Chapter 14:

Verse 14

UNNECESSARY CONNOTATIONS

Meanwhile…

Elena scrolled through her phone again.

It was 8:00 AM.

She adjusted her tote bag on her shoulder, stepping off the last stair from Block Flora.
Her lips were glossed, subtle. She had gathered her curls into a loose puff that bounced slightly with each step. Headphones were over her ears, and she hummed quietly to a soft R&B track that made the morning feel less cold.

She passed through the tunnel and made her way towards the campus gate. She hadn’t spoken to anyone yet. Not even her roommate, who was still buried under a mountain of blankets when she left.

She showed her phone with the school portal’s website to the guard and went in.

A notification on the class WhatsApp group caught her attention:

Creative Forms: ED 2, Education Building, 8:10 AM.

She frowned.

Where the hell is the Education Building?

As she walked across the walkway near the admin lawns, a girl in a denim jacket and vivid blue braids bumped into her, making her phone slip from her hand and land on the grass.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” the girl said quickly. “It’s my first day, and I’m literally sprinting through this campus.”

Elena crouched to pick up her phone, brushing off a few blades of grass.

“No worries. I get it. I’m also running late... and I can’t even find the Education Building.”

The girl adjusted her bag, her eyes lighting up. “Wait—you’re going to Creative Forms?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s where I’m headed. We’re close, actually. Just follow me?”

Elena gave a small smile. “Thank God. I was about to start Google mapping my own university.”

The two of them walked quickly, weaving past students gathered under trees or hunched over their phones on the benches. The Education Building stood ahead—wide and grounded, three stories tall, its greyish exterior faded slightly with age. Unlike the towering modern lecture halls, this one spread horizontally, built more like an old library with broad steps and glass panel doors that reflected the sun.

The girl with the braids nodded toward the entrance. “By the way, I’m Sheila.”

“Elena.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sheila said, pushing the door open. “Let’s survive this class. I’ve heard the lecturers here can be... creative. No pun intended.”

They entered just as a security officer motioned for ID and bag checks. A line had started forming but moved quickly. Inside, the corridors smelled faintly of sanitizer and dust, with framed black-and-white photos of university founders along the walls.

They found the room—ED 2—at the far end of the second floor, written in bold black letters above a pair of wide wooden doors.

“Looks like a hall,” Sheila whispered as they slipped inside.

They made it just in time. The lecturer hadn’t arrived yet. Students were already settling in, picking their spots and exchanging tired greetings.

Sheila took the window seat on the far left, the sunlight spilling across her desk. Elena sat beside her, placing her tote on the floor and pulling out a notebook and pen. The seat to her right remained empty.

The door creaked open just as the clock hit 8:15.

The lecturer walked in.

******

The Creative Forms class was apparently happening right now.

I should’ve checked the class group earlier, but I figured I’d just pick it up from context—worst plan ever. The pinned message said: ED 2, Education Building.

I took out the campus handbook from my bag. Flip, flip—yes, there it was. The Education Building was near the garden—got it.

With barely a minute to spare, I sprinted across campus like a rat in a maze.

The building loomed ahead, squat and wide with three floors and that classic old-lecture-hall feel. Inside, another ID and bag check awaited me at the entrance.

Security here is tighter than a bank vault. What do they think I’ll steal—a broken marker?

I checked the first floor and only found ED 1 class which was empty. I noticed an elevator beep to my right. Then it opened.

I love technology.

I got in and got out of the Elevator.

Ding!

I looked at my watch, 8:50 A.M.

I spotted the big ED 2 sign above two double doors straight ahead/

It was probably one large hall, split in two sections. A couple of other students were heading in, so I joined them. The moment I pushed the door open—it creaked like a haunted attic.

Eyes turned.

“Find your seat, young man,” the lecturer said without looking up.

Just my luck, already made an impression on the lecturer as the late guy. Although its funny how the other guys weren’t cautioned. At this point I’m assuming everyone in the administration has beef with me.

The lecture hall was big. Bright. White walls, long desks, fans spinning lazily on the ceiling like they were trying not to break a sweat. A few students had already settled in, chatting or staring at their phones, trying to look like they belonged here.

I kept my head down and picked a seat somewhere in the middle.

Not in the front row¬—that would mean I had to pay attention and nod as the lecturer stares at me. Not in the back either – too far that I could fall asleep. And definitely not at the edges – the lecturer walking could ask me a question or something.

I had just sat down when I saw her.

Elena – you should have guessed by now.

Calmly seated by a window. She wasn’t alone but the seat to her right was empty.

Should I go and seat there?

She looked … fine. Her hair was tied up today and her headphone was slung around her neck. She wore a navy blue hoodie and jeans.

She laughed and held her hand over her mouth to cover her laughter.

I couldn’t even hear the joke. But I wanted to.

I wanted her to turn around.

I wanted her to ask why I didn’t come last night.

Was she even thinking about it? or had she filed the memory away into a mental folder labeled “forgettable.”

“Does everyone understand?”

The lecturer’s voice brought me back to reality.