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nAlyssa remained quiet for a few moments, not knowing what to say. She wasn't going to change her mind and give up her hard earned money or ask them for anything.

nShe was rushing to get a job because she was running out of money in the first place. Why would she hemorrhage even more money before she got the position? Or be indebted to them?

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"I have to go,

" Alyssa finally said. She figured there was nothing else to say. She wasn't giving them money, and that was the only reason why they called her in the first place.

nShe knew that this wouldn't be the last instance of them doing this either.

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"You're selfish,

" her mother hissed.

nAlyssa hung up and tossed her phone on her bed. She shook her trembling hands, attempting to calm herself down.

nThere was so much that she wanted to pick up the phone and say to them, so many unspoken words she never said.

nShe knew that nothing good would come out of her saying them, though. She might as well keep them to herself.

nShe drew in a deep breath through her nose and coaxed herself to sit down on her bed and relax. She needed to let all of this go, but it was so hard to.

nShe rarely got angry over things, but something about her parents really dug under her skin. It broke her down from the inside, and she didn't know how to handle those feelings.

nShe needed an outlet or just someone to talk to so that she didn't lock everything up. That wouldn't do her any good.

nThe first person that came to mind was Elias. He always put her mind at ease and helped her refocus. He didn't judge her. He was the exact opposite of her parents.

nBut she didn't want to bother him. He had better things to do than to always console her, and he was probably busy anyway.

nShe didn't need to talk to him. She could get over this herself. Or she wished that she could.

nAlyssa buried her face in her hands. She felt so hopeless and useless, like she couldn't even handle herself.

nAt times, she almost convinced herself that her parents were right about her, that she would amount to nothing no matter how hard she worked.

nHer own mind was her own enemy, and it came down to her. But she didn't have to be alone.

nWith a sigh, she grabbed her phone and tapped on Elias' contact. She put her phone up to her ear as it started to ring.

nShe held her breath as she waited for him to answer, hoping that he wasn't too busy. She forgot if he had a class right now or not.

n

"Hello?

" Elias answered after a few rings.

nAlyssa froze at first. She was hoping that he would answer, but she hadn't been sure if he was even going to answer her call.

nHe took her by surprise. She cleared her throat awkwardly and mustered up a greeting.

n

"Hi,

" she replied before mentally facepalming herself. Her mind was a jumbled mess that she had yet to straighten out. She wondered if she would ever be able to, if things would ever fall calm in her head.

n

"Is everything okay?

" Elias asked, sounding concerned.

n

"Oh, yeah!

" Alyssa said, feigning a cheerful tone. She then wilted on the spot. That sounded fake, and she didn't feel like keeping up a lie.

"No.

"

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"Yeah, I figured,

" Elias said.

"Do you want to walk and talk?

"

nAlyssa felt the side of her mouth curl up in a slight smile. She liked their walks. She didn't even pay attention to where they were walking to or for how long.

nShe was in her own little world with him, and she didn't mind escaping for a little while.

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"That sounds great. Want to meet at the fountain?

" she asked, choosing the middle point on campus.

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"I'll meet you there in fifteen,

" Elias replied.

n

"Elias,

" Alyssa blurted out his name before he could hang up.

n

"Yeah?

"

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"Thank you,

" Alyssa said sincerely. She wished she could explain to him how much this meant to her. Before him, she didn't have someone she felt comfortable enough to spill these things to. He was a safe haven for her.

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"It's no problem,

" Elias assured her before the call went dead.

nAlyssa dragged her fingers through her hair to tame the strands before sliding off of her bed. She would talk about her family to him, but she would let it go afterwards. She didn't want to keep ruining her days because of them. They weren't worth it.

nAfter grabbing her things, she hurried out of her dorm, eager to see him. The closer she got to him, the brighter that she felt, like he was leading her away from darkness. There was no better feeling, and she hoped that he would be around for a long while to light her path.

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