What if I am Josh?

Those words echoed in Sierra’s mind, loud enough to make her eyes water and wake her from what supposed to be a comforting dream.

It finally transformed into a terrible nightmare, Sierra sighed in disappointment. Well… nothing stays permanent. Things are always bound to change… and for the worst.

She rolled onto her side, picked up the vibrating cellphone beside her pillow, and checked the time.

7:05.

7:05?!

She bolted up from her bed and nervously bellowed, “I’M LATE!”

^##############################^

No matter how quickly she took a shower, changed clothes, and ran from her apartment towards the university, Sierra was still fifteen minutes late and to make the start of her day even worse, she bumped into Josh who suddenly walked out of their classroom.

Her left cheek hit his chest and it was like bumping into a concrete wall. She moved away from him feeling a bit disoriented.

Skipping breakfast, running more than a mile, and bumping into a person who ruined her dream made her weak and dizzy.

“You don’t have to worry about Mr. Villa. He seems to be in a good mood,” Josh said, moving away from the closed door.

“If that’s true, then why are you outside our classroom?” Sierra asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Because…” Josh moved his face closer to hers and breathed, “I’m bored.”

Sierra glared at her annoying classmate and thought about slapping his face away from hers but decided against it. She just turned towards the door, opened it, and entered their classroom.

But the moment she closed the door, Mr.Villa stared fiercely at her and yelled, “Your late, Sierra! Stand outside the room! Beside Josh! NOW!”

She walked out of the classroom and shot an angry look at Josh who was smiling annoyingly at her.

“I thought he will give you an exemption,” he said, still smiling, obviously teasing her. “You’re an ace student. Since our first year, you are always getting the highest grade. You’re punctual and responsible. This is your first time to be late and first time offenders should be forgiven, don’t you think?”

Sierra did not answer. She just stood beside Josh, opened her bag, took her cellphone and plugged an earphone to it.

“Hey, don’t you want to talk to me?”

Sierra put the earphone on and turned the volume up until music drowned the annoying voice of her classmate.

Her nightmare was starting to come true. Josh was ruining her day.

“You really don’t want to talk to me?!” he was yelling but Sierra only played a louder song.

She thought Josh would eventually leave her alone. She was mistaken. One moment her feet were on the floor, the next second she had been lifted off the ground.

“Put me down!” Sierra yelled at Josh who was tightly gripping her shoulders and knees.

“No,” he stubbornly said and the look in his eyes was similar to the Josh in his dream except that his eyes were blue instead of golden brown.

“PUT ME DOWN!” Sierra yelled even louder and struggled as hard as she could but his grip remained firm.

“Just enjoy the ride,” Josh seriously uttered before dashing out of the school.

After covering a mile, he entered a forest, and finally stopped at a cliff where the view of the ocean was breathtaking.

^###############################^