The week moved faster than Amara expected. Between classes, the project, and the new idea of Saturday's hangout floating in her mind, every day felt tinted with a quiet hum of anticipation. She hadn't even realized how much she was looking forward to it until Friday night, when Emily knocked on her door with a bag already half-stuffed with clothes.
"Have you even started packing?" Emily demanded, leaning against the doorframe with a mischievous grin.
Amara looked up from her desk, where she had been rereading a few lecture notes. "Packing? It's just a hangout, not a holiday."
Emily stepped inside and tossed a folded t-shirt onto Amara's bed. "Exactly. Which means you need to be ready. You don't want to show up looking like you just rolled out of a library."
Amara let out a laugh, shaking her head. "You're impossible."
But as she watched Emily dig through her own bag, pulling out outfits and holding them against her body for approval, Amara felt her own resolve weaken. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to plan ahead. Not for anyone in particular she told herself that quickly but just so she wouldn't feel out of place.
By the time Emily finished convincing her, Amara's bed was littered with neatly folded options: a pair of jeans, two casual tops, and a light jacket. Simple, comfortable, but presentable.
"See?" Emily said triumphantly. "Now you'll thank me later."
Amara only smiled, tucking the clothes into a small weekend bag. Still, as she zipped it shut, she couldn't help wondering whether Adrian had thought to pack anything at all. He didn't strike her as the type to fuss over outfits. In fact, she could imagine him tossing a shirt into a bag at the last second and calling it a day.
Saturday morning arrived crisp and bright. The campus courtyard buzzed with life as students prepared for the trip. Damian and Luke had shown up early, their energy already bouncing off one another. Emily, too, looked eager, her bag slung over her shoulder as she scanned the small group forming by the parking lot.
Amara spotted Adrian a moment later. He was standing near a dark-colored car, one hand resting casually on the door, his bag unsurprisingly...small and plain. His posture was relaxed, but his gaze, fixed on nothing in particular, carried that quiet distance that always seemed to set him apart.
"Finally," Damian said when he caught sight of Amara and Emily. "We thought you two would keep us waiting forever."
Emily laughed. "We're right on time."
Luke grinned, swinging his keys in his hand. "Alright, so here's the plan. Adrian's car can take two. Mine can handle the rest. Fair?"
Before Amara could process, Damian jumped in with a smirk. "Perfect. Adrian drives with Amara. Emily's with us."
The words landed like a stone in Amara's chest. She blinked, heat rising faintly to her cheeks. "Wait..."
But Emily was already laughing, nudging her lightly. "Don't look so panicked. It's just a ride."
Luke whistled low. "A ride that'll be very… quiet."
Damian chuckled. "Yeah, unless Amara can get him to talk more than three words at a time."
Adrian, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke. "Keys," he said simply, holding out his hand toward Luke.
Luke tossed them over with a grin. "Try not to scare her with all that brooding silence, yeah?"
Amara wished the ground would swallow her whole. But Adrian didn't flinch at the teasing. He simply opened the passenger door, his expression unreadable, as though none of their comments mattered in the least.
Emily leaned close to whisper, "Relax. It's a good thing."
Amara gave her a small look before climbing into the car. Her heart was thudding a little too fast, but she tried to mask it with calm. Adrian slid into the driver's seat beside her, his movements unhurried, controlled.
Through the windshield, she could see Damian and Luke stuffing Emily's bag into the trunk of Luke's car, still laughing about something between them. She couldn't hear their words, but she was certain they hadn't stopped their teasing.
For a moment, the quiet inside Adrian's car pressed in around her. The scent of leather filled the space, mingling with something faintly sharp and clean...his cologne, maybe. He adjusted the rearview mirror, started the engine, and glanced briefly at her before focusing on the road ahead.
"You okay?" His voice was low, even, almost as if he was asking out of politeness rather than concern.
"Yes," Amara answered quickly, surprised by how steady she managed to sound. "I'm fine."
He nodded once, accepting her reply without pushing further.
Outside, Luke honked twice, signaling the start of their little convoy. Damian leaned halfway out of the passenger window, waving dramatically. "Don't get lost, lovebirds!"
Amara's entire face burned, and she turned sharply toward the window, hoping Adrian didn't notice. But his lack of reaction only deepened the mystery. Did nothing faze him?
The two cars rolled forward, pulling out of the lot. Amara kept her eyes on the blur of buildings passing by, trying to calm her racing thoughts.
Beside her, Adrian drove in silence, his hand steady on the wheel. His profile was calm, his gaze fixed straight ahead. For a moment, Amara let herself study him...the sharp lines of his jaw, the ease in his posture. He seemed almost untouched by the noise of the world outside.
And though the quiet between them stretched, it didn't feel suffocating this time. Instead, it carried a strange kind of possibility.
They were starting a journey. Together, even if just for a weekend. And Amara couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.