Lexi's Final Year

Chapter 4

The first semester of the year began just a few days later, leaving New York University students busy adjusting to their new schedules. Anyone new to campus faced various obstacles in getting used to the fall semester— finding their classes, meeting their professors, and meeting new people in said classes. But returning students seemed to ease into the semester with little to no difficulties.

Lexi was among the returning students who faced no issues in adjusting to life back on campus. She spent the first Wednesday of the new semester attending her only class of the day, Advanced Creative Writing: A Novel in Fourteen Weeks. The first lecture left her intrigued and wanting more out of it already. When it finally ended, she left the massive lecture hall with a pleased smile on her face. Between the other equally interesting lectures she had attended yesterday (Global Women Writing and Mastering the Short Feature) and the one she just left, her semester was already shaping up to look good.

Lexi filed out of the lecture hall with an extra pep in her step for a change. She spotted a sea of students slowly trudging down a large staircase from a few feet away. Several others left the building through a tiny fire exit stairwell on the opposite wall. Almost no one was waiting for the elevator, much to her surprise. She decided to take it to get out of the building faster, even though there was no rush for her to get home.

She only had to wait a couple of minutes for the elevator to arrive from the sixth floor. When it finally opened, Lexi had to stop herself from scowling.

Cassie was already standing inside, playing on her phone mindlessly. She looked up a split second after the elevator doors opened. Her hazel eyes locked onto Lexi's blue-green eyes like a deer caught in a set of headlights.

Despite her gut telling her otherwise, Lexi entered the elevator anyways. They weren't the only ones inside; two more students stood inside too. One was chatting away on the phone while the other was zoned out with large headphones covering their ears. Even though neither one paid attention to what was unfolding, Lexi wasn't about to make a scene in front of total strangers. She merely stepped in and stood as far away from her enemy as possible.

Please don't go off on me right now, she thought as she pulled her phone out of her jean shorts pocket. She needed any distraction to keep her calm. She made sure her stop was already punched in before tuning out her surroundings.

"I had a class on the sixth floor."

Lexi frowned and whipped her head around to see Cassie staring at her. Her facial expression was hard to read, much to her chagrin.

"What?"

Cassie nodded, presumably to try and confirm what she had previously said. "I have my Languages and Mind class in this building. That's why I'm here, in case you were wondering."

The explanation caught Lexi more than a little off guard. If it was true, then it would make sense that Cassie would happen to have a class in a building known predominately for English and language classes. Then again, Lexi had learned a long time ago to not trust Cassie at her word.

"I see," she remarked lamely before turning back to her phone. She also threw her earbuds in and began playing a pop music playlist. The last thing she wanted was to give Cassie a reason to yell at her.

Then again, it's not like she needs a real reason to do that, she thought.

Lexi spent the rest of the short elevator ride on edge, expecting Cassie to suddenly flip a switch and start screaming about God knows what. But to her shock, it never happened. The elevator ride to the ground floor of the building was quick and uneventful. Once it stopped and the doors opened, Cassie sauntered out first, followed closely by the two other students inside.