Chapter 2: Distant Reunion
After more than an hour of travel, Dan finally arrived at the campus. He walked among the other students, watching them laughing and chatting together. They all seemed so connected to one another, so full of life and energy. He looked to his left at the tree he had been sitting under for over a year now and knew that it was as alive today as it was when he first sat there. A sense of sorrow passed over him like a shadow when he realized that almost everything in his life revolved around this tiny little patch of grass, this small group of people. Still, if it were to suddenly disappear, he wouldn't really care. Everyone else had found some way to belong here, but Dan was still painfully alone.
After a minute of walking, he reached his classroom and shuffled to a desk in the back corner. He flipped his bag onto its surface and pulled out a pile of notes. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he produced it with a reluctant hand. Alan's name glowed on the screen, and Dan groaned inwardly at the prospect of yet another request that would push him further beyond his comfort zone. With a sigh, he opened the message.
"Dude, I just met an amazing girl. You won't believe how cute she is" it read.
Dan rolled his eyes, knowing that Alan had a tendency to fall head over heels for any girl who gave him the time of day.
"Who is it now and why is she amazing?"
"She said her name was Melisa. I met her at the coffee shop earlier and she was really nice to me, man. I think I might have a chance with her" Alan gushed.
As Alan continued to type away, Dan's mind drifted at the sound of the girl's name. It triggered a hazy memory of an old friend he had long forgotten about. They used to be inseparable until one day she suddenly left town without warning or explanation. He tried reaching out to her a few times but gave up after receiving no reply. He wondered if this new girl could be the same Melisa he knew from his childhood. He immediately discarded the thought, knowing it couldn't be the same person. The Melisa from his memories was not someone Alan would describe as attractive. Also, there were some things from his past that he didn't want to revisit, and the memories of Melisa were definitely one of them. He sent a single text to Alan and tried to focus on his studies, but the thought lingered in his mind.
After some time, the other students flooded into the classroom, their conversations bouncing off the walls and growing louder as the professor arrived. Dan felt an overwhelming exhaustion settle over him as he realized he had been unable to keep up with his classes due to working long hours just to make ends meet. His mind seemed foggy from too little sleep, and he was being overwhelmed by extra responsibilities frequently. He felt like he was drowning, unable to keep his head above water. As the conversations faded away and everyone settled down, he glanced around the room at his fellow students, comparing himself to them—seeing how much easier it seemed for everyone else to keep up with their studies. Even after a year of hard work, nothing seemed to be changing; in fact, it seemed like things were getting worse. He wondered why he even bothered doing this any longer. Maybe he just wasn't cut out for this, maybe he wasn't as smart as he thought. He considered quitting, but even thinking about discussing his decision with his mother filled him with dread. Continuing life as a spectator would be so much easier than looking her in the eyes and explaining why he had failed.
Once the class was over, Dan made his way to the cafeteria and connected with Alan. He observed a larger crowd than usual at the area where the generally popular students were known to hang out. He saw Brad in the middle of it all, just as expected. The two of them used to be close friends until their teenage years; Brad had been blessed with good looks, charm and brains, which had allowed him to move up in the social hierarchy with ease, leaving Dan behind. He also came from a rich family. While Dan—like most students—required loans to pay for college, Brad's family could easily take care of his expenses without going into debt.
With these thoughts, Dan noticed the girl beside him. He felt like she had a familiar face. Just then, Alan told him that it was the same girl, Melisa. Dan frowned in disbelief. The girl beside Brad looked just like her, but the resemblance couldn't be accidental. She couldn't look that different after so little time. He tried to reconcile what he saw with a two-year gap and came up empty. She was now prettier, athletic with a height to match. She had changed way too much, unnaturally so. But she still had the same smile from when three of them used to be together. She was definitely Melisa.
Dan's memories of Melisa flooded back, reminding him of the times they spent together. They used to be good friends, but he had drifted away from her as well. For a long time, he had tried his hardest to not remember anything about her. But now that she was in front of him, he couldn't help but wish to renew what they once had. As he watched Brad interacting with her, he felt a pang of jealousy towards him. But he quickly pushed those thoughts aside and turned his attention back to Melisa. She looked happy and seemed like she fit in with the rest of the group as well. She and Brad were back together, only he was missing. He couldn't help but wonder if he could join them. Maybe he could even reconnect with Brad. He shook his head. It was just a pipe dream. Does she even remember him? There was no guarantee that she would want to have anything to do with him anyways. She hadn't contacted him in the time she was away, after all and she was suddenly here with Brad. He knew the reason for it even if he didn't want to admit. Plus, he didn't belong with them anymore.
He heard Alan calling out to him when he was lost in his thoughts, he turned around to see him motioning for Dan to join him in the line for food. Dan obliged and they chatted as they found a spot to sit and eat. During the conversation, Dan noticed Alan staring in Melisa's direction.
"You're not seriously thinking of pursuing her, are you?" Dan asked, feeling a bit exasperated.
Alan turned towards him, looking confused. "Why not? She seems nice," he replied, unfazed by Dan's scepticism.
"It's just not realistic," Dan countered. "They're in a different world than us. And look at how she's talking to Brad. You know you can't compete with him, few can".
Alan shrugged.
"But that's how every girl interacts with him. Maybe they're just friends."
"It isn't just that, even when we were close…" He stopped, instantly regretting giving away too much information.
Alan's eyes lit up. "Wait, you know her? Why didn't you say so? Come on, introduce me to her!" he exclaimed, already standing up to go talk to her.
Dan held him back. "Just sit down. I don't know if she wants to talk to me now, let alone be introduced to you. Plus..." He trailed off, not wanting to say more.
She'd always loved Brad.
He said to himself trying not to feel the pain that thought brought him.
"Plus what?" Alan asked, sensing there was more to it than Dan was letting on.
Dan forced himself to break eye contact and shook his head. "Nothing. Forget it, it's pointless."
Alan wasn't convinced. "You will never succeed in anything if you don't focus and try hard enough."
"I would rather focus on graduating and paying off my debts and..."
He thought back to the time when he wanted to help out his mother with their finances. But like many other things, this desire faded away when he lost drive to do anything.
Alan sat down but still seemed unconvinced by Dan's words.
"You know, we need an equalizing event" his voice teeming with determination - "Something to even the odds."
Alan was still staring at the same group but this time his mind seemed to be somewhere else.
Dan frowned and looked at his friend weirdly, not understanding what he was getting at.
"Something big, like an apocalypse" Alan continued "Then we can see who will end up with what."
Dan chuckled at his friend's ludicrous suggestion.
"Like a zombie apocalypse? You do realize we will belong in the group that goes down first."
He pointed to the same group of privileged people they'd been looking at before and continued.
"Even in an apocalypse, people like them would still be beyond us. He has money, connections and friends. You think we will have a better chance of survival?"
"Hmm, maybe not as we are. But what if we have some advantage then who knows, right?"
Alan's confidence was almost intimidating, and his harmless smirk seemed to threaten Dan. He had momentarily taken the form of an entirely different person.
"Dude, you're not actually going to shoot up this place, right?" Dan asked, worry seeping into his voice.
Alan laughed it off before replying softly, "Of course not. That's too absurd and I'm not that far gone."
"But" Alan continued with a serious expression, "What if an apocalypse really happens and I am able to achieve something big, will you still be willing to stay as my friend?"
After a moment of thought, Dan nodded.
"Of course, you are like the only person I talk to anymore. What else am I going to do in an apocalypse?"
Alan's face softened into a relieved smile. "That's great even if it's depressing to hear"
Dan chalked up his friend's thoughts as rambling and went back to eating. Alan finished first and he quickly excused himself to leave for classes. Dan ate the remainder of his meal in silence before standing up and heading for the exit. But before he could leave, his eyes caught sight of Melisa at the counter. She seemed to be the center of attention for many and Dan couldn't help but feel drawn to her as well. Something was definitely not natural about her.
He remembered Alan's words about not taking chances and felt maybe he was right. Summoning up all his courage, He walked over to Melisa.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone