After a night that was sleepless, restless and above all not the same as being at home-home, Selena had decided an outing before the chaos of university starts tomorrow was a perfect way to cleanse and free her mind of the stress, even if it was momentary.

Everybody needed a way to to purge themselves of their last moments of freedom before it all started again. A brisk walk, a shopping spree your bank couldn't afford, drinking until straight lines merged and transformed into shapes you haven't even though of before.

Selena also hadn't made a noticeable start on unpacking or making her room more customisation to her taste. It was a tedious task and she wanted to find any level of excuse to avoid getting started. Even if it meant going for a peaceful walk with someone who was suffering from a hangover and a case of constant complaints.

As Selena and Faith walked around the city to find the perfect spot, Selena couldn't help but observe the location she was in. Not because she was a stranger to it because she wasn't. But how autumn had left it's mark.The leaves seemed to have turned a tone more orange than yesterday, more scattered too. sun was glistening in every direction, fulfilling the citizens need for a little warmth outside. This was the kind of weather you craved after the scorching summer season. It was pleasant. It was comfortable. Autumn had arrived quicker than a single heartbeat.The

"Could we at least stop at a store before we head back? I think I need to stock up on medication if last night is going to be like the rest of our year." Faith complains as she pushes up the black circle glasses she was wearing in a sneaky attempt to hide dark circles from the lack of sleep and intertwining hangover. She was to blame.

"Here." Selena sighed as she luckily had a few packets of tablets in her handbag. Of course she knew. Always prepared. Always one step ahead.

She also had a large bottle of lemon cucumber voss water, a drink her mother recommended to try out at hand. She screwed the cap off and wait calmly for Faith to take.

To Selena's relief, Faith took the tablets and drink from her grasp and silently takes them without a single sound or moan about something barbaric like the way the sky looked too many shades of grey in comparison of its pale blue. That one tiny pill was the cure to more than a banging headache.

Olivia, Lucy and Char were all back at the flat, either avoiding responsibilities or sleeping in their dorm rooms trying to rid their self-inflicting illness as much as possible while downing their recommended water intake every time they woke up to give their body a boost of needed hydration. 13:32pm, the watch read. It was unlikely that the kitchen had welcomed a single person since they had left a while ago.

"The only thing that would make this day better is going for a long, beautiful nap for at least 12 hours, maybe more." Faith finally spoke after giving the almost half empty bottle back to Selena, observing it annoyingly. The greediness. She rubbed her head to soothe the pain, although she knew it wouldn't do anything. A placebo effect, she hoped.

"You know, this is what you deserve for drinking my entire bottle of vodka I was saving for the weekend." Selena felt sly from this. Her alcoholic contents was the sole cause to why the girls were hungover and feeling like shit while she was leading a day with a clear mind that could enjoy the day with less petty complaints.

Selena didn't remain with the group long after the conversation about the vacant room two. She drank her single drink with them, although it was nearly an impossible task with a cup that filled itself up when she looked away for a single moment, had a few laughs, exchanged meaningless gossip and went back to bed even with their stern protest. She blamed it on the moving blues, that she was feeling a little homesick but truth be told she just wasn't a party person in comparison.

To counterbalance missing out on the social fun, she made her bed with brand new marble-patterned covers, found The Avengers on Netflix and contently fell asleep midway. It was a cold, lonely night to some, but it's what she needed.

"I'll replace the bottle for next weekend." Faith reassures, meaning the promise.

"Don't worry about it." Selena says with a grin. It was the last of her concerns right now. "I'm only joking around. Just buy us a drink instead or something the next time we go out. Then we are even."

The pair ascended towards a pathway which leaves the main city area, away from the city life. The transition was strange almost, the roaring of cars constantly around to the sound of leaves rustling in time with the wind until it went absent. After 5 minutes of following the stoney path and endless trees, they take several more turns for a few minutes until they reach a beautiful quarry park.

The quarry area was a unique place which served fantastic views from different levels and offered various wildlife, both in the water and in the woodland areas. It was perfect if you were into all sorts of nature. Not to mention, hardly anyone disruptive came there as it was away from the public city space. Nobody cares for the tranquility of it.

It was a relatively small pool also, it would only take 10 minutes to walk around the entire place without pit stops.

The specific place they were searching for a small pier that was almost missable by the overgrown trees and bushes that really did need to be tamed. The pier was around five meters in length, but the positioning of overgrown weeds around it made it look like only a meter in length. If you knew about it, it was extremely hard to miss. However, Selena and Faith never made a complaint. It was their spot, the place to rewind, relax and spend some quality time together.

LAST YEAR - THIRD WEEK OF UNIVERSITY

Selena walked around the university campus like a lost child not knowing where she was going, nor did she have a set destination in mind. She was looking for a quiet place to eat a basic tuna pasta salad without feeling like she was going to judged on the way she looked, the way she ate or whatever insecurities was ruining her week.

She was walking for roughly 15 minutes, searching for a free bench that wasn't taken up by student glares and no luck prevailed. Students were multiplying like flies, taking up all of the empty spaces.

Selena almost gave up and contemplated eating her food on the edge of the path before she found a path which lead her away from the public places more. Buildings were replaced with trees. Condescending voices turned into harmonious birds. Selena already felt content by this sudden change.

Before she knew it, she saw a sign which read Riverside Quarry which made her smile internally. She hoped no students had beaten her on this conquest to finding a peaceful place to eat and by the fact she rarely ever saw people hanging by themselves oppose to herds, she took the odds in her favour.

She began wondering around again and instantly found a small wooden pier, almost cut off by the nature. She stepped onto the pier, walking down its runway. She looks around aimlessly, taking in everything. Before she could even rejoice properly in the beautiful setting she was encountering, she nearly stood on a figure sitting down in front of her, right on the edge. The girl had crossed legged, watching the water as the ducks waited for the approved food to be thrown in their direction.

Instead, Selena feels awkwardly as the mystery girl's head snaps towards her. "Hey, I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's no problem." Her politeness was noted. She blinks twice to re-examine the girl in front of her. "You are Selena right? I'm Faith. I sit behind you mostly in our lectures so you probably don't know me."

Selena analysed her face for any resemblance to the past two weeks. She looked at how bright her hair was - a gorgeous burning red. Definitely dyed. Definitely her colour nonetheless. "I vaguely remember you by your hair. Honestly I'm useless with names and faces so don't take offence to that."

"No offence taken, I'm pretty much the same." Faith simply smiles. "I tend to remember names when they have a personal significance. Like yours, I only remembered your name because of Selena Quintanilla."

The awkwardness was suddenly uplifted, just like both of their faces by this point. "I was actually named after her. My mum loved her music so much that every good family story pretty much starts with the fact she was listening to her." Selena reminisced to her origins.

Faith had now turned her body around more to get herself more into the conversation. From the first impression, Faith seemed like a kind person, not someone you couldn't get along with at first.  "Selena was one of my idols growing up. I remember begging my father to buy me this beautiful purple jumpsuit outfit because it reminded me of her." She chuckles lowly while shrugging which makes me smile a little.

"Did he buy you it?"

"God no. He didn't want to waste money on something I'd eventually outgrow." She rolled her eyes jokingly, full of sass. Selena concluded Faith was definitely a fierce type.

Despite the conversation flowing well and uplifting both of the duo above their average state before, Selena didn't want to ruin Faith's moment. She was there for a reason, probably the same reasons Selena had descended away from the main city areas for a more closed off location. "Well, it was nice to meet you properly, Faith. I'll see you around then."

Selena gave her a small wave as her hand lifted up, accompanied by a simple smile too. She turned on her feet after letting in the view for a split second.

Faith stands up almost instantly and pulls Selena back gently, hoping she wouldn't feel threatened or something bad by the physical gesture. ""Hey, do you want to hang out until the lecture starts?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose your quiet or whatever you are doing."

"Don't be stupid, you're not. Plus, I think we both could deal with some company right now."

After that day, it became their spot and only theirs. Not even the other girls knew about it, including Lucy. But that was how they liked it. It was a peaceful place where nobody ever walked by, excluding a few fishermen hoping for a catch.
Students more likely didn't even know there was a nearby place as beautiful as this as they were too focused everything else surrounded by chaos. It was a bonus for them, it meant more tranquillity, no judgement over anything and the only loud music being played would be suited to their combined taste.

They perched on the side of the pier, legs dangling slightly while they held a small plastic bag full of oats and birds seeds. The ducks were on high alert to this as they swam around, waiting. They gently tossed the food into the water once settled properly, the ducks going crazy and rejoicing in it.

"Why not bread?"

Selena had zoned out watching the hungry animals trying to get their share. She smiled to herself, watching one particular duck trying to steal it all for themselves. "Huh?"

"Why are we using oats instead of bread? I have never heard a mother ever say to their kid hey you want to feed the ducks seeds today?" Faith was still throwing the chosen food in like she hadn't even thought of some knit pick but her words weren't having it. She was back into a negative mood which would rub on anymore right now. "I mean, I've fed them bread my entire life."

"Bread doesn't give ducks any nutritional value in comparison to other foods so giving them bread can lead to malnutrition and health issues in the future." Selena says.

"Oh. . ." Faith longs out the word for a few seconds, wrapping her mind about the information Selena said. Selena was still sprinkling the last for her bag and from the corner of her eyes, she could see Faith's head jolting to her, confused.

"What's up?"

"Basically what you are saying is as a child, I have probably killed several ducks."

"I- No. It's not extremely harmful." Selena felt like an encyclopedia, full of knowledge she didn't know what to do with. "Let's put it this way, bread for ducks is like chocolate for humans. It's a nice treat but you can't live solely off it without having health issues in the long run."

"Ah." Faith was silently impressed by this. She knew Selena liked to be intellectual and have all these weird and wonderful facts, even when nobody asked. "Where did you learn that anyway?"

She tossed another bunch of oats while taking a strong sigh. "I went to a farm when I was in Greece and got bombarded with all sorts of facts and information."

Selena and Faith decided not to carry on the topic at hand and the atmosphere got clouded. It wasn't awkward, but there was faint aromas surround that. The fact that Selena left the country without telling anybody really hit a nerve with some, Faith particularly. It was a sore subject.

The wind had begun to pick now, the leaves were finding certain elegance as they spun around and fell into the quarry's water. The breeze cancelled out the warmth insanely fast and was now beginning to bring a chill to both of their skins. Selena luckily bought a scarf in her bag while Faith had her favourite beanie at hand in case.

"How are things with you and Lucy?" Selena breaks the ice.

Faith looks down now to the bag balancing on her knee. "They are pretty good. Great actually. We were talking about going on holiday during the Christmas break or even summer. I don't know yet." Selena frowned at Faith's lack of eagerness. It was something about her tone, it wasn't excited about the possibility of spending time away from all of this.

"That's a big commitment."

"Is it?"

"I would say so. But it's your first trip together so it should be planned perfectly." Selena looks at Faith. Faith had pushed up her sunglasses to the top of her head and she looked more refreshed than before they left. Her dark eyes were more alive now and her lips were suddenly more glossy. "That would be nice for you two though, a romantic little getaway."

"If we can ever decide where to go then yeah." Faith mutters.

"Why?"

"I want to go Paris, she wants to go Dubai and I think we are both too stubborn to even find a compromise."

"You know, there is a really good farm in Greece I think you would love." Selena attempted a joke that could backfire. However, they both chuckle to themselves as they throw in the last of the duck food.

"Shut up." Faith rests her head on Selena's shoulder as they both look off into the view again.

•••

Once they had arrived back at the flat, Faith handed Selena an empty Starbucks cup. As the smell of the coffee beans had hit Faith in the face, on the journey back, she couldn't resist the pumpkin spice and neither could Selena.

The first thing they had noticed was the silence was still there, nothing had change from the few hours difference from now and when they had left. The rest of the girls were probably still to fragile to move out of their rooms.

As Selena threw her handbag into her room, Faith had pulled herself to hers to follow the girls footsteps and rid the headache that came back in full force by taking a long, nap. Selena blamed drinking the coffee in three large gulps rather than the the alcohol itself for this one.

With the two Starbucks drinks in hand, she walks into the kitchen and could hear faint movements coming from there. One of them was up and wondering about.

As she opened and door and walked in, she was instantly met with another figure and drops not only the cups, but herself to the floor. The remaining coffee had gone everywhere, including the figure she now realised wasn't one of the girls, but a complete stranger. A parent dropping off a few things? A friend helping another?

Looking up to him, Selena saw he had already extended his left hand out like a gentleman to help her up. She took it, despite being confused by his unknown presence.

She dusts herself down, the white shirt possibly ruined but that wasn't on her mind. The white trainers he was wearing didn't miss out and had several spots of brown liquid seeping in to the fibres. She gasped, knowing it would stain and she knew for a fact those shoes were not the cheapest on the market.

"Fuck I'm such a klutz. I-I'm sorry. I will pay for a new pair of the coffee doesn't come out."

She felt like an ass. She felt like she was going to cry for the embarrassment and lack of a decent first impression. To her surprise though, he remained calm and collected. "Accidents happen, don't worry about it. It was more likely my fault, I wasn't really looking where I was going, I didn't even think anyone was here."

"Yeah, it's pretty quiet round here."

Selena looked at this stranger more deeply now she was standing up. She looked at his blonde hair that was relatively long. It lingered in front of his face as the gel managed to keep it in a stiff place. The honey brown eyes were burning into her as he couldn't seem to move them away, starstruck. The feeling was mutual between them.

She also noticed that he didn't have any signs to indicate he was working for the campus. No uniform. No lanyard. Not a single sign indicated to that option.

Selena was the first one to break the sudden spell that happened by a simple stare and cleared her thoughts. "I'm Selena, by the way. Selena Gomez."

"I'm Jason'. Jason McCann." Once again, he extends his hand out again, only it was for a handshake rather than to pull her off the dirty floor. Polite. Formal introduction. Didn't seem like a first class douche. . . yet.

He seemingly was a gentleman and it was perfect. She took his invitation, feeling his cold skin wrap around her hand as they both stare hopelessly at each other with a grin.

"I'll take it as you are one of my flat mates then?" That's when she knew.

"Oh yeah, I'm in room one so I'll be your neighbour. I'm guessing you are in room two."

"Guilty" he chuckles lightly.

"You know, you don't look like a serial killer." Selena's eyes widen almost in sync to her finishing the last word, realising that she made zero sense and she must look like a fucking idiot. Jason doesn't judge her though, his grin just stays in tact somehow. She nervously chuckles, avoiding any kind of direct eye contact "I- that sounds really odd. No, we all talked about who would be moving in and I jokingly said a serial killer. Oh god, this is the worst first impression ever."

"No, don't say that. It's cute." He says, making her tanned skin blush straight away.

"I'm not weird at all, I promise."

"No, no. I get it." Reassuringly, he just smiles as his entire right side leans against the opened door. They hadn't moved from the door way. "I like your thinking. You know, I would of probably said the same thing."

Selena nods at the beautiful human being standing directly at her. Meeting handsome strangers was so common to her, especially with moving away from home, travelling across a foreign country and being at university where hot people came like a common cold.

Usually, she was never fazed by it, even when she was getting attention from these people. But the butterflies in her stomach were telling her different. It was different. She couldn't pick it out on why