A Smile Always Helps.

the campus was gorgeous. it was very big and none like those back home. everyone was just bustling away, checking for their timetables, buying books, talking to old friends and lecturers. it was a sight to behold for shayna.

"this is so cool," shayna said as she looked through her timetable. she hadn't been this excited since she started working as a counsellor.
"i'm glad you like the school," timothy said, pulling her closer to his side, making known to all of the campus that she was his girl.
"i can't wait to meet new people and get cracking!"
"you sound like a teenage schoolgirl. you wait here and i'll just pop in there to buy some books ok?" timothy said, kissing her on the forehead and charging into the people filled bookshop.

shayna stayed outside and smiled to herself. this was the bestthing that could ever happen to her in london. a great school and a great learning experience.

"hi, you must be new," a sweet brunette came up to shayna and smiled.
"yeah i am. are you a senior here?"
the girl laughed, "oh no. i'm Kya. an international student from Brazil and i was hoping to make some friends."
"well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Kya. i'm Shayna, supposedly an international student too here on a scholarship."
"cool! that makes the both of us! the great thing about this campus is that they give us, scholarship students a choice to either stay in hostels in campus for a really low price or have subsidaries for apartments near campus."

shayna tilted her head to the side, "gosh i never knew i could get those. where can i apply?"
"oh, didn't they give you this forms?" Kya asked, showing shayna the scholarship forms that she herself had. shayna looked through them and checked with her set of documents. she didn't have them at all.
"maybe they just missed yours out. you can go check at the counter," Kya said.
"right. thanks Kya. i will go find out how to apply."
"apply for what?" timothy asked, joining in the conversation.

"oh, hey timmy," shayna said as timothy placed his arm over her shoulders. Kya just smiled at timothy.
"Kya, meet timothy, timothy, meet Kya, my new found friend for ten minutes now," shayna introduced as timothy shook Kya's hand.
"well, i better get going now. we'll see each other in campus soon," Kya said as she waved goodbye to shayna.

"she seems nice," timothy said, "you're making friends already? i'm jealous."
"you better thank god it's not a guy," shayna joked, pinching timothy's nose playfully.
"so what are you thinking of applying?" timothy asked as they made their way out of the campus. shayna then explained the whole discount residence thing and how she didn't get the forms for scholars.

"oh you don't need to stay on your own. you have my place, remember?" timothy said.
"but i would be in london for almost two years timothy! i cannot be imposing on your family for two years," shayna explained.
"yes you can. my parents dig you and so does my sister," timothy said, tossing his books into the car.
"now that's where you're wrong. your mother doesn't like me, remember?" shayna said, crossing her arms across her chest.
"both of you just need more time with each other. that's one reason why you cannot move out on your own," timothy said, revving the engine.

"and what's the other reason?" shayna said, displeased about the fact she had to interact with mrs. leong.
timothy leant over and shayna could feel his slow breathing and smell his fresh fruity cologne.
"the other reason, and the most important one would be that i would miss you way to damn much," timothy whispered and gave her a long endearing kiss.

shayna smiled and rolled her eyes. timothy was such the romantic. something colin wasn't.

***

"why didn't you call me?" lila asked as colin came to his doorstep. she had been waiting there since she knocked off from work.
"i'm sorry lila. i've been very busy," colin explained, trying to get to his door, open it and lock her outside. he wasn't in the mood to talk to her or try to explain things to her. all he wanted as his beer and his bed.

"busy? was that all you can come up with as an excuse?" lila huffed. she couldn't believe he could lie to her. she loved him so much and yet he didn't reciprocate it the way she intended him to do.
"lila, please! stop trying to force me into anything here! i'm tired. we'll talk soon," colin raised his voice.
"why do you do this to me? after all that we've been through!" lila brust into tears. colin just couldn't stand her crying, especially outside of his door and in front of his neighbours.

colin quickly ushered her into his house to avoid any complaints and sat her down on his couch. he tossed her tissues and paced around the house.
"god lila, stop making things so hard for me!"
"why do you always keep blaming me? i love you and you blame me cos of that?"
"no... it's not that lila. you know what happened between us was... was.. just the spur of the moment," colin tried to explain.
"spur of the moment?" lila was confused, "you mean you...."
"yes lila. i don't think we can get any further. it's not because of you... you're great but... i'm just a wreck and i cannot think of going into a relationship," colin said.

"but you would if i were shayna right?" lila said, leaving colin speechless.
"i knew it. your heart never changed. she's with another man! most probably they even did it together and they are offically a couple! timothy and shayna. not colin and shayna. she's in london while you are here can't you give it up?"
colin stared at lila tearing. she did make some sense. shayna could most possibly given herself to timothy and everything else that made his heart wrench. why was he hanging onto her when she wasn't hanging onto him?

"i'm here with you, for you, by you colin. why can't you see my heart? you just want something you cannot attain and i'm sick of being the substitute for her!" lila continued her ranting.

finally, colin sat back down on the couch beside lila and hugged her. he didn't say anything and allowed her to cry on his shoulder.
"i love you colin. can't you see?" lila said between her sobs. colin sighed and tilted her head up to look at her face. both of them forced a smile for each other before lila leant her head back down on his shoulder.