Not much happened after that. She sat down next to me and that's where we stayed in total and utter silence for the remainder of the evening. You'd think I would've been bored after a while but I wasn't, the silence was blissful and so was her precense regardless of my earlier opinion on her empty shell-ness.  

I left after about two hours when she told me she had to go and meet up with a few friends. Now don't think for a second I believed that because I didn't but I know when I've overstayed my welcome to I did the thing any gentleman would do and left. There wasn't much to do afterwards so I just went back to my dorm and got on with some well earned sleep, well I didn't sleep actually my dick-head roommate snores so I just rested my eyes until about 2 in the morning when my he decided he'd go out for a fag and didn't come back. I wasn't worried about him; this was a usual occurance. See, where he was actually going to was his girlfriends. I say his girlfriends I actually mean his early morning booty call. His girlfriend is in fact, not aware of this and I am too much of a decent person to inform her of his antics. Don't get me wrong, I've thought about telling her thousands of times but the thought of girls crying with snot all over their faces just doesn't appeal to me. 

I woke up about 4 hours after Jack had left. Jack is his name but he prefers to be called the dominator. I will not conform to this. My first instinct was to take a shower and get to class but this all changed when I heard a knock at the door. This was not Jack. Jack has a specific knocking ritual and this was definitely not it. This knock was very gentle and careful. Against my better judgement I opened the door. 

It was Cassie. 

''Hi Nick.''

I don't even know how she knew my name let alone the precise number of my dorm room. She must've been observing me for quite a while. I wonder if she knew my star sign and date of birth. 

''Cassie, I'm a bit busy would you mind coming back later?''

''No.''

Did she just say no? She was standing outside my dorm room wasting my precious time and she refuses to leave? This is not acceptable. 

''Look, I'll be a minute alright? I wanted to talk to you about yesterday.''

''Go on then.''

''Well...'' She begun. ''I've never shown anyone that before. My stars. So I'd prefer it if you didn't tell anyone about 'what a lonely, loser freak' I am.''

''I don't think you're a freak.''

She smiled. She had a lovely smile. Perfect teeth. 

''I just want to know why you picked me?'' I looked at her cocking an eyebrow which she clearly thought was a sign of shit-headness.

''Don't look at me like that! You should feel privelleged I picked you.''

''Yes but why?''

''Because I thought maybe, just maybe you loved the stars too. Then again, maybe I was wrong.''

She walked off then. Bitch. 

I've decided I don't like Cassie. 

I'd be lying if I said that. I do like her. I think she is the most interesting person I have ever had the misfortune to meet. I say misfortune because I am deathly afraid of falling in love with her or something stupid like that. 

I have never fallen in love before, I find the whole idea of love ridiculous but there was something about Cassie that made me think that it was possible. I think it was because she was different to most of the girls in the college I am most unfortunate to attend. The majority of the girls that go here are shallow minded bimbos that got in on a hair and beauty course. There are only a small handful of the female species that inhabit this hell hole that are genuinely smart girls.

There's Louis (pronounced low-iss and she has reminded me on numerous occasions) She got here on an English Literature scholarship. She's very good at writing but she's not so good with socializing. When she first came here she brought a kitten with her in her suitcase. This situation was quickly dealt with  when her roomate - another clever girl - started sneezing uncontrollably. 

The roommate, Grace, is also clever but not academic clever though. She just knows a lot about the world we live in. She's a vegetarian and she likes to debate with science teachers. 

Then there's Cassie. There's not much to say about her. She reads a lot and likes the stars so I presume she must have a decent IQ. 

A while after my encounter with Cassie, Jack finally turned up but he looked upset. 

''Fuck, Nick. Fuck!''

Something had clearly gone wrong and I'm not one to make assumptions but I think his girlfriend found out about him and his lover. I don't know why I just called her his lover, he doesn't love her and I'm damn well sure she doesn't love him. 

''Nick mate, she found out. Did you tell her?''

''No.'' I shook my head. I knew I was right.

''She walked in on us while we were fucking.''

''Can't you call it something a bit more pleasant like fornicating or making love?''

''Nick we're not in primary school mate. I need your help, what do I do?''

''Tell her the truth. Tell her why you did it, either that or end it with her. Or both of them, I'm not sure who you're still with.''

''I ended it with Jasmine last night after Sarah came in.''

Jasmine. Sounds exotic. 

''If you love Sarah then make sure she knows it but, and excuse me for being forward, I don't think you do love her.''

''You're right I don't.''

''End it then.''

''I will.''

And that was that. I could spend my time wondering how Sarah found out about Jack and Jasmine but I have my own problems as of 17 minutes ago since Cassie last spoke to me. After Jack left I went off to my first lesson of the day. English lit. Cassie and Louis were both in my class so I had no shortage of people to talk to even though I still wasn't quite sure whether I wanted to talk to Cassie or not. 

 However, when I got into class Cassie wasn't even there so I didn't have to worry about talking to her.

The teacher, Mr. Grenich was his name (at least I think it was, I never cared enough to pay attention to his induction class), Came into the class looking rather grave. I'd already had enough of this class and it hadn't even started. This was a bad sign. He then droned on for at least 8 minutes about how his wife had run off with the man that cleaned the pool filter at his three storey house. I felt no sympathy for him whatsoever. No wonder why the poor bitch left him; probably became tiresome of his monotone ramblings. It must have been considerably difficult listening to him all day when the kid next to me couldn't even keep his eyes open after the first three minutes of the story.

I raised my hand. Why? I do not know.

''Yes. Nick. What is it?'' He sounded somewhat irritated. A change in tone. Good sign.

''Can I go to the medical room?''

''Why?''

''I have a terrible migraine.''

''Yes, go. Take your folder please.''

I couldn't help but feel sorry for the bastard then, it that precise moment. His wife had left him, he had papers to mark, essays to grade, his reproductive organs probably weren't even functional anymore and to top it all off he had to come into a school full of hormonal 16-19 year olds and attempt to teach them something they cared about. I therefore conclude I was doing him a favour in leaving his class and leaving him one less of these hormonal 17 year olds. I myself, am 18 but that isn't the point. The point is I was doing him a great kindness.

Total bullshit obviously, I wanted to see Cassie and ask her about her stars.

3 hours with her and she already has some kind of mystical hold over me.

When I got up to her dorm room the door wasn't even locked which seemed pretty typical of her type. Unorganised, lack of security and propriety.

I wasn't prepared for what sat in front of me when I opened that door though.

I don't think anyone could've been.

She was sat against the far wall with her knees to her chest staring into the corner of the room at a spot next to the sofa. She looked a mess. A real mess. Her hair had fallen out of whatever updo she had attempted to put it in and whisps of hair fell about her ears and into her eyes, black liquid was smeared down her cheeks and dripping onto her knees, her eyes were the worse though. Her eyes looked completely empty. She didn't even blink when she heard me enter the room. Just turned her head in my direction and stared into the very pits of my soul.

''Is now not a good time?''

I could not have said anything more idiotic than that. There was a girl, sat in front of me in a complete state of morosity and I was asking her if it was a good time to have a chat.

I am a dick.

''It depends what you want to talk about.''

''Why you're crying would be a start.''

She smiled at me. It was only a little smile. A little turn of the corners of her mouth but she still smiled and it made me happy to know I had helped that along.

''I'm crying because I'm dying Nick.''

Was not expecting that.

Was definitely not expecting that.

''What? Are you serious?''

''Yes. I am totally and utterly serious Nick, I have a brain tumour.''

I didn't know what to say.

There was nothing I could say to help this girl. She was dying and I couldn't help her. So I sat next to her and I put my arm around her and let her cry instead.

''The hospital called me last night because my parents weren't at home to collect the results. I didn't think I'd be ill. I just thought it was a bad headache and a heavy nosebleed. Oh my god, I'm dying Nick.''

I hadn't known this girl for a day and already I felt a pain in my chest when she said my name. I couldn't fall in love with her, I couldn't. Especially not then. I wish shed've stopped saying my name.