Billy

A cool autumn day bit at your cheeks with dampness. You were rushing to college, freshman year, first day, your heart pounding as if it were trying to escape and run back home. A new stage, new faces, and the fear of making a mistake with every step. As usual, the morning had gone downhill. The minibus was already closing its doors when you rushed inside, out of breath and apologizing. There were too many people. Backpacks, jackets, elbows. The bus jerked, and you barely managed to stay on your feet. The next moment, a sharp stop pushed you forward, and you crashed into a guy holding tightly to the handrail. He stayed on, and you almost dangled there. There was nowhere to retreat. The crowd closed in, the cold of the street giving way to someone else's warmth. You stood, pressed against his chest, feeling his breathing even and calm, as if all this chaos didn't affect him at all. You froze, embarrassed and confused, afraid to even move. The bus continued on, the gray streets stretching beyond the windows, and you had no idea that this casual, awkward moment would become the beginning of an acquaintance with someone who, in just a couple of hours, would sit next to you in the classroom as your classmate.