(Third-Person POV)
After the glittering chaos of the costume party, reality came crashing back like a splash of cold water: midterm exams.
Posters with motivational quotes filled the school's hallways. The student council set up a countdown chart. Everyone suddenly swapped their party invites and lipstick shades for highlighters, flashcards, and caffeine-laced beverages.
Ruby Jane wasn't working at her parents' restaurant for the first time in months. Her parents insisted she take time off to focus on studying. It was unusual—seeing her walk past the food court after school, no apron in sight. But Becky and Felix welcomed it. They shifted their study sessions to the library, claiming a dusty old table near the window as their official war room. Piles of books, snack wrappers, and half-filled notebooks soon claimed territory there.
But the real surprise?
Sam Walker started joining them.
It began subtly.
Sam would swing by under the pretense of needing help with biology. Or borrowing a textbook. But soon enough, she was just... there. Pulling up a chair next to Ruby. Peeking into her math notes. Sharing her custom flashcard sets. At first, Ruby nearly dropped her pen every time Sam leaned too close. But slowly—so slowly—she adjusted.
Kind of.
Okay, not really. Her heart still sped up when Sam handed her a pencil. Or when their knees accidentally brushed under the table.
"Is it just me," Felix whispered dramatically one afternoon, "or is the tension between those two strong enough to ignite a paperback?"
Becky didn't even look up from her chemistry book. "It's not just you. I'm afraid they'll combust before we finish this chapter."
Sam started staying back at Ruby's place more often. It made sense—Ruby's house was quieter, homier, and her parents adored Sam. Like, truly adored her.
Mrs. Jane would bring trays of cut fruit and thermos flasks of herbal tea. Mr. Jane once knocked on the door holding a bowl of homemade soup and said, "Extra mushrooms. I remember you liked them."
Sam didn't just like them. She practically fell in love with Ruby's parents' cooking. She once whispered to Ruby, "If I disappear after finals, check your kitchen. I might have moved in."
But for all the warmth, one thing kept pulling Sam's attention.
That drawer.
On Ruby's study table, to the right of where she usually sat, there was one specific cabinet with a tiny lock. Always locked. Ruby never touched it when Sam was around. And Sam never asked.
But she noticed.
Sometimes when Ruby went to grab water, Sam's gaze would drift to it. Curiosity tugged at her. It wasn't snooping if she didn't open it, right?
Little did she know, that drawer held tiny sketches, a crumpled receipt with Sam's doodled signature, a single strand of ribbon from Sam's birthday wrap, and every copy of the anonymous letters Ruby had ever sent.
But that discovery was for another chapter.
Despite the growing pile of stress and textbooks, their study sessions were... fun.
Felix insisted on playing soft instrumental background music, claiming it increased memory retention. He also brought scented candles once, saying it helped him "study with all senses aligned."
Becky accused him of trying to turn their group study into a spa retreat.
Their days were peppered with laughter, mock arguments over calculus solutions, and occasional snack fights. At one point, Felix brought a water gun to "spray anyone who whined more than twice in an hour." It broke within minutes, but the memory lived on.
Becky and Felix were chaos incarnate when left alone for too long. They'd get into debates like: "Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or ten duck-sized horses?"—which somehow ended in Ruby being declared the referee and Sam laughing so hard she nearly fell off her chair.
In the middle of it all, Ruby quietly drew little sketches of Sam—on the back of her notes, in the corners of her math sheets. Nothing obvious. Just small, stolen moments of pencil work. A curl of Sam's hair here. The slope of her nose there.
Sometimes she caught herself staring at Sam's fingers. The way they twirled a pen. The way they hovered just inches from hers.
One evening, Sam was re-explaining a math concept for the third time, patient and encouraging. Ruby tried so hard to focus. But her eyes kept drifting—Sam's sleeve was rolled up, revealing a delicate scar on her wrist. Faint. Almost invisible. But it made Ruby pause.
Who were you before all this? she wanted to ask. What hurts are you hiding underneath that queen-like confidence?
But she didn't ask. She just quietly reached for her pen and scribbled another equation.
When exams finally ended, it felt like collectively taking a long, exhaling breath. Everyone looked sleep-deprived but free. Felix did a victory pose in the hallway, yelling, "I AM REBORN!" before Becky dragged him back down to earth.
Ruby had done surprisingly well. Sam had, as expected, aced most subjects, but she had genuinely enjoyed the sessions—not just because of the grades.
She liked... them. These people. Their noise. Their weirdness. Their comfort.
Especially Ruby.
After their last paper, Becky stood in the hallway holding up her phone. "Ice cream date. Non-negotiable."
Within an hour, they were gathered at their favorite little corner shop, balancing overloaded cones and sharing spoonfuls of each other's flavors.
Felix brought up their week-long break.
"We need a trip," Becky declared. "An actual getaway."
"What about the beach?" Sam suggested casually, licking a stripe of mint-choco from her thumb. "We can drive down. It'll be fun."
Ruby looked up mid-bite. Sam's hair was tied in a messy bun, and sunlight streaked across her face just right. Ruby's heart did a full gymnastics routine.
"Beach sounds... good," she said softly.
"YES!" Felix cheered. "Salt, sand, and sunburn—my holy trinity."
That night, back in her room, Ruby curled up on her bed, phone in hand.
Their group chat was blowing up with beach memes and checklist screenshots. Becky had already started Googling resorts. Felix was drafting an itinerary that included "mandatory tan time."
And Sam?
Sam sent a message that simply said:"Looking forward to more of your mom's food, Ruby. And... maybe some sun too."
Ruby reread that message five times before replying with a heart emoji.
Then she hugged her pillow and screamed into it.
Quietly.
So no one would hear.
[End of Chapter 24: Study Sessions & Secret Glances]
Sometimes, falling for someone looks a lot like studying side by side—quietly sharing space, exchanging glances over open textbooks, and realizing that the warmth in your chest isn't just from tea. ☕️