A/N : This is my first fanfic and English is not my native language. Any comments or advice is welcome Thank you for reading !

I was listening to the song Outnumbered by Dermot Kennedy while writing some of this story hence the title. The lyrics match quiet well with the story.

ENJOY!

Chapter 1

Cup of coffee in one hand, psychology books held against her chest, Raquel closed her car door shut before quickly making her way through the parking lot of the University of Madrid. It was the first day of the term and students were gathered everywhere. She smiled to herself, glad to see she wasn't the only one eager to go back to class after their summer vacations. Among all these people, she couldn't help but feel at ease and excited. She had felt so happy and thrilled when she had seen the familiar university building stretching in front of her eyes when she had came up the parking lot.

Right now however, she didn't have the time to admire the scenery. The crowd was not making it easy for her to reach her destination. Ana had told her to be here fifteen minutes before class so they could catch up but the traffic had made her late. She hurried herself after a quick glance at her watch, cursing through her teeth when she realised what time it already was. Ana was going to kill her.

From a distance, she caught a glimpse of the blonde petite figure who was casually waiting for her on a bench. Her closest friend was playing with a strand of hair, absent-mindedly watching a group of friends chatting in the background. Raquel smiled as soon as she saw her, happy to see a familiar face among the students. When the young woman finally met her gaze, she made a hurried gesture with her hand, pointing at her watch and tapping her foot nervously. If she didn't know better, Raquel would have thought she was angry but the giant smile stuck on Ana's face told her otherwise.

"Sorry, sorry! I know, I'm late", Raquel apologised quickly when she was close enough for Ana to hear her.

She let her bag fall down at her feet and she hugged her friend. It felt so good to finally be with her after two months apart. She let her go and made the great effort of trying to catch her breath. Next to her Ana was grinning.

"Late on your first day, Murillo. What a way to start the year!" she teased.

Raquel rolled her eyes at her friend's mockery and smiled. Being late was unlike Raquel but she had a good excuse. She also knew exactly what she could do to be forgiven.

"Here. How about a peace offering?" she said, handing the cup of coffee to Ana who beamed.

"I don't admire your tendency to bribery but fine, as a friend, I'll accept it! Thank you so much, that's really thoughtful." She brought it to her lips and took a sip, moaning of delight. "You know I can't resist a good old cup of coffee."

Raquel started explaining what had caused her to be late. "I totally forget how terrible the traffic was. I swear, I don't know where half of these people got their driver's licence. I'm pretty sure at least two of them were going to bump into me if I hadn't stopped the car."

She was purposely pointing at the mass of students still in the parking lot. She calmed down, catching Ana's inquisitive look. Raquel chuckled.

She was relieved to have made it out on time. She didn't want to be on the bad side of the teacher or to get any kind of unwanted and negative attention on her first day back.

"So, are you ready for this last year of university?" Ana asked in between sips.

Raquel and Ana were both studying for a degree in Psychology and Criminology at the University of Madrid. They had met a couple of years back during the first day of orientation and by the end of this third year, they would both graduate. Their goals, however, were different. Ana was aspiring to work with youngsters as a social worker whereas Raquel was hoping to pass the exam that would allow her to start her training as a former police inspector. As far as Raquel could remember, it had always been her vocation and nothing meant more to her than the perspective of becoming a cop.

She had had her doubts the past year, following the sudden passing away of her dad. For quite some time, her grief had made her reconsider her plan. She had skipped school for a couple of weeks, tending to the needs of those who were close to her and had needed her: her mother and sister. With the help and the support of her friend and after some time, her motivation to become an inspector had came back and only grew stronger.

"Yes! I have been dreaming of this day for so long!" Raquel replied.

She watched in the distance two students going back and forth between buildings probably looking for the right classroom.

"I can't believe that three years ago we were like those people. Time flies." She added, smiling.

"Yep, and soon, we'll both be helping people with their lives. Me by advocating for children and teenagers and you by catching bad guys."

Raquel's eyes flicked over her friend and she smiled. She could already imagine herself holding her badge and wearing a police uniform.

"I still have to pass that inspector exam at the end of the year for that".

"Oh come on, Raquel." Ana started "You've been training for this exam for two years, you'll graduate with a degree on Criminology and Psychology and you're top of the class. They'd make a huge mistake not to enrol you" She stated.

Raquel nodded, slightly convinced by the argument. Ana was stating the facts but she couldn't help feeling insecure. This was so important to her that the fear of failure was only greater. Listening to Ana, she was glad to see that she could count on her friend for support.

"It's only the first day of the semester, you'll have plenty of time to stress over this later. For now, please, enjoy the time you have left here."

Raquel smiled, glad to have her friend back. She was right, she needed to relax a little. At least for now.

Looking around, the blonde girl was trying to spot some familiar faces among the students. Raquel checked her watch again. It was almost time for their crime analysis class and the two friends started walking towards the grand building that was stretching in front of their eyes. Some of their fellow students were already entering, eager to find the best seats for their first lecture.

"So, what did you do that summer?" Raquel asked, curious.

"Not much. I had this internship at the hospital that was alright. Lots of cute doctors, though." Ana started, her eyes sparkling "Then camping with my family. Really boring. I wished you could have been there, it would have been more fun."

Ana took the final sip of her cup and threw it in a garbage can at the entrance of the building. Pushing the door, they both made their way into the hallway guiding them to the classroom.

"And you know me, I got my fair share of beach parties and occasional sun burns. But let's not talk about this. How was your first trip with… I can't remember, what is his name again?" Ana asked playfully, giggling at her own joke.

"Hugo."

"Hugo, exactly."

Raquel rolled her eyes and smiled, knowing that Ana only pretended not remembering the name of her current boyfriend. It was her way of teasing her and letting her know that she wanted gossips and juicy details in her cute and almost non-creepy way. That made Raquel laughed.

"First trip together, eh? That's a step, right?" Ana insisted, growing more and more impatient.

Raquel gave in. "It is. I was really nervous at first but it felt really nice to be able to get away for a few days."

"Where did you go?" Ana asked

"Lisbon. It is such a beautiful place. We really took our time exploring the city."

"And your hotel room, I bet." Ana muffled.

"Ana!" Raquel shrieked, slapping her friend's shoulder before letting escaping a joyful laugh through her lips. "But yes, if you must know. The hotel room was really nice indeed".

Truth was Raquel couldn't hide her smile. Last year had been a rough one and Raquel finally felt like she was on a good path. Meeting Hugo had definitely helped her feeling like her life was starting to make sense again. She had lost so much in so little time that being with him was all she could have hoped for. He was a nice part of this new life she was creating and yes, she was happy. This simple but important thought in mind, she looked at Ana, thankful for her friend's undying optimism.

"I missed you, you know." Raquel muttered, throwing her arm around her friend's shoulders.

"Of course you missed me." Ana answered as if it was the only obvious response to this statement and Raquel laughed, amused by her friend's confidence.

They entered the classroom still exchanging moments and chitchatting about random things that had happened during their summer vacation. Most of the people in their class were already in the room. As they looked for a couple of free seats in the front row, they stopped halfway to greet some of the people they knew from their previous years.

From what they could hear, there already was a party planned at the end of the week at someone's house as a back-to-school party. Raquel and Ana both agreed to be there, eager to start the semester with their fair share of dancing and alcohol.

Finally, Señor Alfez entered the room and greeted everybody with a single and strong "Hello class". Raquel and Ana went back to their seats and the silence was soon met among the students. It wasn't the first time Raquel had Señor Alfez as a lecturer. He had taught them some classes during their previous years. He was a good speaker and an interesting character.

He was in the middle of presenting the syllabus when a loud door noise was heard in the back of the class. Another fellow classmate stuck in traffic, thought Raquel who didn't bother to turn around. She was too busy going through her bag looking for her additional pencil to pay attention to the tall and slender girl who had just entered the room. That's when she heard it.

"Welcome back, Señorita Sierra", Señor Alfez said with an annoyed voice, probably for being interrupted mid-sentence. "Late on your first day, not a good start. Please, take a seat quickly and quietly."

At the mention of the name, Raquel freezed and her eyes widened. It couldn't be. She must have misheard him.

"Thanks." The voice was clear and silvery but the ton was sarcastic. Raquel could have recognised this voice among a thousand.

A shiver coursed through her body and she let her bag fall heavily at her feet while she was sucking in a deep breath. It couldn't. She slowly turned around to take a look at the young woman who had just entered the room. Tall, red hair tied up in a high ponytail, soft face, black outfit.

It was her. It really was her. She had a bag thrown over her shoulder and her eyes were scanning the back of the room for a seat. Raquel turned her head quickly, pretending to focus on the teacher and the lecture in front of her. Their eyes had not met but Raquel felt a burning sensation on her cheeks. Her heart started racing.

Ana shot a look at Raquel after eyeing the girl who had just took a seat in the back of the class.

"Is that…?" Ana whispered.

"It is." Raquel confessed with a deep voice.

She suddenly realised she was holding her breath and clenching her fist.

"I thought she was gone, that she had left Madrid." Ana continued.

Raquel shrugged her shoulders, trying to stay calm.

"I thought so too.", she replied with a blunt and low voice.

It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about that right now. She was grateful when Ana leaned on her seat, focusing back on the lecture. Taking a deep breath, Raquel tried to do the same and to regain her composure. She was determined not letting this woman make her uncomfortable. However, deep down, Raquel knew that she was screwed and would be unable to concentrate for the next hour.

One thing was sure, the girl who had broken her heart and had played her like a rag doll was back and her name was Alicia Sierra.