The car came to a stop in front of the dormitory building. Among the four girls, only Michelle and Lydia returned that evening.
There was still a week left before the school closed for the holidays so there were a lot of people inside the campus. Many of them walked by and around the dormitory building, talking and laughing.
Normally, Michelle would have held her roommate's hand, chatting and giggling like the other students, but she did not speak with Lydia like usual. Tonight, she seemed low-spirited and lost in her thoughts.
Lydia, who was quite sober, noticed that something was off. She thought Michelle was just drunk because the girl usually became quiet and well-behaved after imbibing a lot of alcohol.
But Michelle didn't stagger as she walked. She knew when she had to turn right and she didn't need to double-check which floor they were on.
Lydia sensed that something was bothering Michelle but she waited until they were both inside their dorm room. Lydia closed the door behind her and poured a cup of water for the other girl.
"Here. Have some water first."
Michelle took a seat, accepted the cup of water, and lifted it to her lips but she didn't drink it all.
Lydia pulled her chair over and sat next to Michelle. Gently, she tucked a lock of hair behind the girl's ear.
"What happened? If you ever want to share, you know you can tell me. Let's see if I can be of any help."
Michelle set the cup down and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Lydia, what is it like to love someone? When people fall in love and they find themselves close to the person they like, their hearts will beat faster and they might even blush, right?"
Lydia was surprised. "Do you like someone?"
"I don't know if it's love. Just now in the car, you said that, when a girl was in the presence of the person she loved, her pulse would race and her cheeks would turn red." Michelle picked up the cup again and took a sip. "I haven't been in love before so I'm not sure."
Lydia was amused. "There are many kinds of love. For Debra, when she first saw your master, her heart beat faster and she blushed. She liked him at first sight. In other words, she liked his handsome appearance but no one knows how long that attraction will last. There is also a kind of love that is born when two people get along for a long time. That kind usually takes longer to notice.
But to judge whether you're in love with someone or not, you can't just rely on two physiological reactions. It's like..." Lydia felt like she had the right to talk about love because she also had someone she liked. But she didn't know how to explain because they were many kinds of love.
"It's like what?" Michelle prodded curiously.
"There is no standard when it comes to falling in love. I can only give you an answer from my point of view. If you like someone, you will want to be close and share everything in your life with him. Changes in your moods—happiness, anger, and sadness—are all linked to that person. You will feel content when he is happy. You will also be unhappy when he is sad, then you will give your all to make him happy." Lydia smiled dreamily as she thought of Austin.
Michelle blinked twice, seemingly able to relate to what Lydia just relayed.
Lydia felt like a teacher as she taught Michelle about love. She was acting as if she was experienced but she herself had never been in love before, nor did she openly express a preference for anybody. Hers was just a one-sided love.
'But it's just for reference, ' Lydia assured herself before carrying on.
"You miss him when you can't see him. You want to know what he is doing. You want to know if he is happy today. If you can't contact him, you will feel anxious. You will also feel jealous, sad, and possessive when you see him get close to other girls."
Michelle frowned after hearing all that. After giving it some thought, she felt relieved. She could only relate to some of the reactions that Lydia presented, but not all of them. 'That means I didn't fall in love with Leon, right?'
Lydia paused to let her words sink in before asking, "Michelle, have you seen couples holding hands as they walk around campus?"
"Yes, there are so many of them. Sometimes, not only are they holding hands, I also see them kissing." Michelle added, "And then they go to bed together."
Lydia almost fell off her chair in surprise.
She stammered, "Have you seen a couple do it?"
"What's the big deal? It's just a matter of turning off the light, getting under the bed covers, closing their eyes, and then opening them the next day. That's all. It's the same as what's written in books and what you see in TV series," Michelle replied with a serious face.
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