I walked outside through the cold and snow as I headed toward a university assembly that awaited all seniors at eight am on a Saturday. I have no clue why they thought Saturday morning was the best time for this assembly, but it must be important because it is done every year with the seniors, but the seniors never spill what it's about.

I pushed open a heavy, metal door into the hallway of the main auditorium of Tristan University, home of the griffins. Very few seniors were here already, and the ones that were had coffee cups in hand as they slumped in their seats, wishing they were still snuggled up in their beds at this ungodly hour.

I headed in, plopping down in a chair in the middle, right where I had the perfect, face-on view of the stage. I tugged off a beanie from atop my mane of curly hair that fell down to my butt before I pulled back in a ponytail. I rarely wore my curls down, so when it was down, you were lucky to see it.

More seniors entered as the clock ticked closer to eight. Time was slowly passing, so I took the time to get lost in the wonders of Harry Potter for the seventh time.

"You're reading those books again, Ryla? How can you manage to read those so often? I can't stand wizardry." My best friend, Libby McNeil, sat down next to me with her green eyes glowing like emeralds and wavy blonde hair loose around her face.

"I know, and I can't believe we've had this debate since sixth grade. You keep continuing it, Libby. Why continue it when you could just accept the utter greatness that J. K. Rowling has set before us?" She laughed her infectious laugh that usually makes heads turn before quickly shutting up, giving me a dead look.

"The day I crack open one of those books and read the first sentence will be the day that Alyssa Taylor encourages her husband to go back on tour." We both smiled in agreement before I shifted to face the front again as our headmaster noisily tapped on the microphone head.

"We get your point, Mr. Clemon!" Someone yelled out from the vast crowd of seniors who filled up nearly half of the auditorium.

"Jeremy Red, please, settle down before we start the presentation."

"Alright, Mr. Clemon!" He hollered back, gaining plenty of laughs. The kid hasn't grown up one bit since I last knew him way back when.

Our headmaster cleared his throat, achieving silence in the auditorium before he spoke in his nasal voice.

"Every year, seniors are required to do one activity as a whole that will earn each of you a test grade in each class that you are currently enrolled in. You can either pass or fail this test, get a 0 or 100. There is no in-between. Whatever grade you get will be put in as a test grade in every class you take this semester."

The silence in the room showed our shock. Students gaped, barely understanding what went in one ear and to their brain. I knew that it had to be something for getting us ready for life after college, but the stakes are apparently high. I mean, most of us have an entire semester left, and some are even graduating in two weeks.

"It is mandatory that all seniors participate in Proposal Week. It is a secret among all seniors that you must not spread to any other years. Throughout this Saturday, today, to next Saturday, each boy will have to come up with a sweet proposal to a certain girl in this Senior class. Rings must be handmade and may not include any type of fancy metals such as silver and gold or any gems like diamonds and sapphires. The list goes on." The boys began to groan and complain to each other over this news. A dull roar had begun.

"Silence!" Again, the devil strikes, "The rules for the boys will be on a list that will be handed to you with the girl's name at the bottom and some information about her. Find the best way to propose. We're trying to light a fire to make all of you gentlemen when it comes time to actually doing this outside of college.

"Girls, you must say yes. It is imperative. There is one week for many proposals, and you must wear the ring for one week after the videoed proposal.

"Boys, you must propose to the girl you receive. We have who everyone will receive written down. If one girl gets more than one proposal, the man who proposes to the wrong girl will get a failing grade even if he ends up proposing to the right girl. If you switch, the office must know of such changes with both boys present consent.

"Girls, you will receive a list of what can get you a failing grade. While I may not speak these in front of a room of boys," he lowered his head as he scanned the crowd, looking at each and every boy, "you must follow these rules or else you will fail. While one of the two of you may pass, the other can still fail."

Everyone was in shock. No one knew what to say at this point.

"Girls, you may file out and receive your papers at the door. Boys, stay in place until I release you." Libby and I walked out, side by side, as we shoved our way through the mass of girls. I take a course on Saturdays by choice, and it's practically right after this assembly.

We each stuck a hand in between a few girls and grabbed a paper from the stack on one of the stools before running outside into the cold where a flurry of snowflakes had begun to fall.

We stopped by the fountain which was now empty from water, but the old Gregor the Griffin stood on a hind leg, the other one looking like it was jumping forward. His front paws stretched upward, talons elongated as if he were trying to fly. His wings were partially unfolded, his beak opened with a small tongue poking out.

I smiled at Gregor warmly before leaning against the side of the fountain and reading through the rules.

"This'll be fun," I commented sarcastically although I knew Libby wouldn't catch ot.

"It definitely will be!" She chirped as our other best friend, Tally Polk, came running up to us, scrunching the paper between her fingers.

"Sorry that I'm horrendously late, but my roommate forgot to wake us all up after our alarms went off, and we didn't wake up, so I was the only one who missed the meeting since I couldn't get my stupid contact in."

"It's fine, darling, but aren't you excited?" Libby chirped.

"Yes, and I know Ryla isn't."

"But you-" Libby turned to me, but I cut her off.

"Sarcasm." I placed my hand on her shoulder lightly as Tally burst into laughter, her head thrown back as she let out her cackle-like laugh.

"This is going to be a fun week." Libby gave us a small smile before we separated ways. Tally went to her work at a local theatre. Libby headed home to work on her marine biology homework, and I went to my creative writing and editing course. The course is through Tristan University, but it's not a class for the semester, but a course to do on the side. All participants go to Tristan though.

I walked into my Creative Writing and Editing class to see that almost all of the boys in the class were already there, going about their day as normal. I paused, watching as they got their things ready for class, simply conversing with the people around them. It seemed like a normal day, to the naked and unobservant eye. I had become quite observant throughout my teenage years, and I noticed the small things occurring. I could see some of them twitching or speaking with a slight stutter in their voice. Some had slight tremors while others were acting way too cool for their normal selves.

This project was already getting under their skins, and to be honest, I liked it. It was going to make the next week very interesting.

I sat down in my normal seat, right in the center of everything. I unpacked my few things and rested my pencil on my desk before my shoulder was tapped. I looked up into the eyes of Robert Smith.

"Hey, Ryla. You ready for this semester to end?" He leaned against the side of my desk as I shook off my jacket and put it on the back of my chair.

I chuckled, "I'm good where I am. I've said this for the past week, Rob." He always seemed to find me and ask one question, among a few other conversations. I got a pencil request almost every day.

"Pencil?" He asked as the teacher walked in and shut the door, making any other students late.

I shook my head despite knowing I always kept an extra in my purse. It's my emergency pencil. No one knows about it or uses it but me.

He returned to his seat, still asking other people on his way. I hadn't found out why he always forgot one. It's a writing class. If he wants to be in the writing industry, you can't get much of anywhere without a writing utensil.

I pulled out my notebook and highlighter as our teacher, Dr. Rosemary, began her 'Lecture Saturday.' I took notes as she droned on and on, giving examples and drawing, teaching us in a different way than any other teacher I'd had.

She wants us to succeed and scoped out new ways to teach for different students to learn what we needed to know. Although she was an awesome lecturer, if you so much as utter a single word off-topic on 'Writing Tuesday,' you better know what you're getting into.

My leg shook under the desk, reminding me of how I hadn't had breakfast yet, and that decision was starting to take effect.

My stomach grumbled loudly, and I watched as Dr. Rosemary flinched, looking up at us from under her black-trimmed spectacles.

"Who forgot their breakfast this morning?" I slowly raised my hand, and she smiled at me softly.

"Walters, please, remember next time. No need to distract your fellow classmates with a hungry stomach due to fault on your behalf." I felt my face turn red as she turned around and kept writing across the whiteboard with a squeaking, lime green, Expo marker.

After class, I hurried to escape and make it to the campus quad where only seniors were allowed for lunch. It was 11:16, and lunch starts serving in four minutes.

I pulled my pea coat shut over my simple swim t-shirt and jeans as I scurried down a corridor to get to the quad which was now inside when it had only been outdoors a month and a half ago.

I got to the door and saw Tally already standing there, three lunches in her hand. I ran up to her and crushed her with a hug.

"Oh my gosh, Tally, thank you!" I chirped and took a bag before grabbing her hand and dragging her to our usual table.

"I saw you had forgotten your's, and I knew Libby would like the surprise." I nodded eagerly and opened the Gezzo's bag.

"Dr. Rosemary heard my stomach grumble in class. It was so embarrassing." I set my bookbag by my feet on the floor and rested my book beside my food, careful not to anything on it.

Tally laughed at my situation as Libby sat down and took a bag for herself.

"I've already seen Dr. Clemon's son propose to his girl, and she was so excited. I guess he knew ahead of time and had been studying and coming up with creative ideas for a while." Libby bit her lip as she looked at us. "It was the cutest thing."

"Who was it to?" Tally quickly asked, clasping her hands as she leaned forward to listen to the romance she always looked for in life.

"He was paired with his girlfriend, and he said that it was an actual proposal. I mean, it was cute and all, but he gave her a ring made from skittles packages, her favorite, and then, apparently, he whispered in her ear he'd give her the diamond later." The two of them awed over their love, and I simply shrugged, admitting they were cute, but it was too cliche, combining a school project and a major milestone in life. They waved me off before continuing on about the project.

"Oh, I hope mine's Lucas." Tally gushed as she finished her grilled chicken salad. "It would be so perfect. A match made in heaven." I chuckled at her giggling over her long-lasting fantasy.

She'd had a major crush on Lucas since the seventh grade, and he even haunted some of my dreams because he was talked about so much. But Lucas is still a great person.

"What about you, Ryla?" I looked up at them from the waffle fry I was about to put in my mouth and froze. I suddenly felt someone's eyes on my back.

I held up a finger and turned around to find no one staring at me. I searched the many seniors for anyone suspicious, but I saw no one along the lines. I furrowed my brow and pushed the thought into the back of my head as I turned to answer my friend's question.

"There's no one in particular that sparks my interest." I shrugged and connected eyes with the both of them, receiving disbelieving looks.

"I thought you had your eyes on a certain someone-" Tally began.

"with big, blue eyes. I mean, we know you like him, but you should really give up. It's been so long, and he hasn't really noticed you." Libby smirked, and I shook my head.

Big, blue eyes, otherwise known as Vega, had been my main "pursuit" for years, and I had finally come to terms that it would never happen.

"No more, no more." I shook my head again and felt my curls flying, so I immediately stopped, combing my hair back lightly away from my face before using my hand sanitizer. I couldn't stand anyone messing or playing with their hair in a place where you make, eat, or handle food. It's so disgusting.

"You've said that countless times over the years," Libby said dryly, giving me a flat look as she flipped her hair, a habit that makes me cringe. She even knew it, but it was as subconscious as me playing and twirling my hair to the point where it looks like I'm flirting with everyone.

"It's finally over. I don't need a man. I would much rather focus on my relationships with friends and family and my career before I do that."

"That's always your excuse. Someday, one boy, or that boy, is going to come by and sweep you off your feet, and you aren't going to look back." Tally wiggled her eyebrows as a smile overcame her face.

"I'm doing what I think is right. Relationships must be taken slow, and my career must be handled thoroughly. I can't go wrecking my chance to be a big-time author."

The topic of the conversation turned repeatedly until we finished our lunches. We left the quad and silently walked across campus, heading toward the campus-only bus that we would ride to our off-campus apartment building, a part of university housing.

I sat in silence on the cold bus seat, thinking about how there had been an unfamiliar buzz in the air. It was not normal in almost winter in New York.

If you watched the boys carefully, you could notice how, while delved in their conversations, their eyes would flit somewhere else, slightly distracted as they monitored their girl as they recalled what was on the sheet and how to impress her.

Being the unseen of a small university had its perks, but being unseen had first worried me. I knew that I was not skipped over though when it came to assigning couples since I had actually felt someone's eyes on me at lunch other than Libby and Tally. The only reason I even got attention from Robert was that he thought I would let him borrow things he wouldn't return. I won't let that happen

The bus slowed to a stop and announced the station we get off at. We climbed off the bus, and its doors barely shut before it rocketed off on its shaky wheels.

"Are your roommates still getting on your nerves?" I asked Tally as we started up the stairs to the fourth floor.

"You wouldn't believe it. They get along with each other, but they totally hate me." She laughed. "I really need to come over tonight to let them cool off about me."