She belonged to us, she was just unaware.
My alarm blared to life, piercing the silence of my small apartment.
I groggily opened my eyes, slapping the snooze button for what felt like the hundredth time however it was too late, i was already running behind schedule. I scrambled out of bed, my feet tangling in the sheets as I rushed to get ready.
The shower was a blur of hot water and soap, the scent of citrus shampoo filling the air as I stood under the stream.
The water pounded against my skin, loosening the tension in my shoulders, my hair a tangled mess as I towel-dried it, i yanked on my clothes, not bothering to check the mirror as I grabbed a granola bar for breakfast.
As I hurriedly packed my bag, my eyes caught a reflection on the wall, i tracked the reflection to the source, and that was when I saw it, my admission letter, with its bold font and official seal, lay flat on the table, a tangible reminder of my dreams finally within reach, it's seal catching the sunlight and sending a beam of light dancing across the room, while I gazed at the letter,my eyes tracing the words that had changed everything.
For a moment, my chaotic morning came to a stand still, the memories of late-night studying, the multiple jobs, sacrificing my social life all to push myself to excel academically, and endless applications, came flooding in.
I still remember the countless rejection letters, the disappointment and frustration that came with each 'no'.
I had applied to several universities, but none seemed to believe in me, it all paid off when I received the scholarship offer, the acceptance letter from Imperial College London.
I am soon pulled back to reality by the sound of my alarm blaring it's final warning, a reminder that if I wasn't at the bus station in the next 15minutes I was going to miss the bus, i still needed one last thing, so I dashed to the kitchen, desperate for a quick fix.
I poured myself a cup of coffee, the warmth a brief respite from the frenzy.
As I took a hurried sip, the bitter taste jolted me awake, but my mind was already racing ahead to the day's tasks.
Every second counted, and I knew I had to move fast if I was going to make it on time.
Another glance at my phone, and my heart sank, I had only 10 minutes left, I never seem to grasp how fast time passes when you are running late, I hurried slung my backpack over my shoulder, feeling the weight of my books and laptop settle into place,took one last look at the admission letter, smiled, and headed out the door.
The Imperial College London is not just any university, it's an elite institution that caters to the crème de la crème of society.
I couldn't believe it, I have to pinch myself every time I think about it, me, me, a scholarship student at Imperial College London.
The scholarship was more than just a financial aid, it was a validation of all my hard work.
It was a reminder that I wasn't just a product of my circumstances, but a force to be reckoned with.
I felt a surge of pride, happiness and content, but glancing at my phone again, I realized time was truly against me today,now I had just 9 minutes to catch my bus.
As I was about to cross the road I caught sight of the black SUV out of the corner of my eye, two figures sat inside, their faces obscured by the tinted windows.
I'd seen them before, back home, following me in the same way. And now, here in London, it seemed they were still following me.
I tried to shake off the feeling, telling myself it was just a coincidence.
There was no way they could have followed me all the way from home to London, but the familiarity of the SUV, the way they seemed to blend into the background, made me wonder. Why were they following me?
I thought about the guy with the newspaper, the blind man with his guide dog. They'd been around me before, too.
It was like they were trying to be seen, but not seen. I didn't know what to make of it. I was happy no attempt was made to hurt me and I was never approached, however it was as though we had this understanding, I pretended to not notice them watching and following me, while they pretended not to as well, it still bothered me, the question I've been unable to find an answer to.
What do they want with me?
I boarded the bus, taking a seat near the back, as I sat down, I noticed a small piece of paper on the seat. I picked it up, thinking it might be trash, but instead, I saw a neatly folded note with a single word scrawled on it "Congratulations".
I felt a shiver run down my spine, but I quickly pushed the feeling aside.
Probably someone dropped their note, I thought to myself, yeah, that's it , I must have picked up someone else's paper by mistake. It's not like it's addressed to me or anything.
I crumpled the note in my hand, thinking about tossing it out the window, but something about it seemed... deliberate.
The fold was precise, the handwriting elegant. I tried to shake off the feeling, telling myself I was just being paranoid.
As the bus rumbled on, I glanced around at the other passengers, wondering if anyone was watching me, but everyone seemed oblivious, lost in their own worlds.
I convinced myself that the note was just a random piece of paper, and I had nothing to worry about but as I looked down at the note again, I couldn't help but wonder... what if? What if it wasn't just a coincidence?
I folded the note and tucked it into my pocket, my mind racing with possibilities.
I glanced out the window as we pulled away from the curb, the SUV was still parked there.
I raised an eyebrow, thinking to myself, Okay, that's a pretty big coincidence, however I didn't let my mind wander too far down that path.
I was probably just being paranoid.
I mean, I am in a new city, starting a new life. It's natural to feel a little on edge.
The journey was a short one, and before I knew it, we were pulling up to the bus stop on campus. I checked my phone again, less than 30minutes had passed since I'd boarded the bus.
I gathered my belongings and stepped off the bus, taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air.
I walked through the campus gates, taking in the sights,the campus was bustling with students hurrying to their first classes.
I smiled, feeling a sense of excitement and nervousness as I made my way towards the student union building, my eyes scanning the crowded room for a familiar face, as I waited in line, I couldn't help but be grateful about the journey that had brought me here, I am so glad I never gave up, the struggles, the sacrifices, the doubts, they all seemed worth it now. I am ready to take on this new chapter of my life.
I pulled out my schedule and map, trying to navigate the campus and find my first class.
The buildings seemed to blur together, but I was determined to get to my lecture on time.
I asked for directions from a passing student, and they pointed me in the right direction, as I walked to my first class, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment.
I am finally in college, and I'm going to make the most of it.
I took a deep breath, feeling the cool morning air fill my lungs, and stepped into the lecture hall.
As I walked into the lecture hall, I scanned the room for a good seat.
The professor was setting up his slides, and the murmur of conversation filled the air.
I spotted a few empty seats near the middle row and made my way towards them.
As I sat down, I noticed a girl sitting a few seats away, looking in my direction.
She had thick-framed glasses perched on the end of her nose and a stack of books beside her.
She caught my eye and smiled, her eyes lighting up behind her glasses, she nodded slightly in greeting, and I nodded back, feeling a sense of connection with her already.
She went back to arranging her notes, her brow furrowed in concentration.
I settled in, feeling a sense of comfort, as the professor began to speak, I focused on the lecture and taking notes, the girl occasionally scribbled furious notes, her hand moving swiftly across the page.
I felt a sense of admiration for her intensity, and I found myself getting lost in the lecture alongside her.
The lecture was intense, but I was determined to keep up.
I tried to absorb as much information as possible.
The professor's words echoed in my mind, and I felt a sense of excitement and wonder, after the lecture, I headed to the cafeteria for lunch.
As I waited in line, I noticed a girl with a condescending smile and piercing gaze, looking at me like I stole her stuff, I noticed she was surrounded by a group of admirers, and I could tell she was the Queen bee of the campus. Just when I thought I was going to have the best first day in school, Queen bee headed my way, with a look I would say was straight out of a movie, you know that point where the hero is at the mercy of the villain, that was the exact look.
I considered leaving the cafeteria and running away, but I know better, people like herself, they thrive on fear and the moment i showed even the slightest bit of it, she was going to feed of it, i decided to stand my ground and hold my head up, while I was still trying to encourage myself I heard.
"Well, well, well, look what we have here," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "The scholarship girl thinks she's one of us now."
I felt a surge of anger and humiliation, what could have warranted this behavior, to the best of my knowledge I just got here and I definitely didn't offend anyone, I made sure of that, I couldn't bring myself to believe that this bullying thing I watched on Mean girls was happening to me in the flesh, either way I stood my ground.
I looked her straight in the eye, unfazed, and said, "I'm not here to impress you. I'm here to learn."
Queen bees smile faltered, and she looked taken aback by my response.
She tried to regain her composure, but I could see the sparkle in her eyes had dimmed.
It was as clear as day that, Queen bee wasn't used to people calling her out on her bullshit.
Excuse me, did you just respond to me?
Are you talking back at me you lowlife, she yelled at the top of her lungs, gaining more audience.
Still looking her straight in the eye I responded, I'm not sure why you are surprised.
I'm simply stating my intentions, I'm simply here to learn not to impress you or anyone else and the earlier you get that into your thick empty skull the better for you.
I know there was no need to engage the proud dumb blonde bimbo and I could have always walked away ignoring her word, and that I was about to do until she just had to spit out the next most outrageous bullshit from her mouth.
Oh, wow. You think you are so brave, don't you? Talking back to me like that. Do you know who I am?
Do you know what my father would do to you if I told him how you disrespected me?
I couldn't help but retort with, Do I look like I care who your father is, you better grow up and stop being a baby, tattling to papa, and for your information, I'm not impressed by titles or social status and as I said earlier, of which you would have heard if you weren't too busy whining and being an airhead.
I am here to get my education and I won't let anyone distract me from my goal, go find some other person to derail.
The airhead living up to her name refused to back down, rather responding with, "Well, well, well. Look who thinks they are above the social hierarchy around here.
Newsflash, you're not special just because you're in college.
Finally tired of engaging the airhead, i realized not only will she keep making this about her being rich and me being from the slumps and it being the main reason she is picking on me.
I decide to put an end to it by saying, "I'm not trying to be special, I'm trying to be focused and I would appreciate if you didn't try to derail me with your drama.
I walked away, feeling proud of myself for standing up to her. As I walked away from the confrontation, I replayed the airhead's words in my mind.
Why did she think she could talk to me like that? I thought about my mom's words of wisdom, 'You can't control what others say or do, but you can control how you react.
I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of happiness wash over me.
I remembered on past experiences where I'd let others' words get under my skin.
This time, I'd stood up for myself. A smile spread across my face as I walked away from the confrontation, my shoulders squaring with newfound confidence.
I felt proud knowing I'd stood up for myself.
I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of calm wash over me.
I realized that I'd handled the situation with dignity and assertiveness, pride and satisfaction swelled within me, and I stood a little taller.
I was in control of my life, and I was going to make the most of it.