Chapter 3
By the second week of classes, Eliana had already established her rhythm: wake at dawn, attend lectures, spend long afternoons in the library, and fall asleep over her notes at night. Her scholarship was her lifeline, and she clung to it fiercely.
Maddie, on the other hand, seemed to have an entirely different interpretation of university life.
"Eliana," Maddie groaned one Thursday evening, collapsing onto her bed. "I can't keep up with these lectures. Do they expect us to be geniuses already?"
"You missed two classes this week," Eliana reminded her without looking up from her notebook.
"I was networking," Maddie defended, tossing her braids dramatically. "Do you know how many people I've met already? These are future CEOs, Ellie. Connections matter more than grades."
Eliana sighed. "Connections don't pay for textbooks."
Maddie sat up, flashing a mischievous grin. "That's why I have you. My personal genius."
Eliana frowned, but the teasing look in Maddie's eyes softened her resolve. They'd been friends since orientation, and despite their differences, Eliana felt an almost sisterly bond with her.
"Fine," she said finally. "But you'll have to promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"No parties this weekend. We'll spend Saturday night reviewing economics."
Maddie groaned loudly, flopping back on the bed. "Saturday night? Do you hate me?"
Eliana smirked. "No. I'm saving you."
Saturday came, and Maddie showed up at the library dressed as though she were heading to a photoshoot—tight jeans, glossy lipstick, oversized earrings. Heads turned as she walked in, and Eliana shook her head, trying not to laugh.
"You're hopeless," Eliana whispered as Maddie settled beside her.
"I came, didn't I? That's a miracle on its own," Maddie shot back, pulling out a notebook that looked brand new.
For the next hour, Eliana explained supply and demand curves, drawing diagrams in Maddie's book. Maddie, surprisingly, asked sharp questions when she paid attention.
"You're actually good at this," Eliana admitted.
"I told you, I'm smart," Maddie said, twirling her pen. "I just prefer parties to textbooks."
Eliana rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you balanced both, you'd surprise yourself."
By mid-evening, Eliana excused herself to grab water. On her way back, she noticed Stephen across the room, laughing with a group of classmates. He looked effortlessly confident, leaning back in his chair, gesturing as he spoke. The sound of his laugh made her chest tighten.
As if sensing her gaze, Stephen looked up. Their eyes met for the briefest moment. He smiled politely, then turned back to his friends.
Eliana sat down quickly, her pulse racing. Maddie raised an eyebrow.
"What's with you?"
"Nothing," Eliana said too quickly.
Maddie leaned forward, following her line of sight. A sly grin spread across her face. "Ah. Stephen. So it begins."
Eliana flushed. "Stop."
"I knew it," Maddie whispered triumphantly. "The way you looked at him at the party? Girl, you're gone already."
"I'm not—" Eliana started, but Maddie cut her off.
"You don't have to deny it. Trust me, I know these things. And guess what? I heard he's single."
Eliana's heart fluttered at the thought, though she tried to appear uninterested. "It doesn't matter. He doesn't even know I exist."
Maddie smirked knowingly. "Leave that to me."
That night, after hours of tutoring, Eliana walked back to her dorm alone. The campus was quiet, streetlights casting long shadows across the path. She replayed the day in her mind—the way Stephen had smiled, the way Maddie had teased, the way William's quiet presence had lingered at the edge of her thoughts since the library encounter.
Three very different people, all orbiting her life in ways she hadn't expected.
Maddie: wild, reckless, yet loyal.
Stephen: charming, magnetic, and impossibly out of reach.
William: steady, observant, and mysterious in a way that unsettled her.
Eliana tightened her grip on her books, her mind tangled with possibilities she didn't dare voice aloud.
She told herself she was here to study, to protect her scholarship, to secure her future.
But her heart, restless and curious, seemed to have other plans.
And deep down, Eliana feared that no matter how hard she tried, she was already caught in a game she didn't know how to play.