Two months.
That was how long it had been since Nia Carter's father passed away. Two months since her world turned gray. And now, instead of hiding in her room with her headphones, she was standing in front of the enormous iron gates of St. Claire's University—her new beginning.
A beginning she wasn't ready for.
Her heart thudded as she walked inside, clutching her bag like it was her lifeline. The campus was buzzing with life: groups of students laughing, seniors showing off, couples holding hands. Everyone seemed to belong. Except her.
"Great," she muttered under her breath. "Day one and I already feel like a lost tourist."
She found her classroom after peeking into the wrong ones twice—earning a few odd stares. By the time she slid inside the right lecture hall, it was already half-full.
And then it happened.
The chatter slowly softened. A few heads turned. Eyes lingered. Whispers floated around.
Why is everyone staring? she thought nervously. Did I wear my T-shirt inside out? Is there something on my face? Oh no—please don't let it be toothpaste.
Her cheeks warmed as she hurried to an empty seat by the window. She kept her eyes glued to her notebook, hoping the ground would open up and swallow her.
But what she didn't notice was the boy in the third row.
Adison Blake—the class representative. Sharp, confident, the kind of student teachers trusted and girls admired. For the first time in weeks, his focus wasn't on the lecture or his notes. His eyes were on her.
Victor Hayes, his best friend, noticed. He leaned slightly closer and said under his breath, "You're staring, Adison."
Adison smirked without looking away. "Just curious."
Victor rolled his eyes. "Curious or interested?"
Adison didn't reply, but the faintest smile tugged at his lips.
Meanwhile, Nia scribbled nonsense in her notebook, desperately trying to look busy. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted the moment she entered the room.
She didn't know it yet, but her first day at St. Claire's was the beginning of a story she never expected—a story of glances, heartbreak, and the boy she once rejected.