She laid back in the tub, holding a stone from the garden heavy enough to keep her under. She was slowly running out of breath as the cool water flooded her lungs. She shut her eyes tighter and her heart began to race. Although she was suffocating she wasn't frightful. She was hopeful, hopeful that with this journey ending another would spark.
The pain began to fade and her heartbeat stopped.  She was no longer in pain.

Angeli gasped for air as she woke from her recurring dream. The same one each night and it always ended with her death. She never understood why it ended that way, why she always had these dreams. Becoming more vivid each time.
She picked herself out of bed and made her way to the shower. She hesitated, turning on the water as her anxiety took over. She flinched, almost falling back as the warm water hit her skin. She grabbed a bar of soap and quickly washed her body. With the anxious feeling beginning to wane she poured a quarter size of shampoo in her palm and rubbed it through her scalp. She poured more onto her hand and lathered her caramel brown mane. Turning the water off she stepped out of the shower, wrapped herself in a towel and one around her head, and walked back to her bedroom. She sat down at her vanity, although she didn't need to wear makeup she prefered some. She combed her eyebrows over and filled in the sparse spots. Then she applied mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow. Her lips already being a soft pink she left them alone. She went back into the bathroom, taking off her head towel, and applied product to her hair to soften up her tight curls. Glancing at this clock, she noticed that she only had 15 minutes to get to class. She threw on a pair of jeans, a flannel a tee and converse and rushed out of her dorm. 

She walked down the hallway on her way to class. While turning the corner she collided with someone. His dark brown eyes captured hers immediately. He had dark brown hair to go along with his eyes and had a tall, toned body. Something about him was very inviting and familiar to her but she didn't understand why she felt this way upon first glance. Angeli apologized for bumping into him and kept walking. She took the stairway down to the foyer and continued to class.

Angeli was perplexed by her previous encounter. She couldn't decide where she's seen him before. It's only the first day of the semester which meant that she had a new schedule and her first class was later in the day than before. Could it be that i just saw him once before? No, she thought. I would've remembered every single detail of being in the presence of someone like that.
She arrived at a narrow lecture hall with rows of chairs and seats filled with her new classmates, some of them being complete strangers, others she recognized. She was a very friendly person but she didn't make an effort to befriend every person she came into contact with on a day to day basis. She has her close friends, some from other classes others from high school or her old job so she didn't see a need in filling her life with part time friends. She found an empty seat in the second row and walked down to it, casually smiling at someone she knew. Just at the last minute before class started the same guy she bumped into sat down in the empty seat beside her.
“Hey, we met earlier didn't we?” he smired
“Yeah, I believe we did,” Angeli replied. “Sorry about, you know, bumping into you.”“Nah it's alright, really. By the way my names Charlie.”
“Oh yeah, sorry I'm Angeli”

As he talked she kept having the strange feeling of déjà vu becoming stronger as he went on. His voice echoed in her head as she latched on to each and every word as if she was reading an autobiography by someone she knew intimately.

And then it came to her.

She stood there, staring at herself in the silver framed Victorian mirror that stood tall at the end of her hallway. She couldn't decide how she wanted to fix her hair, or if her dress was appropriate for a sophisticated occasion such as this. Her father approached her from behind,placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“You look beautiful Catherine. We've made the right decision in ordering that dress.” He smiled proud.
“You really think so, It's not at all flashy?” she said with concern.
“Not at all,” he assured.
He led her across the balcony and down the spiral staircase. Her stepmom stood in the grand foyer wearing a black c***tail dress and pearls around her neck.
“You're not even going to brush your hair?”  she sneered.
“If I brush it then it'll puff up, it's meant to look this way,” Catherine defended.
“Well at least let me put it in a bun or something.”
“I'd rather you not.” Catherine walked away from her stepmom.

Her father, stepmom, and Catherine piled into their car and left for the party. Catherine stared out of her window as they crossed the Manhattan Bridge to the city. The sky was bursting with hues of magenta and lavender which spiraled across the horizon. The sun surrendered to the night as they drove and the city was ignited with bright lights from cars and skyscrapers.

They arrived at the a large white hotel. It's architecture was simple but it was not boring. Rows of windows led up to a dark green roof which appeared to slope inwards. The whole building shined bright with a thousand lights making it stand out in the night. Catherine stepped out of car along with her father and stepmom. Her father handed a chauffeur their keys and they went inside. When they got to the ballroom Catherine was astonished at the rows of tall white pillars the surrounded the room. Two beautiful chandeliers hung from the high ceiling with large crystals and diamonds dangling from it.

As the dance picked up Catherine was sitting at a table smiling at her dad. She loved seeing him happy and although her step mom and her don't get along she's glad that he's with her. She looked up as an olive toned man of about 21 approached her. His brown hair was gelled back and he had brown eyes matching the time of his hair.
“Would you like to dance?” He asked her.
“I'd love to,” she said to the stranger.
He led her to the floor as the music slowed, her artic blue eyes stared at his as they danced. They talked about their lives, where they grew up and what they wanted to do when they aged.
“I grew up in Detroit Michigan,” he told her.
“My dad owned a steel company down there, he decided to move his businesses here and expand,”  Alexander explained.
“Oh really, How's he adjusting to city life?” she asked.
“Well he has a very indefatigable spirit, but honestly I don't think he likes the city.”
Their conversation continued, as the hours passed the subjects became deeper and deeper.
Catherine felt like she had a real connection with him. She felt like she knew him forever, like he actually understood her.
Their conversation continued in the garden. She smiled at him as the stars glistened above her head. She pulled him in close and placed her soft pink lips on his. He looked at her softly as he smiled he returned a kiss, and then a third.

As their affair went on Alexander decided to tell his parents, but they objected to the idea.
“You must focus! what about your schooling and a career?” He told Alexander.
“I don't need to start my life just yet, she's not a distraction,” he pleaded.
“Don't talk back to me, you'll do what I say. End it with her immediately!” He stormed out of the room leaving Alex alone.

When he told Catherine her heart dropped out of her chest. She finally allowed herself to become open to someone, she put everything on the line, and he rejected that. He couldn't say no to his dad, he wouldn't fight for their relationship and that's what hurt her the most. He gave up so easily. She would've gave him the world. She immediately ran off trying to defend off the tears.
She was hurt for a long time. Alexander was sent away to college, and there was no way of contacting him. She fell in a spiraling depression, she felt like she lost everything.

“You ok?” Charlie asked her.
She came back to reality as she was staring at Charlie who she thought she just met. She didn't understand if she was having a breakdown or an epiphany. She couldn't comprehend what she just saw or if these events actually happened.
“Yeah I'm fine. Hey since you don't really know anyone here would you want to grab some coffee after class? I could show you around campus.” she asked.
“Yeah sure, I'd love to.” He smiled at Angeli.