"Do you see Trever anywhere?" Tonya asked as they stood near the back of the line, waiting to check in. After a quick look around, Sarah shook her head.

"No, I don't see him, but there's so many people here, I don't think we'll find him." She replied.

The small courtyard was buzzing, most of the people milling around were freshmen waiting to sign in at the small booth, just as she was. "Maybe I should do a quick lap," Tonya suggested, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder, trying to peer over the group of girls in front of them.

"Don't you dare! If you leave this line, you'll never find your way back and you promised that you would stay with me." Sarah said, giving her friend a stern look. "You know I hate crowds and strangers."

Tonya gave her a sympathetic look. "Alright, I'll stay here, but keep an eye out." Sarah nodded and swept her eyes over the crowd again, but trying to find a specific tall, blonde boy in this crowd was gonna be damn near impossible. They were a dime a dozen.

"Watch it!" Tonya snapped as a short girl with red curls darted between them, sending Sarah's bag flying from her arm. The girl didn't even pause as she slipped into the crowd and disappeared. Sighing, Sarah dropped to her knees and started to gather her things that had spilled out onto the ground. She did a mental checklist and was confident she had gotten everything. Phone, keys, planner, wallet. She stood and felt a tap on her shoulder.

"I think you forgot this." Turning, Sarah found herself staring into a pair of honey brown eyes, framed by thick lashes. Her breath caught as she stared at a masculine face with lips that looked far too kissable to be real. He had dark hair unkempt, but it didn't take away from the fact that he was absolutely gorgeous. Sarah flushed and grasped desperately for something to say. It seemed the power of speech had failed her.

"Thanks!" Tonya interjected, coming to her rescue. "I'm Tonya, and this is Sarah. Are you a freshmen too?" She asked, friendly as always, and Sarah, realizing she'd been staring, hastily cast her eyes to the ground.

The boy chuckled, "Nah, I'm a Junior, I was just trying to push my way through the crowd when I saw your things go flying. I'm Jack." Sarah peeked at him from behind her lashes and saw that he was still looking at her, though he'd answered Tonya's question. "Here's your book."

Hastily, Sarah took it without even glancing at it and mumbled, "Thanks."

"No problem, maybe I'll see you around, Sarah." He said before turning away.

"I'm sure you will!" Tonya called after him, her blue eyes sparkling with humor. "Oh, Sarah, he is cute!"

"I didn't notice," she lied and finally, glanced at the book in her hand. Sarah felt the air leave her and thought she might faint. "This... this isn't... where did this...?" She trailed off and stared at the cover of a book she hadn't seen in years.

"Tonya, this isn't mine." She said through clenched teeth.

"It isn't? I swear I saw it fall out of your bag." Tonya said, taking the book from her. "The Labyrinth? I've never heard of it. Someone else probably dropped it. Maybe there's a lost and found somewhere." Tonya opened Sarah's bag and dropped the book inside. "Just hold on to it for now. We'll turn it in later... Oh hey, Trever! Over here!" She yelled jumping up and down.

Sarah turned and spotted him headed their way through the crowd. Over his shoulder something caught her eye, but before she could get a good look, the crowd closed behind him and whatever it was, disappeared. She frowned, but then couldn't remember why."

Hey girls," Trever began with a grin, "I've been looking for you everywhere. This is crazy!" Sarah nodded and smiled in return. She'd always liked Trever, for as long as she could remember, and had been thrilled when he and Tonya had started dating. They were the stereotypical, high school sweethearts. Trever had been on the football team and Tonya was head cheerleader. Honestly, Sarah, who was by definition, an introvert, and who spent more time in an art class behind an easel than she did outdoors, didn't have anything in common with them, but they were her best friends. Trever was more than just Tonya's boyfriend, he was almost as close to Sarah as Tonya was, in some ways, more so. Tonya was great, but for whatever reason, Sarah just got along better with boys than girls.

Sarah tried to follow the conversation as Tonya and Trever talked excitedly about classes starting and all the events that were going on this week on campus, but her mind kept drifting to the book in her bag. Her fingers were itching to pull it out and give it a solid once over, because no matter how much she fought it, she felt sure that the book was hers. It looked just like her old copy, the one that she had locked in a box two years ago and buried in the basement of her parents house. The one she promised herself she would forget about after eleven months of therapy, and eleven months of everyone telling her that it had been a dream. Telling her that the night she'd spent in search of her brother, had never happened. She had sealed the book in a box, wrapped it in duct tape and told herself that it was not real, and now two years later, she believed that it had been a dream. It was nothing more than a conjuring of her own imagination.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, they reached the front of the line, and after signing a clip board, were given packets filled with paperwork, maps, and flyers for various social events. She bit her lip and tried not to groan out loud. Tonya was already making plans to go to as many back-to-school parties as humanly possible. Sarah hated parties, but knew she probably wouldn't be able to talk her way out of all of them.

"Oh look! There's a party tonight over on the east side of campus! We should go." She was walking ahead of them with a bounce in her step and Sarah tried desperately to think of an excuse not to.

"I don't know, Tonya, I'm pretty tired from the drive, aren't you?" Sarah said hopefully.

"No way! I have so much energy. Come out with us, Sarah. I need a good dancing partner. Lord knows Trever can't dance for shit." She said, barely supressing a smile.

"Hey. I'm not that bad." Trever said defensively, making a grab for Tonya's arm, attempting to restrain her constant bouncing.

Oh yes you are! You're like a lanky giraffe!" Tonya giggled and Sarah couldn't help but laugh with her.

"You really are." She told Trever, leaning into him playfully. He threw an arm around each of them and shrugged.

"Whatever, just know you are missing out on some killer moves." He said smiling. Tonya rolled her eyes and Sarah stifled another laugh. Before long, they reached Sarah's jeep and she removed herself from beneath Trever's arm.

"I'll see you back at the apartment." She told Tonya before unlocking her door.

"Ok, but please think about coming out with us. It'll be fun." Tonya implored, sticking out her bottom lip in her trademark pout.

"You know that doesn't work on me," Sarah chided. "But I'll think about it, ok?"

"That's all I ask!" Tonya beamed, before her and Trever waved goodbye and turned away, walking hand in hand toward his beat up red truck.

Sarah watched them for a minute, a small smile on her lips. As she turned to her jeep, a chill went up her spine and she froze. The seconds ticked by and Sarah felt that she was being watched, she whirled and searched the thinning crowd of students, searching for the source of her discomfort. She saw nothing and no one, and after a few seconds more, the moment passed. She bit her lip and turned back to her car, climbing inside and locking the door after her.

"She took a shaky breath but before she started her car, she thought she heard the soft hoot of an owl. She cast her eyes upward and searched the sky through her windshield. She saw nothing and rationalized that it was likely a student who yelled, and because of her nerves, she misinterpreted the sound. She pulled away from the curb and started the short drive home, not seeing the bird as it dipped down low behind her, and landed on the branch of a tall tree. It's eyes following the white jeep as it turned a corner and disappeared.