unedited

From the corner of her eye, a glimmer, then it dragged her attention away from her notes to drink in the sight of bright golden locks. Soyee blinked, taking in the back view of a girl walking down the steps, pen turning limp between her fingers.

The girl seemed to hesitate--unsure of where to sit--before deciding to drop into a corner seat a few rows down the lecture hall, on the right. She swung her bag onto her knees and hurriedly tucked those golden strands behind her ears, digging her bag for a notebook and pen. They spilled out onto the writing tablet noisily.

Soyee glanced down at her notes, back at the girl, back at her notes, then back at her.

Distracted.

For a moment she wondered why anyone would dye their hair like that. It was such a bright colour.

Her gaze settled the generous head of blonde again, a curious glint in her eyes. Twirling her pen occasionally, the lecturer’s voice faded into the background and from where she sat she could see a snippet of the girl’s side-profile, but nothing too distinct. In a crowd of black and brown, dotted with the occasional maroon or purple, blonde stood out like bright paint splashed onto a dark canvas.

Like a single star in the night sky.

“For next week’s mid-term--”

Soyee gripped her pen and tore her eyes away from the girl, back to her scribbled notes. Automatically writing down the lecturer’s notes, her mind drawing a blank. Her pen webbed black ink onto the pages, but her eyes kept the sight of bright blonde locks, and in the end, it became all she could see as she wrote.

It really was such a bright colour after all. 

//

She was a new face in the crowd.

Usually Soyee would be the type to leave immediately after the dismissal bell, away from the notes, away from the crowd of students climbing up the stairs, clogging the doors. There was a reason why she preferred sitting at the last row of the lecture hall.

But today she waited, just to see.

She waited long enough for the stream of students to trickle out, waited long enough for the girl to pack up all her things, long enough for her to stand up and turn around.

Their eyes didn’t meet at first, which was what Soyee had hoped for. The girl had her gaze on the floor, looking distracted as she slung her bag over a shoulder and climbed up the stairs. Soyee leaned back into her seat, no longer watching her out of pure curiousity.

But because the stranger was unexpectedly pretty.

Bright doe-like eyes, a delicately rounded nose. Her milky-white skin was a satisfying contrast to the blonde locks framing her face, falling down her back. Soyee inwardly gulped, a hand reaching out for her pen. But she knocked the instrument lightly with her fingers instead, not minding the way it toppled onto the carpeted floor with a soft tap, or the way it continued to roll towards the girl’s feet.

“Oh?” Her voice came out like a whisper, disappearing before Soyee could grasp the sound of it properly. Then the girl bent down to pick it up.

Soyee darted her gaze away, hands suddenly gathering her notes. The loose sheets crinkled in her hands, filling her head as she tried to think of everything else but the girl, trying to look busy. She didn't know why it felt as though her heart was being squeezed, her usual calm demeanor taking a turn. She only stopped when a light shadow fell over her desk.

“Excuse me…”

Like morning dew dripping off a leaf, her voice was like that. Soft, pillowing her eardrums in tiny ripples. Soyee paused, raising her head slowly to look at the stranger. And the girl gave a shy smile, her gaze darting about as though she didn’t know where to look. 

Soyee thought that she was even prettier up close.

“...is this yours?”

She held it out, the pen sitting on a white palm. Soyee broke into a polite smile when their eyes caught onto each other’s, suddenly aware of how it had turned quiet, with no one else left in the lecture hall and the warmth of the ceiling lights washing down on their heads. With nothing else but that single taunting pen between them.

"Yeah, thank you." Soyee took her pen, fingers brushing lightly again skin, wondering how someone's hand could be so soft. Once that was done the girl nodded politely, turning to leave. But before she could do so, Soyee blurted out: 

"Erm, I haven't seen you around before." Nervous gaze darting from her honey-brown eyes, up to the golden locks framing her face, down to her pink--

"Ah, I'm new..." She smiled sheepishly, tucking strands behind a ear. Soyee blinked, trying not to stare, struggling to think of what to say next. Her fingers curled over the pen, palm now clammy. Then she stood up suddenly, unsure of what had overcomed her, unsure of what was making her behave so strangely. 

"I... erm--" 

The girl raised her brows, surprised, her attention captured. 

"I'm Soyee." She gripped the pen, extending her other hand. "What's your name?"

Pause, a moment of hesitance or shyness Soyee couldn't tell. But the girl reached out for her hand eventually, her bright eyes filling with wonder and a tinge of awe, looking like a dream with the warm ceiling lights washing down her head, with her blonde hair gleaming softly, with her lips drawing on a lovely smile and then-- 

"Sally... My name is Sally." 

AN: no idea what this is supposed to be heol