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EPISODE 5 — Campus Sparks
(Layla's POV)
The weekend came faster than I expected, but it didn't bring relief. Avalon University had a way of making every corner feel alive, every face both familiar and alien. Chloe bounced ahead of me, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Layla! Clubs fair! We have to check it out!" she said, tugging at my sleeve.
"I just want a quiet corner… maybe the library," I muttered, trying to pull free.
"Quiet corner? You came to college to live, not hide under a book!" she countered.
Mia, calm as ever, gave me a small smile. "There's no harm in pacing yourself."
I gave a tight smile, grateful for her steady presence, though my eyes kept drifting across the quad.
And there he was. Ethan. Leaning against the fountain, hoodie half-zipped, notebook in hand. His gaze found me almost immediately, and that smirk tugged at his lips.
I ducked behind Chloe. "You're doomed," she whispered conspiratorially.
"Not doomed," I muttered, heart racing. "Just… cautious."
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By afternoon, we wandered through the clubs fair. Booths stretched across the lawn, each more colorful and chaotic than the last — debate, photography, dance, robotics, student council. Chloe dashed between tables, chatting, laughing, signing up for everything.
"You have to join at least one," she urged, bouncing on her toes. "Don't just stand there like a ghost!"
Mia lingered by the volunteer tutoring booth, carefully scanning pamphlets. "Helping others could be… grounding," she said softly.
I nodded, considering it. Peer mentoring fit my psychology track — a chance to meet people without being swallowed by the crowd.
I sensed him again, across the quad, talking to some juniors. Our eyes met, and he gave a subtle nod, faint but deliberate. I froze, my pulse spiking.
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Sunday night, the dorm was quiet. Chloe had collapsed onto her bed with earbuds in, Mia was sketching at her desk, and I stood at the window. The quad below was empty, bathed in soft streetlamp glow.
And then he appeared. Ethan, walking alone, hands in pockets, hoodie up. Pretending not to notice me. But I knew better.
I whispered to myself, "Why do you keep showing up?"
A faint smirk appeared on his face, almost ghostlike in the dim light. I pressed my forehead to the glass. Maybe it's time to stop pretending he doesn't matter.
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Monday brought the first psychology lab. Lab partners were assigned randomly. Of course, Ethan ended up next to me.
"Hey," he said softly as he leaned slightly toward my workstation. "Surviving your first weekend?"
"Barely. And you?"
"Flawless," he said, eyes glinting. "I've been observing you, quiet and efficient… impressive."
"Observing me?" I asked, wary.
"You're hard to ignore," he replied, voice low.
I tried to focus on setting up the experiment, but every glance revealed him watching — not hovering, just present.
Mia leaned over my shoulder. "Don't let him intimidate you. He's like constant, but predictable."
"Predictable?" I whispered.
"Yes," she said, glancing at him. "Noticeable, yes. But consistent in a way that gives you time to react."
I gave her a faint smile. She always knew what to say.
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By midweek, Chloe convinced me to attend a casual café night hosted by the literature club. Mia came along, sketchbook in hand, Chloe flirting with new friends.
Ethan appeared there too — leaning against the counter, coffee in hand, pretending to read a flyer.
"Why do you follow me everywhere?" I whispered under my breath.
"You do make it easy," Chloe teased.
Mia glanced up. "Or perhaps he's genuinely interested."
I groaned inwardly. Stop thinking about it.
He caught my eye across the room. This time, he smiled fully — not teasing, not casual — a real smile that made my stomach flip.
I realized — for better or worse — he wasn't leaving.
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Thursday brought group assignments. Chloe, Mia, and I worked with a few other students. Ethan's group was across the table.
"Looks like we're neighbors again," he said softly, voice low. His gaze lingered longer than necessary.
"Seems so," I murmured, glancing away.
Hours passed, filled with small talk, shared notes, and fleeting glances across the room. Every time I focused on the assignment, a subtle awareness tugged at me — Ethan was watching, noting, cataloging.
By the time the lab ended, my brain was fried, my pulse unsteady, my thoughts a tangled mess.
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By the end of the week, the dynamic was clear: Chloe thrived, Mia balanced us quietly, and Ethan… Ethan was a storm, moving through my days like a shadow I didn't mind following.
Late nights at the window, the hum of the campus below, and quiet conversations with Mia reminded me of something dangerous, exhilarating, inevitable:
Avalon University wasn't just a new beginning.
It was the stage for something far bigger.
Something I wasn't ready to name yet.
Something that had already begun.
And this time, I had no intention of running.
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