Christine had finally reached Michigan. The sprawling campus, the crisp autumn air, the fresh start—it should have excited her. And in a way, it did. She loved mathematics, always had, but things weren’t as easy as they used to be.

The math classes were intense, but they gave her a sense of purpose and kept her distracted from the thoughts of Alex. Every problem she solved, every equation that clicked, felt like a small victory—a momentary reprieve from the lingering ache in her chest. Between hours spent pouring over calculus and attending club meetings, Christine found herself diving headfirst into her studies. It wasn’t long before her professors took notice. She was excelling, even in the more challenging subjects.

But university life was more than just textbooks and lectures. Christine joined the podcast and creative writing clubs, her love for stories guiding her as she shared her thoughts with others. She even got selected as one of the editors for the university magazine, a role that suited her perfectly.

It wasn’t all work, though. Christine made a few close friends, especially her dorm roommates, Jenny and Evelyn. They became her companions through it all. Jenny was studying literature and had an infectious energy about her, always ready with a recommendation for the next great novel or an exciting club to join. Evelyn, on the other hand, was quieter but incredibly creative, with a keen eye for photography. They were enjoying their college life together.

Late-night chats had become a ritual. They’d gather in the common area, wrapped in blankets, sharing snacks, and trading stories about their classes, their dreams, and sometimes, about the people they missed. Christine hadn’t opened up much about Alex, but Jenny and Evelyn knew there was someone. They could see it in the way her eyes glazed over during certain conversations, how she sometimes stared out the window when she thought no one was looking.

Evelyn constantly forced Christine and Jenny to model for her assignments, filling Christine’s Instagram with stunning photos of them posing, laughing, and enjoying life. Her page was a gallery of moments shared with new friends filled with candid shots of the three of them around campus—at the park, outside their dorm, even a fun photoshoot in front of a fountain one lazy afternoon.

But while Christine was trying to move forward, someone else was not.

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Lara sat on her bed, endlessly scrolling through Instagram. She felt restless, stuck in the same town, in the same place while Christine was off living her new life. She paused when she saw Christine’s story—a video of her laughing with Jenny and Evelyn as they strolled around the mall, her eyes sparkling, her smile bright.

Jealousy stabbed at Lara’s heart. "How could she be so happy without me?" Lara thought. It was unfair. Christine was supposed to wait for her. She needed to be with her in Michigan, but her rejection from med school had left her stranded, taking a gap year while Christine moved forward. The gap between them widened every day.
"I need to be with her. I need to remind her of us."

Lara put her phone down, clenching her fists. She couldn’t just sit and watch Christine slip away.

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It was Christine’s first class in descriptive statistics, and she was already late. She rushed down the corridors, her bag swinging wildly over her shoulder. In her haste, she twisted her ankle and stumbled, landing awkwardly on the floor. Pain shot through her ankle, and she winced, trying to stand but struggling to find her balance.

"Need a hand?"

Christine looked up, her eyes meeting a kind gaze. A tall guy with tousled brown hair stood over her, offering his hand. She hesitated for a second but took it, and he gently helped her up. He supported her as she limped toward the classroom.

"Thanks," she muttered, embarrassed by her clumsiness.

“No problem,” he said with a smile. They both sat together in class, and despite the awkwardness, Christine found herself relaxing as the lecture went on.

When the class ended, she turned to him. "Thanks for your help back there. I’m Christine, by the way."

"Robert," he introduced himself with a grin. "And no worries. You okay to get back to your dorm, or do you need a lift?"

Christine hesitated but eventually nodded. "If you don’t mind…"

"Not at all," he said, and they headed toward her dorm. As they walked, Christine couldn’t help but notice the way every girl they passed seemed to look at him. A few smiled, and he smiled back casually, but Christine didn’t understand why. Was he famous or something?

When they reached her dorm, Jenny was standing outside with a delivery guy, arms full of takeout bags. Christine waved goodbye to Robert, who smiled and turned to leave, and joined Jenny inside.

Jenny barely waited for the door to close behind them before pouncing.

"Hey, how did you manage to woo the college heartthrob?" Jenny asked excitedly.

Christine blinked in confusion. "Who?"

"Robert! The one who just dropped you off!" Jenny practically squealed.

"Wait, what? Robert? You know him?" Christine asked, surprised.

Jenny looked at her like she was from another planet. "Kay, don’t tell me you don’t know who Robert Weinberg is. He’s famous! Half a million subscribers on YouTube, his own music channel. How could you miss that?"

Christine shook her head, trying to process what Jenny was saying. "I didn’t know... He seemed nice, but I didn’t realize he was, like, a celebrity."

Jenny grinned and pulled out her phone, showing Christine one of Robert’s music videos. His voice was smooth, captivating, filling the room as Christine watched him perform, guitar in hand. She couldn’t deny it—he was incredibly talented.

"He’s really good," Christine admitted.

Jenny smirked.

That evening they were sitting together on Christine’s bed, watching the latest episode of a drama series Jenny had insisted they check out. The light from Evelyn’s camera flashed occasionally as she took pictures of Christine’s distracted expressions, laughing when she caught her in an unguarded moment.

“Kay, why so serious?” Evelyn teased, nudging her with the camera.

Christine shrugged and smiled. “Just thinking.”

Jenny rolled her eyes. “Thinking about that mysterious guy again, aren’t you? Come on, spill it already. Who is he?”

Christine sighed, debating how much she wanted to reveal. “Just… someone from back home.”

Jenny raised an eyebrow. “From back home, huh? Do we get a name?”

“I don’t know,” Christine muttered. “It’s complicated.”

Evelyn, sensing her hesitation, quickly changed the subject. “Well, complicated or not, you should smile more. You’re going to have a million guys lining up here at Michigan, trust me. Robert might be the first.”

Christine scoffed, not ready for where the conversation was headed. “Robert? Please, he was just being nice.”

Jenny grinned. “Nice or not, he’s the heartthrob of this campus. And you’ve caught his attention.”

Christine’s cheeks flushed slightly. “It’s nothing like that.”

Evelyn and Jenny shared a knowing look but didn’t press further. As the night went on, their conversation drifted to more mundane things—assignments, upcoming events, and Evelyn’s latest photo ideas. But later, as Christine lay in bed, the quiet moments settled in again. Her roommates had become her lifeline, filling her days with laughter and distraction, but as much as she tried to move on, thoughts of Alex never seemed to fade.

That night, staring at the glow of her phone, she decided to go on with her daily ritual, that was scrolling through her old photos from her graduation trip with Alex and their friends. She zoomed in on his face, the softness of his smile, and for a moment, it felt like he was right there with her again.

With a heavy sigh, she turned off her phone and rolled over, trying to shut off her thoughts. Tomorrow was another day, another set of classes, another chance to keep herself busy. But no matter how much she filled her life with, Alex was always just a thought away.

Across the room, Jenny stirred and whispered, “You okay, Kay?”

“Yeah,” Christine whispered back. “Just… tired.”

Jenny smiled in the darkness. “Well, if you need anything, we’re here.”

Christine nodded, grateful for the friendships she had found in Michigan, even if they couldn’t quite fill the void Alex had left behind.