"Are you all right, Soph? Since lunchtime, you've been a little off." As we walked into our dorm, Ivy inquired.

I sighed, plopping on the bed, "Just peachy! Anyway, I'm going to freshen up and, well, yeah!" I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a shirt.

I exited the bathroom to see Ivy had already dozed off. Huh! I gently tapped her shoulder, to wake her up. "Oh, you're done!" she said as she slightly opened her eyes. She took her clothes and headed into the bathroom.

I didn't have a tutoring session with Lily, so a quick nap wouldn't hurt, right? I wrapped myself in blankets and closed my eyes, and darkness quickly descended upon me.

My evening alarm went off. It was 5 p.m., which meant it was time for me to study. I sat at the study table, trying to finish my assignments, but finding it difficult to focus. Ivy sent me a concerned look when she saw it. I assured her with a smile.

My thoughts had been drawn to him and his message.

"I've my reasons and situations. "

What did he mean by that? But it wasn't incorrect! Everyone had their own reasons and situations, and he was no exception. There was nothing wrong in that!

I pulled out my phone and began typing: "If there are billions of reasons to risk your life, then there may be at least one reason not to do so. Go after that one reason! "

I sighed as I turned off my phone and resumed my work. I was a little exhausted after two hours of studying. I opened my drawer to take my pills, but when I checked it, I realized it was finished last night, much to my dismay. I felt like slapping myself at that point. I should have told Ethel to bring it, but I decided against it because it was too late. There was only one thing left for me to do then, which was to go get my pills, MYSELF! So, that's it.

Ivy and I exited the campus together, heading for the closest medical store. The university's infirmary, as far as I knew, did not stock anemic medications.

Ivy was a New York native, but she only lived a few miles from the university, making daily commuting tough for her.

We made our way back to our dorms after buying my pills. It was quite late, almost 9. We were in the main lane, which was bustling with people buying and selling. As we approached our dorm's street, we encountered total darkness and a desolate road. The only source of illumination on the street was a single lamp post situated near a tall, thick oak, which contributed to my sense of dread. The streets seemed to be filthy, gloomy, and smelly, as though they hadn't been swept in a few weeks. We continued walking until our feet halted.

That's when it hit me. I turned to face Ivy, glaring at her, hoping she might realize her blunder. She did, much to my surprise! Her lips quivered slightly as she hugged her waist. She was pale and muttering something I couldn't understand.

"Ivy, my dear, are you sure we're on the right path?" We'd come to a halt, gazing at each other.

I spoke up with gritted teeth as she gave me an innocent smile, "Actually, Soph... Look, I'm sorry! I didn't realize where I was going. I thought this was the short cut. I guess I took a wrong turn. Soph, believe me when I say I have no idea this was a dead end. I'm so sorry. Please, please, please get us out of here. I'm so scared...." She continued to ramble until I slammed her mouth shut. I put my index finger on my lips and motioned for her to be silent. I took my hand away from her mouth and she nodded.

"Shush, listen to me carefully! First and foremost, don't talk! Second, don't make a racket, and lastly, let's go back the way we came. " We took a few deep breaths before taking tentative strides back in the direction we had come.

Walking for a few minutes was a total waste of time because we were in the middle of nowhere. God knew where we were! The only noises we could hear were an owl whose golden eyes were gazing at us and dirty water running into an open drain behind a massive tree with no leaves. The open drain emitted a foul odor that made it difficult for me to breathe properly. There was a trash bin by the tree that was overflowing with garbage; maybe we heard a few noises from there as well, which I presume came from rats breeding in there. Could this situation really get any worse?

To say we were terrified would be an understatement, and Ivy's never-ending ramblings didn't help matters.

"What are we going to do now, Soph? What if a vampire came from that tree and drank our blood? Or worse, what if a Dracula, werewolf, or a witch or I don't know what! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Soph, I've heard that at night, spirits and negative energies tend to get much stronger. Please, no God! I'm just too young to die. I swear to you, Jesus, that I will finish all of my tasks in a timely manner. When Professor Ward scolds me, I'm not going to curse him. I'm not going to taunt Mysie by saying her ovaries are full of PSTD, nor am I going to crush on Senior Chase.... " I again clamped her mouth shut, glaring at her.

"IVY FREAKING MORRIS! JUST SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN STUCK HERE IF YOU HAD KEPT YOUR DAMN SENSES OPEN INSTEAD OF CHATTING ON YOUR PHONE. WAIT! Phone?... Yes, yes, yes! Holy mother, phone! Ivy, hand over your cell to me. Why hadn't I thought it before? Oh, thank God, my brain finally worked! What are you thinking, Ivy? C'mon fast, hand over your phone to me! " I locked my eyes on her as she continued to fiddle with her fingertips, oblivious to my perplexed glare.

"Actually, Soph... " I cut her off. "Ivy freaking Morris, don't you dare tell me your phone's battery is dead." I said, chuckling nervously, which quickly transformed into a lethal glare as she nodded steadily.

"Let's get out of here first, Ivy Morris; after that, you're so damn dead! Why did it have to be today that I had to leave my damn phone? Jeez golly, why, in all the days and months, does my goddamn phone have to drain today!?" Frustrated, I yanked my hair out. I was no longer scared, but more irked at that stage. I was frustrated to the point where I could easily snap anyone's damn neck.

We were startled by the sound of a rumbling motor, which was followed by a blazing beam of light that fell on my face, forcing me to shut my eyes. A slew of ideas raced into my mind, none of which were helpful.

Who could be in a deserted alley at this hour?

Ivy clutched my arm, babbling again. "Sheesh girl, isn't your mouth hurting from all the talking?"

Though their faces were obscured by helmets, I managed to open my eyes marginally and see two motorcycles approaching us. They came to a complete halt just a few steps away from us. The blinding light had stopped. To adjust my vision, I blinked twice-thrice. Ivy and I shared looks as we examined the motorcycles, which seemed to be very familiar. I'd seen them somewhere, but I couldn't remember where. Erm... Where had I seen them? Um... Hallelujah! These bikes belonged to the S Racers.

"Will you keep your faces hidden and look us down, or will you speak up? Listen there first if you're here to abduct or rape us. I was a karate black belt in high school. So, don't even consider doing it. If you don't help us, I'm going to knock your damn buttocks.... " I stomped on her foot, making her hiss in agony, as she began hopping up and down, gripping her injured foot before she could say anything more.

"I know you are members of the S Racers," I continued, ignoring her curses and groans. "So, it's probably best that you expose your faces, because I'm already too frustrated. " My voice was irritated and exhausted as I demanded.

They exchanged glances before taking off their helmets. Ivy gasped as they revealed their goddamn faces. Either time was sluggish or something happened too quickly. My breath caught in my throat, my eyes widened, and I couldn't decide if I should be pleased and relieved or surprised and overwhelmed.

The last two people I wanted to see right now were right in front of my eyes. The same oceanic-eyed guy who had sparked my curiosity was dressed in a black hoodie and dark jeans. He continued to run his hands through his disheveled hair, brushing a few strands away from his eyes. Damn, so sexy!

Get yourself together, Soph! I had to keep reminding myself about it. It was not the time to ponder those matters.

"Well, glad you're a black belt because your luck isn't always with you; this time you're fortunate it's us, not some random drunk goons," Senior Chase said, ruffling his hair and glancing at us.

His suspicious gaze shifted to me before he smirked and asked, "Aren't you the same girl from that night?" His unexpected question caught me off guard. Gosh, he recognized me! I shifted my attention between him and Senior Aylwin, who seemed to be absorbed in his own world.

I kept my head straight and nodded. He patted Senior Aylwin on the back and muttered something in his ear that I couldn't comprehend. To which Senior Aylwin shook his head with a smirk, making him laugh out loud. Ivy and I exchanged perplexed looks once more.

"By the way, what are you lovely ladies doing here at ten o'clock at night? Don't you have a dorm to go to?" He composed himself, then, passing a dazzling smile to us. Ivy's insides would be all mushy-mushy. She began her rambling again, and I smiled at the thought, "Well, Senior Chase, we actually went to buy Soph's pill, and ended up here in this disgusting, stinky, and filthy alley."

Wow, that's fast and short!

"C'mon, let's get you to your dorms. You must be terrified, I understand."

"Who said we were afraid? For your kind information, Senior Chase, we weren't A.F.R.A.I.D! " Ivy was practically glaring at him. Gone was her crush! Ivy turned to face me as I chuckled at their exchange.

"What? Why the fuck are you laughing? Tell them we weren't scared at all. After all, the whole time, you seemed to be as relaxed as though we were sitting on the couch with popcorn in our hands, chilling our asses off." She retorted, brushing a few strands of her clammy hair.

I smiled, locking my eyes with those oceanic orbs who were staring at me with curiosity. "When life has given you enough fears to contend with, then these tiny ones do not bleed your eyes."