Ariana POV
I wandered through the wide halls, I smirked as I felt them still looking at me tho he was now gone. Now, back to business. I am supposed to search for the class classroom number. Room 304. My heart beat faster as I was walking and thankfully I spotted it.
Room 304, Room 304… there!
I took a deep breath, adjusted my bag on my shoulder, and pushed the door open.
The lecture hall was big, sleek, and way more modern than I expected. Students were already taking their seats, some laughing, others just scrolling mindlessly on their phones.
I was halfway to an empty spot by the window when—
"BOO!"
I shrieked, almost dropping my bag as two hands covered my eyes from behind.
"What the heck!" I gasped, spinning around, ready to scold whoever thought that was funny.
And then I froze.
There, grinning at me like a total maniac, was my best friend—Maya.
Her hazel eyes were sparkling, her chestnut hair bouncing around her shoulders, and that familiar dimpled smile that I missed way more than I cared to admit.
I blinked for half a second before squealing like an idiot and launching myself into her arms.
"You crazy idiot!" I laughed, squeezing her tight.
"You scared the life out of me!"
"I had to!" she giggled, squeezing me back so tight I thought my ribs would snap. "I've been dying for this moment! You're finally here!"
I pulled away, still laughing, and looked at her properly. "God, I missed you, May."
"You have no idea," she said dramatically, tossing her hair back like she was on a catwalk. "Now come on, sit next to me before some troll does."
I rolled my eyes but let her drag me to two empty seats near the middle. We flopped down, and instantly, it was like we were twelve again, sneaking snacks into boring classes. I noticed someone looking at me as if he knew me already.
"You look even prettier than before," Maya said, nudging me in the ribs.
Then she threw my hair over my shoulder like it was some kind of royal cape. "Seriously. If you start stealing all the guys here too, I swear I'm disowning you."
I laughed. "Please. You'll be the one dragging them to my feet and forcing them to worship me."
"Maybe," she said with a smirk. "Depends on how much they're willing to pay."
We burst into giggles like two absolute idiots, not caring one bit about the people throwing glances our way.
God, I missed her. I turned to look at the guy who was looking at .e earlier on and, he was still looking at me. "What the fuck!" I turned back to Maya but said nothing to her.
We started catching up fast—Maya told me all about the weird old professor who wore shoes two sizes too big and shuffled around like a lost ghost.
We even talked about the 'library ghost'—a running joke about a creepy floor in the library nobody dared to study on after 8 p.m.
It was stupid, but it was ours.
Our kind of stupid.
_______
We continued talking, recalling our sweet moments together. Just then, a tall, thin man walked in, his glasses slipping to the edge of his nose like they were clinging for dear life.
Maya nudged me, her voice barely above a whisper.
"That's Professor Dillard" she said, grinning mischievously. "Terror of the business faculty."
Perfect. My first day and already I was cursed.
Professor Dillard didn't waste time. He dropped a thick binder on the desk with a loud thud that made half the class jump.
"We continue today with Strategic Business Management and Corporate Structures," he said in a voice that could probably freeze water.
I quickly flipped open my notebook and started scribbling notes like my life depended on it.
I wasn't going to mess up my first day, not after transferring to this prestigious program.
The diagrams and theories flew onto the board faster than my brain could process.
Just as I was starting to get into the rhythm, my phone buzzed against my thigh.
I froze.
Slowly, carefully, I slid it out from under my notebook and peeked at the screen.
Unknown Number:
> "Stay away from Ivan if you know what's good for you."
I blinked at the message, my brain taking a full three seconds to catch up.
Seriously?
Already?
I had barely said ten words to the guy!
I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly got stuck.
Whoever sent it clearly didn't know me. I wasn't the type to get scared over anonymous threats — especially over a guy who hadn't even looked twice at me.
Still smirking, I started typing a very sarcastic reply when—
"Ariana Smith."
The voice cut through the room like a whip.
My head jerked up.
The entire class was staring at me, some wide-eyed, some trying not to laugh.
Even the guy a few rows ahead — who was sneaking glances at me since I entered — had turned fully around.
Professor Dillard was glaring at me like I had personally offended his ancestors.
"Since you seem so… engaged," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "perhaps you'd like to come up and explain what corporate synergy is to the class?"
The floor could open up and swallow me now. Thanks.
Still, I wasn't about to chicken out. Straightening my shoulders, I stood up, grabbing my notebook, and walked down the aisle to the front of the class.
My sneakers squeaked slightly against the polished floor, adding insult to injury.
I turned to face everyone, heart thudding a little too fast.
I breathed out slowly and spoke:
"Corporate synergy is the concept that when two companies collaborate or merge, they create a combined value and performance that's greater than the sum of the separate individual parts.
For example," I added, feeling a little bold, "when a tech company merges with a media company, they can integrate their strengths to reach more consumers and increase profits faster than if they stayed independent."
I closed my notebook calmly.
Silence.
Then —
Clap.
Clap, clap.
A ripple of applause swept through the room.
Even Professor Dillard blinked, looking vaguely impressed — which, considering his reputation, was basically the equivalent of a standing ovation.
I smiled sweetly at him and walked back to my seat, heat buzzing in my veins.
Maya grinned at me like a proud mom.
"You just served him," she whispered, giving me a sneaky high five.
And out of the corner of my eye, I caught the guy again — this time openly watching me with a half-smile tugging at his lips.
_______
As soon as the lecture ended, students gathered their things and started filing out of the room in a noisy rush.
Maya and I were laughing about some meme she had shown me when I heard it:
"Miss Smith, a word."
I froze mid-laugh, slowly turning toward the voice.
Professor Dillard was standing by the desk, his hand resting firmly on a thick pile of papers, his glasses pushed up now so he could properly assess me like a project.
Maya gave me a sympathetic pat on the back.
"Good luck, soldier," she whispered, giggling as she darted out.
I made my way toward him, trying to look confident even though my brain was doing cartwheels.
"You're new here," he said as I approached.
It wasn't a question, just a statement.
"Transferred into one of the most demanding programs we offer."
I nodded. "Yes, sir."
His eyes narrowed slightly, studying me the way a scientist would study a strange new species.
"You have potential," he said finally. "But potential without focus is a waste. If you want to survive here, Miss Montgomery, you'll need to prove you deserve the seat you were given."
I nodded again, this time more firmly.
"I will, sir."
A ghost of a smile crossed his face — so faint I thought I imagined it.
"Good. Meet me after classes today"
Without waiting for a reply, he turned back to his papers.
I blinked.
That… wasn't as scary as I thought.
Tough, yes — but I could tell he cared. In his own terrifying, academic way.
---
"Girl, you were on fire today!" Maya squealed, dragging me toward the cafeteria.
The place was buzzing with life. Students laughing, eating, some hunched over laptops pretending to study but mostly gossiping.
We grabbed our food and found a table near the window where the sunlight spilled in like warm honey.
I sat down, sighing happily as I dug into my burger. It wasn't gourmet, but I was starving.
"So!" Maya said, leaning forward eagerly, "you haven't told me everything yet. How's the new mansion? What's it like living with—what?—three guys?"
I nearly choked on my soda.
"Wait who told you"
"Damien of cos" she replied. I gritted my teeth. "That guy"
Maya laughed. "Spill!"
I set my cup down and smirked, brushing my hair off my shoulder.
"Well... for starters, it's like living inside a palace. Marble floors, a freaking chandelier in the bathroom—like, who needs that?"
Maya gasped dramatically. "Stop. You're living my dream."
I laughed. "And then, there's them."
I wiggled my eyebrows.
Her eyes widened. "They're handsome, aren't they?"
"Handsome?" I scoffed. "They're like... sculpted by Greek gods themselves. Like, it's illegal to look that good."
Maya squealed again. "Are you serious?!"
I leaned closer, voice dropping to a mock-whisper.
"One of them, Max, flirts like it's his full-time job. If confidence was a weapon, that boy would be lethal."
She giggled. "And the others?"
"Ethan is chill. Super nice, kind of quiet."
I paused, twirling a fry between my fingers.
"And then... there's Ivan."
Maya's ears practically perked up like a puppy the moment I mentioned Ivan's name, I swear she nearly threw her tray into the air.
"Wait—You mean Ivan Garcia?" she practically screeched, grabbing my arm like I just told her I was dating a celebrity.
I chuckled, casually sipping my soda like it wasn't a big deal.
"Yeah, why?"
Maya's eyes bulged out of her skull. "Girl! Are you kidding me?! Ivan Garcia? Mr. 'I-barely-speak-but-still-make-you-obsess?' Mr. 'I'm-so-hot-I-could-melt-marble?' Mr. 'I-don't-know-what-smiling-is-but-somehow-I'm-still-irresistible'?!"
I burst into laughter, covering my mouth to avoid spraying soda all over the table.
"Well, when you put it that way—"
She leaned in closer, eyes shining with mischief and warning at the same time.
"Listen to me, Ria. That boy is dangerous. He's cold, he's arrogant, and he's...well, a world-class womaniser. Everyone knows him here. And trust me—he doesn't just look at any girl. He's got standards so high, I'm convinced he's waiting for a goddess to fall from the sky."
I raised an eyebrow and smirked, tossing my hair dramatically over my shoulder.
"A goddess, huh?" I said, pretending to inspect my nails. "Sounds like he's been waiting for me, then."
Maya groaned, laughing. "You're unbelievable."
I winked at her.
"Look, I didn't come here to fall head-over-heels for some brooding playboy, okay? I came here to get my degree, slay my courses, and maybe, maybe have a little fun making the boys cry along the way."
Maya shook her head, laughing as she popped a fry into her mouth.
"Careful. That attitude is exactly how girls end up as names on Ivan's 'forgotten list.'"
I grinned, twirling a lock of hair around my finger.
"Relax. I'm not gonna end up on anyone's list."
I leaned in, whispering like it was a secret between us.
"If anything, he's the one who's gonna end up falling for my charm."
Maya threw her head back and laughed so loud a few tables turned to look at us.
I shrugged, smiling to myself.
After all, it wasn't arrogance if it was true.
Besides... I had bigger things to focus on.
Ivan Garcia might be a walking, breathing heart attack, but me? I had a mission. A future. A destiny.
And no Greek god look-alike was going to mess that up.
... Probably.
_____
Maya and I continued laughing and talking, exaggerating stories of my first days at the new school.
"Seriously though," Maya said, nudging my arm, "you can't just dive into classes and studying like a grandma. It's your first week at one of the most prestigious universities ever. You need to make memories too!"
I raised an eyebrow at her, pretending to be skeptical.
"Memories? Like losing my dignity on the first day?"
She snorted. "No, dummy. I'm talking about good memories. Dancing like no one's watching. Laughing until you can't breathe. Meeting hot guys that make you question your life choices."
I laughed, sipping the last of my drink. "Hot guys, huh? I already live with two... correction, three. Isn't that enough temptation?"
Maya wagged a finger at me like a disapproving mother. "You're hopeless. Come on. There's a club not far from here. It's clean, safe, high-end, and half our school goes there on weekends. Plus," she wiggled her eyebrows, "it's the perfect way to properly welcome you to the elite life."
I tilted my head, pretending to think hard. "Hmm… get buried in assignments… or dance my heart out?"
Maya grinned wickedly. "Exactly."
I laughed and nodded. "Fine. Let's make it a night to remember."
Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone approaching our table. A tall, broad-shouldered guy, hands stuffed nervously into the pockets of his jeans, making his way toward us.
Maya immediately caught the look on my face and smirked.
She leaned down to whisper, "That's my cue to leave you lovebirds alone."
Before I could even process what was happening, Maya gave me a wink, grabbed her tray, and bounced away like she had a hot date waiting.
I blinked, turning back to find the guy now standing at the edge of the table, looking slightly awkward but flashing me a shy smile.
"Hey," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, sorry to bother you. I just… saw you earlier in class. You're new, right?"
I smiled politely, feeling a little flattered by his sudden nervousness.
"Yeah, just transferred."
He chuckled lightly, and I noticed he had a dimple on one cheek. Cute.
"Well... welcome, I guess. I'm Seth."
He extended his hand.
I shook it, feeling the familiar buzz of attention. I was used to it.
"Ariana," I said.
He smiled wider, his eyes sparkling. "Nice to meet you, Ariana. Uh, if you ever need help around campus... or, you know, if you get tired of scary professors calling you out," he teased gently, "I'm around."
I laughed, remembering how the lecturer had called on me earlier.
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
Seth shifted on his feet, clearly wanting to say more but probably too shy to push it. After a few seconds, he gave me another sweet smile and said,
"See you around?"
"See you," I replied warmly.
He left, casting a glance back over his shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.