Boudicca made sure to tread her steps lightly and quietly. The path to school has never seemed more treacherous. She hid herself with her trusty hoodie and clutched her books like her life was on the line.

She pursed her lips as she tried not to draw attention from herself. She passed by countless official looking people swarming her university, most likely trying to get a statement out of her.

She shivered at the thought of being surrounded by a crowd of paparazzi.

Bou hastily took one step after another, doing what felt like ninjutsu in dodging anyone that seemed suspicious enough to ask her about what happened.

Thankfully, without any hiccups, she arrived at her first class's building. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she took a step inside the hallways but what greeted her was a crowd of students forming a mass around the bulletin board.

"Isn't she your classmate?" One of the voices said.

"I've never noticed her before…" said another.

"We should try to be friends with her." Chuckled one.

"Maybe she's single?" A voice joked.

"Shhhh." One of the voices scolded the rest.

"She does look pretty though?" Continued another voice.

"I am gonna ask her out." Stated one.

"You idiot." Replied someone.

Boudicca blinked, she didn't realize who they were talking about so she decided to just try and sneak past them.

Whatever it was on that bulletin board was not worth her squeezing herself into a crowd. Her curiosity won't win this time, she did that once already, and it didn't pan out fairly well for her.

Unfortunately, on her way through sliding around the crowd and to the other side, she accidentally tripped someone.

"Watch where you're going!" The girl yelled angrily at her.

"Sorry!" Bou squeaked.

This commotion made everyone turn their heads towards her and it took a few seconds for the crowd's faces to contort into expressions of shock, excitement, interest, and confusion.

"It's her!" One of the students yelled and suddenly before Bou could even blink she was now huddled in the middle of a cluster of people.

People that endlessly and ceaselessly asked her question after question.

"How did you know Laliette!?" Yelled someone.

"Uhh… we were friends back when we were kids?" She stated it as more of a question but that got the crowd cheering.

"Are you still friends with Laliette!?" Another voice screamed from the crowd as they continued to push themselves inside her space.

"Uhhh… Not a-anymore!" She squealed as she tried to back away until she felt the wall behind her.

"Are you going to transfer to Bayward!?"

"I d-don't know!"

"How many awards have you won!?"

"I-I don't know?"

"Do you have friends!?"

"Wh-what?"

"Can you paint us a portrait!?"

"I-I–"

"Are you single!?"

"I-I I don't—"

"HaveyoueverhadWhatsyourCanIhaveyourTellushowyiuIfitsOkaywithyou—" The questions began to meld together in Bou's head as her chest began to beat out of her chest, her breathing became difficult, and her eyes darted around in panic.

She cupped her ears trying to silence their voices but they kept coming, she felt weak in her knees, and she felt her fingers scratch deep into the side of her head. Her palms sweat and any second longer she felt like she would've crashed down on the floor.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!" A bellowing voice yelled from further in the building as heavy footsteps stomped on the floor.

The crowd panicked and froze. 

"GET BACK TO YOUR CLASSES NOW!" The voice yelled again and the different students scurried off into different little paths.

When the dust settles, Boudicca falls to her knees and a quiet overcomes her body. Word would not come out of her throat and she couldn't even thank the person that saved her.

"Ms. Chamberlain?" The voice became more familiar now, it was her Professor in Architecture, Mason Lowrey.

"P-Professor?"

"Are you okay?"

"I–I don't…" She pursed her lips and closed her eyes, her chest still racing from what happened earlier. She gazed up towards the bulletin board and she saw what it was and a horrific sensation crawled up her throat.

It was a newspaper article having a young picture of her winning a competition in painting and then following that, a picture of present her and Autumn with Autumn's statement regarding her challenging Bou to the Bayward art competition.

She managed to stand up and stumble towards the article, completely in shock as to how anyone managed to dig up this photo of hers.

"How did they–" She panicked, a lump formed on her throat.

"What's wrong, Ms Chamb–" Her Professor stopped the moment he saw the news clipping. He glanced towards the scared young woman next to him before promptly ripping the article off the board and tossing it into a trash can.

"P-professor!?"

"So that's what they were bothering you about." He sighed. "Don't worry Ms. Chamberlain, I'll tell the faculty to take down anything regarding this if it bothers you so much."

"Oh! N-No! You don't have to do that!" She shook her hands in refusal but the Professor only smiled and gave her a light pat on the head.

"Ms. Chamberlain, apologies for adding to the pile of questions, but if you will, are you truly friends with the world renowned young artist?" He asked in such a dignified way that Bou couldn't even feel offended if she wanted to.

"More like, used to…" The young woman refused to say anything further and the Professor nodded his head, knowing not to pry any further.

"I see…once again, however, I do notice your talent. If you ever decided to show this girl what you're capable of…" He smiled and crossed his arms. "I'll help you get a seat in Bayward."

"T-Thanks, Professor Lowrey."

"You make it seem like I'm old." He chuckled. "Just Sir. Mason would do."

"Sir. Mason?"

"Good." He then patted her in the back and pushed her onwards. "Now go to your next class and don't be late." He smiled and winked before going through a different hallway.

Bou made her way up the stairs and towards her first class. She could feel eyes and stares bore into her as she passed by some rooms. She even heard a guy whistle, as she walked past their group.

She could only walk faster.

Thankfully, her first class went off normally and without a problem. She sat way at the back but still managed to hear what was happening and what was going on. 

This time, she learned her lesson, she kept her hood up and her body tucked until she arrived in class, in which case she would masterfully erase her presence and carry on with her studious life.

She could do this. Bou thought. She could definitely survive the last few years of engineering school like this. 

Not.

Today was miserable…

She would at least have a few minor small talk with people from time to time and that fulfilled her daily quota of social interaction, enough to stop her from feeling depressed… but imagining a whole few years avoiding any attention, it's definitely not gonna work out for her.

She found herself a seat at one of the more hidden benches at the university. Bou sat quietly as she perused through her notes, trying to fill in the day with empty routines, hiding off from everyone else.

It would still be a few hours before her next class and then it would be her last.

She browsed quietly and took notice of her doodles. They looked adorable and cute. She smiled, tracing her fingers on the lines.

She remembered the days Autumn and her would come around to the playground swings and show each other their doodles. Autumn would always boast as to how her teachers like her doodles and Bou would clap at her while she did so.

They would play around and criticize each other's doodles so that the next day, they're better than before. 

Bou always loved hearing Autumn talk on and on about her passions and how she wanted to become the best artist in the world. Bou would always cheer her on and say that if Autumn's number one, she'd be the second.

Autumn would then take her hand and say that they'll share the first spot together, cause if they stand equally side by side, then that means they're both the best.

Boudicca continued to stare at her doodles as the memories flowed like river water in her mind.

Once again, the fragments of the memory of Autumn ripping up her canvas played in Bou's mind. "I HATE YOU, BOU! I HATE HOW YOU'RE ALWAYS THE BEST!" Those words stung like bees in her ear. 

Prodigy.

The Best.

Those words hold no meaning to her now. 

Cause what's the point in trying so anymore?

Seriously, what's the point?

"What's the point?" Bou's voice creaked as tears dropped down her eyes and soaked the doodles on her laps, all the feelings she'd been holding in finally started bursting out. "What's the point? I already gave up…"

She sniffled. "I hate this…Why did you appear again after so long? Why did you have to say those things? Why Otty?" She fumbled around with her words trying to understand the situation herself.

"After all these years, when I was finally sure that I had given up. Why did you have to come back?" She looked towards the sun with tears flowing down. "What's even the point anymore!?" She screamed and slammed her first down on her notebook.

She took heavy breaths to calm herself but a voice interrupted her.

"So this is where the new popular girl's been." A guy behind her snarkily spoke. "Behold! Our school diva right now, Boudicca Chamberlain!" He gestured around Bou like he was showing her off to his friends.

"Who are you guys?" Bou slowly started packing up her stuff as she noticed the lack of people around.

"Oh don't worry, Ms. Boudicca, we aren't bad people." He smirked. 

Bou then realized, this was the same group of guys who whistled at her earlier. Suddenly, her uncomfortableness rose to a much higher degree as she quickly grabbed her stuff and prepared to walk away.

"Woah there!" He said, blocking her off. "Like I said, we aren't bad people, why are you trying to run."

"I-I have classes to be, sorry." Bou's words trembled.

"Surely you can afford to be a little late." He smiled creepily.

"I'd r-rather not, thank you." She tried to go past him but he grabbed her arm and caused Bou's stuff to fall all over the ground.

"Ms. Why are you so scared?"

"Please, let go." Bou's face contorted into fear.

"Hear me out, first." He grinned as he reached his hand over to her and touched her cheeks. "I was just gonna say, that you looked fairly pretty and I was wondering if–"

Boudicca snapped away her arm and decided to run away, leaving her all her stuff behind but the guy's friends stopped her and held her back.

"Please!" She panicked. "I–I really have to go!"

"Without your stuff? The guy knelt on the ground and picked up her notebook filled with her drawings. He flipped through it and he laughed. "You're great at this."

"Please leave that alone." She whimpered, her panic again started to settle in. Her knees buckled weak, and her breathing turned difficult.

"Hey…Mind if I asked you to draw me something?" He laughed. "Can you make like naked girls and stuff?" He laughed and so did the rest of his friends.

Bou felt extreme fear and discomfort right now.

She wanted to get away as fast as possible.

"So?" The guy then glanced up to glare at her and threw away the notebook to the side. "I just wondered if you'd want to try hanging out with me or something?" He had this terrifying glint on his eye.

"I–I really don't have the time." Bou managed to squeak out. 

The guy then laughed and stood up before walking up to her. "That's fine, I can handle a snobby girl." He smirked and reached his hand toward her cheek again but then a sudden flash of light snapped from one of the bushes and distracted him.

Bou gulped as a sudden rush of adrenaline pumped on her veins.

In a quick arc, her leg launched up like a rocket and made landing on the guy's crotch. The guy screamed in agony as he keeled over in pain gripping his balls tightly.

His friends, shocked by the sudden turn of events, loosened their grip on her arms which allowed her to break free and dash away.

She picked up as much of her stuff as she could and especially her doodle notebook but she managed to get out of that situation in one piece.

She huffed and puffed as a flushing of excitement coursed through her body. She laughed as she ran for God knows what reason. Her head played back the footage of the guy's expression from smug to pain and she couldn't help but grin.

"Fucking perverts." She hopped over some bushes and ran into the building for her next class as fast as possible.

Still sprinting, she accidentally crashed into someone in the hallway and once again sent her and her stuff flying everywhere.

"Not again." Bou complained as she looked as to who she just crashed into. 

"I am so dead." Voiced a young woman, likely around the same year as Bou, carrying a diorama of a city…well it was a diorama.

But now…it was kinda two dioramas.