2

                                    

                                          
You had been putting off responding to Karl. Who could blame you? Everytime you thought of him, your heart would beat ten times as fast as it did before. Now that you actually have contact with him, it freaked you out. Would you confront him about ghosting you, or would that be a dick move? This question along with many more swirled in the back of your mind.
                          
That night you did read his message through the notifications, but didn't open Instagram to see it fully. You knew that it would tell him that you had indeed read it. Then again, he ghosted you, so why not ghost him for as long as you can?
                          
Even though you did already technically read the DM through your notifications, you hadn't swiped it away. Dismissed it fully, if you will. You liked seeing it there for some odd reason, you weren't so sure why yourself. It was definitely something to do with your past (and present) romantic feelings towards him.
                          
You were currently laying in bed. You accidentally pulled an all nighter. A fool you were to think you could study without losing track of time, this has happened before. Procrastinating working on tough homework, a project, or even studying like how you did, then the next thing you knew, the sun was rising and the morning birds were chirping.
                          
Don't kid yourself, you were exhausted. You were lucky though, your Tuesday class didn't begin until ten in the morning, so you had time to squeeze in a small power nap. Your eyes fluttered softly to a close without yourself realizing it, sleep overcoming you and your senses.
                          
You dreamt of being in your fashion class, the one you would attend to take an exam later today, but something was off. Of course it had that aura a normal dream would have, everything feeling quite fake but with slightly real elements - the dream rested in the uncanny valley. Still, there was something off, a feeling that someone was there. You turned around in your stool and saw Karl in the seat behind yours. Your eyes widened, causing you to jolt awake.
                          
A small groan escaped your lips as you rolled over from your back to your stomach, elbows holding yourself up. You grabbed your phone to check the time. It read half to ten. You frantically got up to change into some presentable and appropriate clothing for today's frigid temperature. One swipe of your curtain that covered your window and a layer of thick snow laying on the floor. And your car. You would have to clean that before you leave.
                          
After getting yourself dressed, you went into the kitchen to see Juliette making breakfast. Juliette's father owned a restaurant, so she made the best and food you had ever had because of it. You snatched a slice of toast from the plate she had. She used to tell you off for doing that, but got used to your shaninagins over time as you two grew close.
                          
"Good morning." Juliette said through a small yawn. She was tired too. "Already dressed? Why so early?"
                          
"Yeah." You replied as you took a bite from the toast. "I'm gonna go and clean off the snow from the car in a bit."
                          
"Oh, true. I didn't think about that." She responed as she cooked. "Well, try not to get frost bite, then." She spoke through a sigh.
                          
"'Course, Jules." You said. "What happened with that dude yesterday? Sorry about interrupting by the way."
                          
"Oh, he ran off in the night. He said something about how he had to go run drugs to support his nana." Juliette joked. You choked on your toast a bit. "No, I'm kidding, but he left a bit before you woke up."
                          
"Ah." You replied.
                          
Now outside in the brick weather, you were brushing off the snow with the back of your hand. Being a college student, sometimes you didn't have the right tools for some basic tasks when you could barely afford rent. After you finished that, you looked up when you heard footsteps walking towards you.
                          
Juliette made her way towards the passenger seat with the clink of her healed boots hitting the pavement. She waves at you happily as she tucked her phone into the pocket of her coat. "Bestie, get in the car. We're gonna be late, 'specially with the snow." Juliette said with an encouraging wave of the hand as she opened up the car door with her free hand.
                          
"Yeah." You mumbled to yourself as you opened the door to the driver's seat on the left of the car as you turned the vehicle on with the twist of a key. After sitting in, you sighed and removed your jacket, the warmth of the air conditioner already blowing in your face. Your roommate did the same.
                          
"Can we get Dunkin' after class?" Juliette suggested.
                          
You sighed. "We'll see. Money's been tight recently."
                          
"It always is." Juliette replied simply, taking the aux chord in her hand to plug it into her phone.
                          
"Mmm."
                          
Maybe with your check coming at the end of this week, you'll have more money to spend on coffee and perhaps even a few different flavored ramen. One can only have so much shrimp flavored ramen without getting sick of the taste. That is if your manager pays you extra for spending more time at work to make up for another employee's time yesterday.
                          
Driving to your community college campus, you and your roomate blasted Willow Smith happily. Singing along to the catchy songs. Eventually you made it to your campus, parking in the parking lot. You sighed to yourself out of exhaustion. After working extra hours and staying up cramming information just to forget it all minutes after jotting them down on a sheet of paper then preceding to sleep for merely two hours, you were on the brink of passing out. Coffee after class would help if you decided it wouldn't hurt to spend a little extra cash today.
                          
"My ass better get to Gonzalez's class before she yells at me fore being late. You know how she is." Juliette said as she unbuckled after tucking her phone into her back pocket, opening the car door to exit.
                          
"Yeah, didn't she lock you outside last time you were late?" You asked.
                          
"More like everytime I'm late." Your roommate corrected as she leaned against the car with her hands on the roof of it, peering in at you with a hunched back to keep eye contact.
                          
"Get to class then, you dipshit." You said playfully. 
                          
"See you!" Juliette said as she swung the door with a smile and walked off.
                          
It was only a matter of seconds before Juliette began running back, gripping at her arms as she shivered. She opened the door open frantically and swung her coat around her shoulder as she shivered.
                          
"I forgot my jacket!" She yelled in a whisper, earning a teasing smile from you. "Shut up!""
                          
"Oh, my god." You mumbled as you laughed at her. "I didn't even say anything!" You said. You suddenly felt a soft buzz from your phone. You grabbed it to turn it on whilst still looking at Juliette.
                          
"You didn't have to." She said as you turned to your phone as you chuckled. You saw the screen and it was another message from Karl. He's messaging you again. For a second time, and you haven't even replied to the first message. He doesn't even know if you've read it yet. "Who's that?" Juliette asked as she leaned in to see what you were looking at. She didn't get a good look to see what the contents of the message were, but she did see it was from a boy.
                          
"No one." You said, quickly turning it off and putting your phone in your pocket, then frantically putting on your jacket that you removed from earlier.
                          
"Got a secret man you haven't told me of?" Juliette asked with a smug look. You laughed off her suspicion with a soft eye roll.
                          
"Don't you got a class to get to?" You asked.
                          
"Shit!" Juliette exclaimed as she ran off after slamming the door shut. You laughed at her softly as you were left alone in the car again.
                          
You looked back at your phone to see the message. To comprehend it fully without worrying that an eighteen year old first year is gonna see your private and most like intimate conversation, karl and you being old close friends.
                          
Hey ik your probably sleeping, but I hope you have a good morning! I'm so happy to be in contact with you again haha :D
                          
You smiled at the small emoticon. He would always use that back when you two were friends in your teen years. Sure, time had passed, but Karl is still the same person. Well, maybe with longer hair, but that's besides the point. Though, now isn't the time for texting him back no matter how much you wanted to.
                          
You have an exam to pass.