Luckily, Sean and I had the same class schedule. He was fun to talk to, and we got along effortlessly. By the end of the day, he had already invited me to dinner to meet his friends from other faculties.
After the afternoon class, I waited for Sean at the main gate. Suddenly, I heard a familiar laugh. Fran was walking toward the gate, surrounded by his new Engineering friends. My heart picked up speed. I wanted to say hi—to tell him I'd be home late—but he passed by me without a single glance.
How long was he planning to do this? Was he really going to cut me off forever?
My thoughts were interrupted by a sleek, luxury car pulling up. Sean waved from the driver's seat. Wow. Is this guy rich?
When we reached the restaurant, four of Sean's friends were already waiting.
"Sean! Finally!"
"Oi! You're already eating without me?" Sean joked.
"This is Rain by the way. Rain, meet Mark, Rev, Chris, and Ricky."
"Hello," I smiled shyly. This was the most people I'd been around in years.
"Rain, sit here," Sean said, pulling out a chair for me.
"Ohhh," Ricky teased, leaning in. "It's only the first day and you've already found a guy? And a cute one, too."
My face flushed. I looked at Sean, whose lips curved into a playful smirk. "Hey, don't scare him. He's my faculty friend. We're practically joined at the hip now," Sean explained.
To my surprise, I fit right in. For the first time, I didn't feel like a third wheel. Rev and I shared a love for books and art; Mark was a musician who wanted to see the lyrics I'd written. Chris and Sean spent the whole time talking about joining the soccer team. They never let me feel out of place.
I actually had fun.
When Sean dropped me off later that night, the streetlights were dim and the air was cool.
"Thanks for today, Sean," I said, stepping out of the car.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Rain. Don't forget that lunch!"
As his car pulled away, I turned toward the gate and froze. A figure was standing there in the shadows, holding a grocery bag.
It was Fran.
He watched the taillights of Sean's car disappear, then turned his icy gaze to me. Without a word, he turned his back and walked inside.
The apartment was suffocatingly silent when I entered. I took a quick bath and crawled into bed, my only company being the glow of my phone. Sean had added me to a group chat.
Sean: @Rain, Are you asleep?
Me: Not yet.
Sean: Just wanted to say goodnight.
Ricky: Only to him? What about us?
I smiled at the screen, feeling a warmth I hadn't felt in a long time.
"What are you doing?"
The voice from the other bed made me jump. Fran was sitting up, his silhouette sharp and menacing in the moonlight.
"Who are you chatting with?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"It's just Sean. Why?"
"Your phone light is annoying. I'm trying to sleep."
"Sorry," I whispered, pulling the blanket over my head to hide the glow.
But he wasn't finished. "Is that the same guy who brought you home? Why were you out so late?"
"He introduced me to his friends. We had dinner."
"Tsk. Good for you."
My phone suddenly rang—a call from Sean. I stayed under the blanket, answering in a frantic whisper. Sean was just checking in, telling me not to mind his friends' teasing. "It's okay. Let's sleep now. Goodnight," I whispered into the receiver, desperate not to disturb the peace.
The moment I hung up, the bathroom door slammed so hard the frame rattled. Fran had vanished inside.
I lay there in the dark, my heart thumping against my ribs. We didn't talk. He hated me. He had told me to get lost. But he was still watching the gate. He was still counting the minutes I was late.
The silence of the house was gone, replaced by a tension so thick I could almost taste it. We were no longer the boys who couldn't be separated by a fever. We were something else now—and I was starting to realize that the "enemies" phase was only the beginning.