I stumble out of the college auditorium, blinking like I've been trapped in a bunker for days. Honestly, it kinda felt that way.

Two straight hours of molecular biology, thesis writing, and math jargon that made my brain feel like a scrambled TV channel? Not my scene.

Don't get me wrong, I dig science, but I'm more into the weird side of things—quantum theories, space-time anomalies, stuff that warps your mind. This? This was just brutal.

Adjusting my orange beanie, I scan the campus, hoping to find something grounding. Trees—check. Sky—still there. That's when I spot her. Blonde pigtails, big blue eyes, and a kind of vibe that screams "I haven't been beaten down by life yet." She's weirdly upbeat for someone who just sat through that academic torture.

She catches sight of me and jogs over, still beaming. "Hey!"

Her smile could power the whole grid. "Hi again."

Then, without warning: "We're officially best friends now. I helped you open that gadget, you witnessed my coffee disaster… it's fate."

I chuckle, caught off guard. Best friends? From opening a gadget and spilling coffee? I'm not sure if I'm dealing with someone super friendly or just… odd. "Is that how it works?"

She nods like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Totally. It's decided."

"Right." I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this girl has just declared us best friends in the span of five minutes. I'm not exactly the "best friends" type, but whatever—no harm in playing along. For now.

"So, what are you studying?" I ask, mostly to fill the silence.

"Oh, veterinary science," she says, beaming like she's announcing a cure for cancer. "I love animals. Always have. This just felt right, you know?"

I nod. "Yeah, I can see that."

She tilts her head, her eyes curious. "What about you?"

"Physics," I say, trying not to make it sound like a big deal. People usually either glaze over or get intimidated when I mention it.

But she surprises me. "Whoa! So you're, like, super smart?"

I shrug, feeling weird about the praise. "I wouldn't say that. Just… curious about how things work."

Her eyes widen like I just told her I invented time travel. "Physics is so cool, though! It's like figuring out the rules of the universe. You're basically a genius."

I laugh under my breath, more out of awkwardness than anything. "Not really. I just like weird stuff."

She grins, like she's cracked some important code. "I like weird stuff. Maybe that's why we're best friends now."

I give her a look. "You don't waste any time with the 'best friends' label, do you?"

She shrugs, still smiling. "Life's too short."

We keep walking, this odd but comfortable silence hanging between us. I don't usually trust people—never have—but there's something about her that's different. She's like this burst of energy that I don't know how to handle, but it's not annoying. She's… genuine. Bubbly, yeah, but not in that fake way people usually are. It's like she actually cares, which is rare.

We're about to split when her phone rings. Instantly, the smile falls from her face as she looks at the screen. All the brightness drains out of her like someone flipped a switch.

I stop, frowning. "Everything okay?"

She doesn't answer right away, her eyes glued to the phone like it's holding her entire life in balance. After what feels like forever, she finally looks at me, and her face is pale.

"My sister…" Her voice cracks.

My stomach tightens. "What about her?"

She swallows hard, her hands shaking. "She just… she just committed suicide."

I'm frozen. My mind races, trying to find something—anything—to say. But what do you say to something like that? The air around us suddenly feels too thick, too heavy.

"Shit…" I start, but the words die in my throat. I barely know this girl, we had not even exchanged names; but right now, none of that matters. The person who was laughing five minutes ago now looks like her entire world's just collapsed.

She's just standing there, staring at her phone, trembling. And for the first time, I see her without the constant smile, without all that energy. Just… broken.

I don't say anything else. What could I say? I barely know her, and yet here I am, feeling completely useless, wishing I could fix it—like she fixed my gadget. But this? This is way beyond me.