather backpack next to me on the cold metal surface of the seat.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me that the swim-rally is on tomorrow remember," Jordan said propping a fry into his mouth.

"How could I forget something that I'm being forced to go to," I said sarcastically.

"We're not forcing you, 'Anne Shirley', we're just persuading you. There's an obvious difference between the two."

I frown in Jordan's direction, "If you ask me, there really isn't much of a difference between them 'fashion police'. Plus, you don't need me there. Like, I don't understand why don't you guy's just go without me?"

"We can't leave you behind, Hazel," Honey chimes in, covering her mouth as she speaks with a mouth full of food.

"Honestly, I don't mind," I said, digging into my caesar salad.

"No way, this is your freshman year. You have to enjoy it while it lasts," Honey pleads with her concerned eyes searching for my emerald blue gaze.

"Okay fine, I'll go. But only for you guys," I agree while Honey and Jordan's faces lit up like a Christmas tree, as I gulp on the bottle of water I got from the cafeteria.

Jordan's phone buzzes in the pocket of his skinny jeans. "Well, that's my alarm for work. I better go get ready for another boring day at Frosty's Ice-Cream Parlor."

"Awe... it sounds cute," I said smiling, "Is that the ice-cream parlor in the market?"

"Yeah, it is. But don't let the name fool you," Jordan said and sighs to himself, leaving the cafeteria.

* * *

Once we devour our lunch, Honey and I roam through the corridors of the campus, nearing my dorm room. Before reaching the end of the hallway, there is a girl with dirty blonde hair wearing a sparkly pink dress and a matching suitcase at her feet who's struggling to open the door next to my dorm room. Next to the girl with dirty blonde hair, there is another girl with platinum blonde hair wearing a blue mini skirt, a white crop top, and a sparkly blue suitcase at her feet.

"Hey, uh... do you girls need any help?" as soon as I ask, Honey glares shaking her head and mouthing 'no way in hell.'

"Thank God! Can you help me with this stupid thing? We can't figure it out," the platinum blonde girl asks.

"Sure—" I said.

"We're fine Brooklyn, we don't need help from those losers," the dirty blonde girl said, sending daggers towards Honey.

The platinum blonde girl, who I believe is Brooklyn hands over the keycard to me, ignoring what the other girl said to her. In the proximity of the two girls, my nostrils burn from their expensive perfume. They look like sisters but for all I know, I could be wrong.

With a swipe of the card, the door immediately opens. "What the hell! What was I doing wrong?" Brooklyn asks with annoyance in her tone of voice.

"You were swiping the card upside down on the keypad. See it's supposed to be this way up," I show the girls the difference, as the dirty blonde girl rolls her eyes out of spite.

"Yeah, whatever. Thanks, I guess," With the flip of the dirty blonde girl's hair, she drags her suitcase along with herself and Brooklyn. Before closing the door, she glares behind me towards Honey's direction, and viciously says, "Honey..."

"Chanel..." Honey growls underneath her breath and death stares, who I believe is Chanel. After minutes of sending daggers to each other, Chanel slams the door shut in our faces.

My feet stumble aback but I contain myself, "Woah, how rude."

"Come on, forget about them. Their definitely not worth your time nor energy for that matter," Honey and I walk into the dorm room and rest upon the fluffy rug in the middle of the room.

Twisting my finger in circles in the fake fur of the rug, as I curiously pry my nose further, "So, you know them or something?"

"Yeah, well... I don't really know her sister, Brooklyn, because I wasn't close to her but I do know, Chanel. I guess you could say we used to be best friends when we were kids but then things went south," Honey glances at the olive skin of her hands while she continues to speak. "Chanel ditched me in high school after all those years I stood up for her when everyone teased her about her acne and weight."

"So, is that what those 'death glares' were about back there then?" I indicate my thumb in the direction of my only next-door neighbor.

"Yeah, once Chanel lost the weight and her t-section of her face wasn't full of acne, she ditched and betrayed me for stupid popularity, fake friends, popular guys, and to escape her ugly past." Honey's forehead crinkles at the thought of the past. "And Chanel left me behind along with it, without a word on why she hated me."

"Oh, I see... that's annoying. Well, it's her loss really. She's the one who's missing out on an awesome friendship with you."

"True, it's her loss. Well, I better go study for classes. And I'll see you tomorrow at the swim-rally, right?"

"Y–yeah, me too actually. Okay, see you tomorrow."

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~ Cheers ~
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Please, tell me in the comments what you thought about Chapter Thirteen? 🙈 I'll be greatly appreciated, thank you, you very kind soul!
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~ Chapter Thirteen ~
~ Dedications ~
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HeliiBoh
DebMorey
PeterPetruzzella
CaitlinWoodward9
DaniJones_14
ChloeMayerhofer
savvvy1998
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You guys should totally check out PeterPetruzzella short story! Lighthouse. It's amazing! Please also go check out Peter's YouTube account pure56 for awesome content on movies, tv-shows, and game reviews!
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You guys should totally check out ChloeMayerhofer story! Fallen! It's awesome!
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C.Morey 🥕 xoxo
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