I woke up and my heart stopped for a second. The sun was already high in the sky. I was late! I jumped out of bed like someone had shocked me with electricity. I grabbed my notebooks and threw them into my bag without looking. I got dressed in seconds, my clothes were all over the place, and I ran down the stairs like I was in a race against time.
"Good morning, Mom!" I shouted as I rushed by.
"Wait, Lian! You didn't eat—"
"I'm so sorry, Mom! I'm really late!"
I didn't wait for her answer. I ran to my car and drove fast. My eyes were darting everywhere, and my heart was beating so hard with every red light I hit. Oh my God, how could I be so stupid? I thought. How did I forget to set my alarm? Am I going to fail my final exam because I overslept?
Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Roxy.
"Lian, where are you?" she asked.
"I'm on my way, Roxy! I need twenty more minutes, please just hold my spot! Goodbye!"
When I finally reached the university campus, I was a total mess. My hair was wild from the wind, my clothes were mismatched, and my face showed exactly how stressed I was. I ran toward the stairs leading to the exam hall, and I didn't see where I was going. Suddenly, I crashed into something hard.
I fell backward, and when I looked up, I froze. It was a guy, and he was incredibly handsome. He had rare, bright yellow eyes that looked just like the sun, and beautiful brown hair falling softly over his forehead. He was tall, with a strong build, and he looked very elegant. He smelled like expensive perfume, which made my dizzy head feel a bit calmer.
He reached out his hand to help me up, and his voice was deep and calm. "Are you okay, miss?"
I looked into his eyes for a moment, and for a second, time just stopped. I felt a bit dizzy, but I pulled myself together and answered quickly, "Oh... yes, I'm fine, thank you!"
"Are you a student here?" he asked, but I had already started running again. "Yes, yes... sorry, I have to go!"
I ran as fast as I could until I reached the door of the hall just in time. Roxy was standing there waiting for me.
"Lian! Why are you so late today?" she asked, worried.
"I overslept," I panted, trying to catch my breath. "I was so tired. That greedy manager at the restaurant made me clean all the tables by myself!"
Roxy laughed and pulled me inside. "Okay, okay, let's just get in there before they close the door!"
We hurried into the hall, and my heart was still racing—partly from the run, and partly because I couldn't stop thinking about those strange, sun-colored eyes. I sat down and opened my book, but my mind was a million miles away.
Who was he? I wondered. And why did I feel so weird when I looked at him?
I tried to focus on my exam, but the image of that handsome stranger kept coming back to me. It was going to be a very long day, and I had no idea that my life was about to change forever. I was just a student worried about an exam, but fate had other plans for me. As I wrote my answers, I looked toward the window and wondered if I would ever see those eyes again. Little did I know, the adventure in Paris was getting closer, and everything I knew was about to be left behind.