Lily lay with her eyes closed, the soft hum of the university dormitory settling around her. The room was quiet except for the occasional sound of her roommate, Holly, turning pages in her textbook. She could almost feel the weight of the silence between them. It wasn’t that she and Holly weren’t friends—more like an easy understanding between two girls sharing a room and trying to survive the chaos of college life. But today, something felt different.

Lily’s phone buzzed from the corner of the room. She sighed, expecting yet another group message from family, and reluctantly grabbed it.

The message was from her sister-in-law, Anna.

“Something’s happened. Mum’s been rushed to the hospital. I don’t know what’s going on, but they say it’s serious. Please come home.”

Her stomach clenched. Her hand froze over the phone for a moment, uncertainty rushing over her. Her mother’s health had been declining for some time, but she wasn’t prepared for a call like this.

Holly looked up at her with a raised brow, already sensing something was wrong.

Lily’s mind spun. “It’s my mum,” she whispered. “I have to go, now. She’s been taken to the hospital. It’s bad. They don’t know how serious it is, but…” Her words trailed off.

Holly's gaze softened with concern. "You should go, of course. But, what about the exams?" she asked, her voice filled with a quiet understanding of Lily’s dilemma.

Lily shook her head, fighting back the panic rising in her chest. “I can’t think about exams right now, Hol. I have to go.”

As Lily threw on her jacket and grabbed a bag, Holly stood, the concern still evident on her face. "Call me when you get there, okay? Just let me know how she is."

Lily nodded quickly and dashed out the door, the sound of her boots echoing in the hallway, leaving Holly alone in the room, watching her retreating figure.

Holly let out a deep breath and sat back down on the bed. She grabbed Lily’s charger absentmindedly, then, as an afterthought, sprinted barefoot to catch up.

“Lily! Wait up!” she shouted, her voice echoing down the stairs.

Lily turned around, surprised to see Holly chasing after her. "Thanks,” she said, grabbing the charger with a hasty smile. But she didn’t wait to say more, hurrying toward the exit.

“Please call me when you know more!” Holly called, standing in the open doorway as Lily disappeared into the night. Her breath caught in the cool air, and she shut the door behind her, feeling that odd sense of helplessness one can only feel when someone they care about has to leave unexpectedly.

Back in their shared dorm room, Holly went through the motions, tidying up, setting the kettle for tea. But she couldn’t focus. Her mind kept returning to Lily. The thought of her rushing to her mother’s side made Holly feel uncomfortable. There was something disquieting about how Lily seemed to leave, without even fully processing the situation. It reminded Holly of something else, something unresolved between the two of them.

As she was making tea, Holly’s thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

“Who is it?” she asked as she wiped her hands on a dish towel.

The door creaked open, and to her surprise, Ben stepped inside. His expression was casual, but Holly could tell he wasn’t there just for a friendly chat.

“Hey,” Ben said, a bouquet of sweet peas in his hand.

Holly’s eyes flickered to the flowers before her gaze met his. "What’s this?" she asked with a soft chuckle, but she could tell something had shifted between them. The air felt charged.

“I just thought you might like them,” Ben said, stepping forward and offering her the flowers. “How are you doing? I know it’s been a rough couple of days.”

Holly forced a smile, though her eyes betrayed her tension. “Thanks, Ben. But to be honest, it’s been weird. Lily’s gone to the hospital, and everything’s just... off. It’s not like I can focus on anything right now.”

Ben, sensing the underlying weight of the situation, nodded. “I get that. But listen—let me take you out for a bit. You need a break, yeah?”

Holly hesitated. Her thoughts flickered briefly to Lily. But then, as if something shifted within her, she agreed. “Alright. Let’s go. I need a distraction.”

They arrived at a small venue, the music thumping through the walls as they stepped into the crowd. Holly felt her body relax for the first time all day. The weight of her concerns faded, if only for a moment. Ben danced next to her, his arms lifting in the air as they screamed along with the crowd. Holly mirrored his energy, feeling the release of tension building inside her.

The night was intoxicating, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Holly allowed herself to just live in the moment. The connection between her and Ben felt easy, natural. They had chemistry—something palpable—but even as the night deepened, Holly’s mind couldn’t help but wander back to Lily, to the unsettling feelings she couldn’t shake.

After the gig, they made their way back to the dorm. Holly’s excitement was still buzzing, but something else, a nagging feeling, lingered beneath the surface. As they approached the door, she tried to find a way to express it to Ben.

“Ben, wait,” she said as they stood by the entrance.

He turned, looking at her curiously. “What’s up?”

Holly fidgeted with her keys. “I don’t know... it just feels like I’m running away from everything. I should be with Lily right now, not out with you.”

Ben’s face softened, but he didn’t push her. “I get it. But you’ve got to take care of yourself too, right?”

“I don’t know anymore,” Holly replied quietly, looking down at her feet. “Everything feels like it’s in flux.”

She turned the key, and they stepped inside, the door closing behind them. But as she walked through the halls, something caught her attention. The faint sound of giggling voices from the hall. She froze.

She glanced at Ben, whose gaze followed her. “You heard that, too?”

“Yeah,” he nodded slowly. “Weird time to be laughing.”

As they crept down the hall, they saw two girls sneaking through a window—one of them, impossibly familiar. Holly’s stomach dropped. One of the girls had dark hair like hers, a face she recognized from her past, from a memory she thought had long faded.

“Holly? What is it?” Ben asked, his voice low.

Holly swallowed hard. “I need to see this.”

The following day, Holly was back in the dorm room. Ben was gone for the morning, and she found herself alone with her thoughts. Her heart raced as the realization hit her. The girl she’d seen wasn’t just anyone—it was Claire. Holly’s thoughts tumbled over each other. The world around her felt like it was on the brink of unraveling, her life’s little piece of clarity shattered by a familiar face.

She thought about the night they had spent, the strange connection she felt with Ben. But now everything seemed to be slipping away, like pieces of a puzzle with no clear image.

Suddenly, everything she’d felt for Ben—the trust, the closeness—seemed to slip away into a pool of uncertainty. Would she ever truly know what was real?

She didn’t know what her next steps were, but one thing was clear: She needed answers. She had to find out what this mystery meant.