As if my day couldn't get any worse, I realise after leaving that I do have an assignment due later today for the a class I have never attended.

So, I do have an assignment, just not for the class I was in.

I decide to go into full student mode.

I spend the rest of the day at my desk, typing and researching. I buy an energy drink and some chocolate and don’t look away from my computer until I’m done.

Later, Hayden walks into the room with a plate of food, which I brush aside—no time for eating.

I can feel my body shutting down, but I just change locations and sit on the floor. My whole body is aching, but I ignore it and continue.

I end up submitting it two minutes before the deadline. I’ve never felt so accomplished. I fall back and lie on the ground to catch my breath.

Hayden stands over me with my plate in hand. "Done?" she asks.

"Maybe. I lost track of reality some time back. At some point, I just started typing and never stopped."

She bends down and hands me the plate of spaghetti. "Well then, you deserve this."

I take it and sit up, letting out a low breath. "You have no idea. I had a long day."

In a calmer tone, she sits down beside me. "Tell your big sis all about it."

"How many signs does someone need before they realise it's a sign? Because the universe is sending me some hardcore ones."

"Well, that all depends on the sign and the situation."

I laugh a little to myself. "Can you believe I’ve been going to the wrong class for the past three weeks?" I emphasise the last words to show how hurt I am. "That’s why things never made any sense."

"How is that possible? You’re the one who signed up for your classes."

I groan and place the plate on the floor. "I must’ve been out of it when I did because I barely know how this happened."

"Look on the bright side. At least you figured it out now." She gives me an encouraging smile, but I still feel horrible.

"Yeah, that would be great if I didn't have tests next week. I’m supposed to write about something I barely know anything about." I stand up and walk to my bed, letting out slow, panicked breaths as I do.

"Don’t be too quick to panic—"

"That is an understatement for how I am feeling right now." I fall back and close my eyes, trying to downplay the situation in my head. "I need to re-evaluate some things," I mumble.

I close my eyes, and the next thing I know, I am hit hard in the face by her pillow. "Pull yourself together, woman!" she shouts.

I hug her pillow and sit up. "Must we always resort to violence?" I ask with a blank expression.

She, however, has no regret on her face. "Yes," she replies as she sits down on my desk chair. "Now listen, I know that you are late and probably screwed, but that still isn’t an excuse to give up. You have a little over six days. You’re smart; you can make it. Yeah, you might not get the grade you want, but you will get something you can work with."

I run a tired hand through my hair and leave it there. "Yeah, maybe."

"Promise me you will think about it."

For the sake of her peace, I give her a smile. "I promise," I lie. This is another sign that is too hard to ignore just like that.

*******

“How was your day, by the way?” I ask, changing the topic.

Her smile brightens. “I’m so glad you asked. My day was great. I made a lot of new friends and had a great time in class.”

“That’s great. At least one of us is thriving.”

“Ah, not really. I’m just as lost in the forest as you are. The only difference is that I’m trying to make the best out of it.”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

“Which reminds me, I have something important to ask you.” Her smile fades, and she crosses her legs.

“Okay...” I reply cautiously.

“Well, there’s this thing happening the Saturday after we finish our exams.” Her voice lightens, signalling her nerves.

“Why do I feel like there’s more?”

“There is, I just don’t know how you’ll take it.”

My heart grows heavy. “Hayden—”

“Don’t worry, it’s not a party, so no need to get mad.”

“Uh huh.”

“It’s like a mini festival, and club season is fast approaching. It’s an opportunity to see what they have to offer. I think it would be great for us.”

The sound of my laughter fills the air, and I have to stop myself from falling down. “I’m sorry. I stopped listening when you said ‘you and I.’”

She takes my hands in hers, raising them excitedly. “Tae, just think about it. It’s going to be so much fun.”

“Hay—”

“Please,” she pleads.

“Fine, I’ll agree to it—”

“Great—”

“Only if you promise you’re not purposely leaving something out.”

She lets go of my hands and chuckles nervously. “Well... if we’re being honest—”

I scoff and point a finger at her. “I knew it.”

“Don’t be so quick to judge me. A little birdie told me that our RA is going to be there, and I thought it would be the best time to reintroduce myself, you know, say hi.”

I sigh and fall back onto my bed. “So what I’m hearing is that you want me to be a third wheel. That’s an even bigger betrayal.”

“Please, I wouldn’t ask this of you if it wasn’t serious, but it is.”

“Nope, no thank you. I already have my degree in looking lost.”

“If you truly love and care for me as my sister, you’d agree to it.”

“I know that but—”

“Never mind. I don’t even know why I try sometimes.”

I let out a tired breath. “Hayden—”

“No need for further explanation. I always knew this sisterhood love was one-sided.”

I roll my eyes and place a hand on my cheek, mumbling, “Uh-huh.”

“You know, it really hurts, it really does... down to the core.”

“That deep, huh?” I ask sarcastically.

“See, you never care if you hurt my feelings. You still wouldn’t love me even if I gave birth to you myself.”

“That’s a weird thing to think about.”

“See, you just proved my point! You know, things wouldn’t be so bad if you threw me a bone sometimes. Communication is the key to a healthy relationship,” she finishes, trailing off to catch her breath.

I roll my eyes and lock eyes with her. “Are you done?”

“Not yet. Five more minutes.” She pauses to take more breaths. “One more thing. You need to water down your judgement against my love for orange.”

I facepalm, feeling my time being wasted. “I apologise,” I say, hoping it will shut her up.

She pauses to take a breath. “Regardless of your lack of sincerity, I’ll accept your apology.” She pauses, then continues, “But then—”

And finally, I give up. She’s successfully given me a headache. “Fine, I’ll go. Just please... shut up!”

She brushes a hair behind her ear and smiles victoriously. “Another win for emotional blackmail.”

“More like serial annoyance.”

She turns to me with an even bigger smile. "Hey a win is a win."

Before she realises it, I throw her pillow, hitting her directly in the face, bringing joy to my heart.

“By the way,” I voice without looking up, “I’m not joining a sorority.”

Squinting her eyes, she looks at me, half shocked and half guilty. “I would never ask that of you.”

She’s most definitely lying.

*******

*One week later*

Test period does more than kick my ass; it takes my mental health with it too. From the first paper to the last, I feel nothing but abused and dumb. I want nothing more than to hibernate for a whole week in my blankets to nurse my broken heart, but Hayden makes it her mission to make me stick to my promise. She personally drags me out of bed and dresses me.

Because it’s sunny, I wear grey shorts and a plain white t-shirt. She, on the other hand, wears her cute long green sundress with a slit reaching the top of her thigh and a v-neck that would leave anyone wondering.

We’ve only been here for an hour, but I’m already ready to leave. The sun is blinding and giving me a headache. “Can I go back now?” I whine as we walk past each stand.

“No, we still have a lot of stands to check out.”

I groan loudly enough for her to hear.

“There’s no need for me to be here anymore. We’ve already found a suitable club that could help me with my stuff. My work here is done.”

“Correction, we found an academic club. We’re still on the hunt for a social club.” She flashes me a bright smile, and I mentally barf, showing as much distaste as possible.

“And... you’ve lost me.”

“Come on, I think there’s one right over... there.” She begins to drag me away before I can see what she’s talking about, and next thing I know, I’m being shoved into Sebastian.

He turns to me with a confused expression, and I begin apologising immediately. While I’m in the process, Hayden pushes past me to ‘nurse his shoulder.’

“Tae, you clumsy fool. See what you did.” She turns to me with a half-apologetic look, and I respond with daggers, “I am going to kill this bitch.”

His expression changes to one of pure amusement. “It’s okay. At this point, I’m used to our ‘unconventional’ encounters.” He smiles warmly, and my stomach twists.

“Damn butterflies,” I think to myself.

Hayden’s smile drops as she looks me over, going into deep thought. I break away from his gaze before she realises anything and change the topic.

“Mr. RA, could you please enlighten my dear sister on what this club is about so that I can get some well-deserved sleep?”

He turns from me to her, and his smile grows. One thought passes through my mind: “Why am I so bothered by it?”

“Well, as much as I would love to, I don’t believe I can give it the explanation it deserves. That’s why my friend and the founder here will explain it to you.” He directs his gaze to another beautiful woman.

With a bright smile, she walks over to us so flawlessly. Her long brown hair flows like a leaf in the wind, and as I look closer, I can see a hint of green in her partially hazel eyes. She’s a little taller than me with a slightly bigger build, but that does not detract from her beauty—it only compliments it.

I look to Hayden, who looks like she’s just seen a ghost. I smile a little and look away. That’s what she gets for waking me up at seven on a Saturday morning.

“Hi,” she calls out softly, “I’m Willow. I’m more than excited to meet you.” She holds out her hand, and I take it, shaking it excitedly.

“I’m Tae, and that gaping fish over there is my sister, Hayden.”

“Hi,” she says with a somewhat warm smile.

Awkwardness fills the room. Willow takes this as her sign to continue. “There isn’t much to know about my club, but if I were to describe it, I’d say it’s mainly about mental health.”

My smile drops. I turn to leave, but Hayden quickly grabs my hand and tightens her grip, completely stopping me.

“Just listen,” she whispers.

Willow continues. “The idea of the club started about a year ago. We all know the stress of school can be a little overbearing sometimes, and I noticed this in a lot of people. In a world full of smart people, is there really any time to cry? Afraid that you’d seem weak or be left behind.” My heart grows heavy. “Those are questions I asked myself. I’m not one to hide my feelings, so I looked around for a support group and sadly didn’t find one. That’s where I got the inspiration to start this one.”

Hayden cuts in midway, “Sounds perfect for someone I know.” I spare her no glance and roll my eyes.

“That’s great. It would be nice having new members.” She smiles brightly, and Hayden responds with one of her own. I see that her grip has loosened, and I take this as my opportunity to leave.

But before I do, I say, “Thank you, but I don’t think it’s for me.”

*******

Hayden jogs after me and stops me after we have reached a significant distance. In between breaths, she says, "Wait, Tae, don't be so quick to leave. I think that we should stay to hear what else she says. I think that this could be good for you."

I scoff, feeling a little insulted. "You are more than welcome to join. You and all your seven personalities will feel right at home."

I turn and walk away, faster this time so that she wouldn't catch up so easily.

"Just sleep on it!" she calls out.

I ignore her and pull out the headsets I had shoved into my pocket and put them on.

My social battery is now at zero.

*******

The next day, I wake up with the aim to spend the day making myself happy.

I get up before Hayden and dress up for a day filled with sightseeing and delicious food.

At some point, I consider taking Hayden with me, but for the sake of my mental health, I opt not to.

I always enjoy travelling alone. There is something about the seclusion that just makes me appreciate everything a little more.

The first stop on my list is a famous street art gallery known for its out-of-this-world graffiti.

Despite it being quite bright outside, the tunnel itself is quite dark, and I soon understand why.

I stand in awe as I take in what I am looking at. My heart sinks into my stomach, not out of fear but of sheer happiness. There are glow-in-the-dark pictures of all sorts of things, ranging from personal pictures to random cartoon characters. For a second, I stand and let myself be taken by everything.

However, the one that steals my heart is a mural dedicated to the love of music. A woman stands in a dark alley, back facing a crowd. She is wearing a jacket that has a heart on it, one that is surrounded and powered by different kinds of instruments. Instead of red blood cells, there are little music notes that from the right angle, look like they're moving.

It isn't as extravagant as the others, but it is just as important.

I smile and take a picture to savour this memory forever, then I am on my way to my next conquest.

I spend the rest of the day visiting different parks and beaches, taking pictures wherever I can, and then I conclude my day with a trip to an amusement park where I spend most of my afternoon.

When the stars begin to light up the night sky, I take that as my cue to go back home. It feels so bad to leave, but I have to. I have an early class the next day.

But before I do, I take a picture of the sky. There are so many, it feels like they came out just to see me. I then buy Hayden a few souvenirs and some dinner and book a cab.

To my not-so-surprise, she isn't in the room when I get back. I send her a quick text and settle in before finally heading to the kitchen to get some plates.

I decide to go back to eat in my room instead of here, and I am not in the mood to have people critique the way I eat.

When I am about to eat my first spoonful, the front door swings open, and a frustrated-looking Hayden walks through. She drops her stuff on the ground and takes a seat next to me on the couch. I hand her her plate, and she digs in immediately.

With my eyes still glued to the screen, I ask, "Rough day?"

She pauses to swallow and sighs, placing her plate on her lap. "That would be an understatement. Sebastian plain blank rejected me."

I rub her shoulder softly. "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologise, it's not your fault." She pauses and stuffs another spoonful into her mouth, then continues. "I used every single trick in the book and... nothing."

I am horrible at comforting people, so I offer the only thing I can. "Well, look on the bright side, at least you get to have some delicious food."

She looks back and forth between me and her plate. "Yeah, you're right."

"See, you will be over him in no time."

"Honestly, I think that I am over it already. There are so many reasons to. He flat out rejected me, there's no bigger push than that."

I pick up two glasses of wine and shove one into her hand. "Cheers to being single." I click them and take a big mouthful.

Distracted, she continues, "Well, there's that and the fact that you have feelings for him."

I unintentionally spit out all the wine onto the table, and then I gain my composure, gasping from time to time in disbelief. "That's the funniest thing I've heard today."

She takes a sip of wine and turns to me with a straight face.

"I read your diary, Tae, no need to deny it."

Shit.