“Opposite the person I used to be,” this was my mantra at the start of today. Things really have never gone my way. This campus was big enough to keep someone like Tyler out of my life. It was just my luck, last year meeting him, being free, what a joke. He had a way of speaking, so eloquently it could make any English major swoon. He somehow made me feel like Maryanne in Sense and Sensibility.

I have always been the one to overthink any decision, but I never had to think about what I was going to encounter next, I got to be spontaneous for once in my life. Maybe that is what went so wrong with the two of us, we were polar opposites, he loved to share his opinion, my opinion never got farther than taking part in discussions in my English classrooms. I can relate anything to literature. My days off are spent writing, reading, thinking about what I want to read next. I could spend hours of the day looking at all the books in a bookstore, the only reason he would do to the stacks is to do something lewd. He knew how to capture me.

“Opposite the person I used to be,” when I got to college I went a little wild, I have never had that kind of freedom. It took me some time to realize that the freedom we have is what is holding us back. I was in the wrong major, and totally unhappy with where my life was going. Then, I met Tyler; he helped me have an Edna moment and awaken to the fact that I wanted to make choices based on what I want, not what society has dictated. I changed my major, I changed my hair color, and I’ve never been more myself.

I would never plan on having an eight o’clock class. For Shakespeare, I would do anything, apparently wake up early is one of those things. My backpack is particularly light for an English major, not having my books yet. All I am carrying is my laptop, a few unfinished book ideas, and a single notepad. I’m just remembering that I forgot my favorite pen in my canvas bag with my copy of Great Expectations when someone bumps into me.

“Excuse me, I have to get to class.”

The voice is scary familiar.

It’s Tyler. I see those dang black converse sneakers. The white on the bottom of the shoe was an off-white almost eggshell color from the wear and tear. I don’t even have to look at them to know that on the left show half of the label is peeled off. When we went and jumped in the central fountain he refused to take off his shoes, saying that if we were going to have to run away he wanted to save as much time as possible. My eyes scan up, and I catch his green eyes.

“Sorry, my fault.”