Reckless Hero

After getting settled, I observed as the other students began to arrive. They all looked so young, clearly fresh out of their undergrad studies. I’d spent four years in the army, so naturally, I was older than the bulk of them. I just didn’t expect to actually look so much older than them.

My hair had grown. I had previously kept it short, per army requirements. But the second I’d left, I let it grow again. I had always loved my hair long, so spending four years with a buzz cut had been awful.

My hair wasn’t the only thing that set me apart though. All the men were clean shaven with baby faces. Meanwhile, my stubble was thicker by noon than theirs would be in a whole week.

I shook my head and tried to tell myself that no one cared. It didn’t matter that I was older than the rest of the students. As long as I scored well, nothing else mattered.

Class ended quickly, and I left with pages full of notes. There was a commotion in the back of the room and I just barely caught a glimpse of a female student dashing out. Something about her was vaguely familiar, but she was gone before I could figure it out.

I shrugged it off, figuring I would come face-to-face with whoever she was soon enough. The class was so small that it wouldn’t take long before everyone knew everyone else.

I went back to my new apartment and studied both my notes and textbooks, already determined to get ahead.

I’d waited too long to fulfill my dream of becoming a lawyer. Law school was the first step to making that dream a reality, and I refused to fail.

The next day, I had two afternoon classes, but my morning was free. I decided to spend the morning on campus anyway though. There were paths leading into the woods that I hadn’t gotten a chance to explore during orientation. I loved nature and figured it would be nice to go on a hike.

I got to campus first thing in the morning and bought myself a bottle of water. With my backpack thrown over my shoulders, I set off for the woods.

My path began behind the library. It was surrounded by small bushes, but I could still see classroom buildings all around me.

I picked up my speed, wanting to put civilization behind me for a few hours. The deeper I walked into the woods, the taller the trees became. A few minutes later, I was surrounded by them.

I smiled and slowed my pace. Now that I was away from the buildings, I could pretend like I wasn’t on campus and focus exclusively on the sounds and smells around me. I breathed in the trees and ran my hands over their trunks. After a mile of walking in peaceful silence, I pulled out my water bottle and took a long sip.

My pace was steady, not too slow or too fast. I still had a few hours before class, so I wanted to enjoy the free time because I knew my workload would ultimately get heavy and I wouldn’t have anytime to myself. I’d be confined to libraries and eventually stuck in a courtroom every day for months. I was beyond excited about it, but I wanted to breathe in some fresh air while I still could.

I didn’t know where the path I was on led, but I was eager to find out. I walked a little quicker, noticing that the trees beginning to thin again. The path curved upward and I felt my legs stiffen at the incline. I pushed forward and soon my muscles relaxed back into a comfortable pace. It wasn’t long before the slope evened out. I stepped around a huge oak tree and looked around.

I was standing in the middle of a clearing with trees on either side of me. In front of me, there wasn’t anything but open space. The grass was so green that it was almost blinding in the sunlight. I looked at the sky. It was gorgeous blue without a single cloud in sight.

I grinned and walked farther into the clearing.

God, how I had missed the States.

As I moved though, I noticed it wasn’t just a clearing; there was a steep drop on the far edge.

I walked up to the cliff and looked down. The rocky slope beneath me was much too steep for climbing, but out farther was an endless array of beau

ty. Trees and flowers filled the left, and there was a small lake directly below. Off to the right, I could see tiny buildings, though I was too high up to tell if they were office buildings or apartments.

Regardless, the view was amazing. I could have stood there enjoying it all day, but I didn’t have the time.

Pulling my water from my backpack, I took another drink before turning back around and heading to the other side of the clearing. The sun was rising higher in the sky as noon approached, meaning it was almost time for my first class. So I glanced at the clearing one last time before setting off back down the path.

A few feet past the clearing, I ran into a couple hikers. I nodded politely and let them pass, quickly gathering that this was a popular spot. I had simply gotten there early before most hikers had started arriving.

As I walked back down the hill, more and more people passed by me, though I paid little attention to them, my concentration being on maneuvering down the path without tripping.

Yet, when I heard a familiar voice in front of me, I froze, my body tensing and my ears perking up. Disbelief washed over me.

There was no way it was her…

I looked up and my eyes widen.

Holy shit.

She was walking toward me.