Back in the last row, Jack nudged Ryan, barely able to keep his voice down.
"Ryan, did you see that? She looked at me again!"
"I saw, I saw. Didn't think you'd get this lucky," Ryan muttered, still with that edge of sarcasm.
He had seen Grace glance their way. And, honestly, he just assumed she was looking at Jack, too.
His heart sank a little.
Jack elbowed him, trying to keep from laughing out loud. "Don't be jealous, man.
This is good news for your bro! You should be happy for me."
He grinned wider, then glanced up at the teacher to make sure he wasn't about to get in trouble.
Ryan groaned. "Easy for you to say. I don't even have a girlfriend. And you're telling me our class monitor—the girl every guy in this school wants—is actually looking at you? I'd be happy with literally anyone at this point. Doesn't matter what she looks like, as long as she's real."
Jack slapped him on the back. "Don't worry, man. Your turn's coming soon."
"It's fine, it's fine. You'll be happy soon enough." Jack said, sounding distracted, and then switched topics.
"Hey, Ryan, do you think I should be the one to add the class monitor on Instagram? I mean, I can't just wait for her to add me, right? That'd look bad. Girls are usually a bit more reserved."
Jack didn't wait for an answer.
"Definitely add her. You've gotta show some initiative," Ryan said, nodding without hesitation.
"Yeah, that's what I thought too. Alright, I'll do it now. Wow, never thought I'd be the one catching the class monitor's attention."
Jack let out a nervous laugh, then went quiet. He threw a quick glance at the teacher—still safe, no one watching—so he snuck his phone out and opened the Instagram.
He scrolled until he found Grace's profile.
"Hi, class monitor, I'm Jack~"
He typed out the message for the friend request, then shoved the phone toward Ryan.
"Check this for me before I send it, just in case."
After sending the request, Jack didn't even bother putting his phone away. He just kept it in his hand, watching the screen, clearly hoping Grace would accept right away.
He turned to Evan, grinning like an idiot. "Evan, I think I'm about to get a girlfriend. Don't be jealous, man, it's just fate."
Evan just stared at him, totally baffled. For a second, he wondered how Jack even came up with this stuff.
Seriously? You really think Grace's into you?
Evan didn't say anything, just shot Jack a look.
He'd seen Grace looking over earlier, but that didn't mean anything. You'd have to be ridiculously confident to jump to that conclusion.
"If that makes you happy," Evan finally said, shaking his head.
Jack elbowed him playfully. "Come on, Evan, don't be jealous. We're brothers. If things work out with the class monitor, dinner's on me—order whatever you want! You too, Ryan!"
He laughed again, not waiting for a reply, already lost in his own excitement.
Grace sat right up front, barely moving as she listened to the teacher. She didn't have to pay attention—nobody in college really does if they don't want to—but she still did, jotting down notes now and then because her standards were just that high.
Sunlight poured in through the window, lighting up her face. She looked so pretty that the whole scene felt almost unreal.
"Grace is so pretty," Anna whispered, glancing over at Grace before nudging her roommate.
Her roommate just nodded, eyes still on Grace.
It hadn't even been a full month since classes started, but honestly, everyone liked Grace. Admired might be more accurate. She was good-looking, sure, and had that calm, organized vibe. She always helped people out, and she'd already built up a reputation among the girls in class as someone you could really count on.
Sometimes, people whispered and wondered what kind of guy Grace might go for.
A few of her roommates chatted quietly, but Grace tuned them out and stayed focused on the lecture.
That's when her phone buzzed in her jeans pocket. She'd put it on vibrate before class, just in case. Still, the vibration made her frown. She wanted to ignore it, but what if it was a family message? After a second's hesitation, she glanced up at the teacher, then slipped her phone out of her pocket.
She unlocked it and saw a Chat friend request.
Jack?
Who's Jack?
Grace frowned again, not really caring. Some random guy must've gotten her ID and tried to add her. It'd happened more than thirty times since the semester started—basically every other day.
"You give my ID to someone again?" she turned to Anna.
"No, I swear! After you told me not to, I haven't given it to anyone. For real, I promise!" Anna looked genuinely upset.
She had given Grace's Id out before, thinking it was no big deal, but after Grace asked her to stop, she kept her word—even though boys sometimes bribed her with snacks just to get it.
Grace stared at her, puzzled, but let it go. She ignored the friend request and was about to put her phone away.
Then she noticed the class group chat. Without thinking, she glanced at Evan. She clicked into the group, found Evan's profile, and tapped "add friend."
"I'm Grace. Can you add me? I have some questions for you."
As she typed, her cheeks went pink. It was the first time she'd ever sent a guy a friend request. Outgoing as she was, she couldn't stop herself from blushing and feeling a little shy. Thankfully, she pushed those feelings down, sent the request, and slipped her phone back in her pocket.
But after that, she just couldn't concentrate. Her mind wandered, and she kept checking her phone every few minutes.
"What's up, Grace? You waiting for something important?" Anna finally noticed. Grace never acted distracted in class, let alone checked her phone five times in one lecture.
Anna stared at her in surprise. Grace was always the serious one, impossible to distract. But now… she was clearly waiting on a message. Maybe it was from home? That's gotta be it, right? There's no way she'd be waiting for a text from a guy. All the boys who'd tried to talk to her so far got politely turned down. No way she's waiting for one of them.
"Uh…" Grace started to answer, caught off guard by the question.
Grace let out a little "uh," trying to steer the conversation somewhere else, but Anna jumped in before she could even say a word.
"Grace, are you texting your mom?"
Huh? Grace glanced up at her, nodded quietly, and mumbled a soft "hmm."
"I knew it," Anna said, looking pretty pleased with herself. She didn't press further, though—the teacher up front had already turned their gaze her way.
Catching that look, Anna stiffened, a bit flustered, and instantly put on her best "I'm listening" face.
The teacher didn't call her out, just glanced away and kept lecturing.
College professors aren't like teachers from elementary or high school. They won't chase you to study or check if you're paying attention. If you want to learn, they'll teach you. If you don't, they won't waste their breath.
That's college for you. You're on your own, and everyone knows it.
Sure, there are still some professors who'll cheer you on, but most of the time, it's up to you.
…
Grace looked down at her book. She'd pulled her hair up into a neat bun today, and the way her long, pale neck caught the light made her look even prettier.
She wasn't really focused, but at least she didn't reach for her phone again.
In the back row, Evan didn't notice Grace's friend request right away. Jack was busy bending his ear.
"Evan, Ryan, why hasn't the class monitor accepted my friend request yet? I've seen her check her phone five or six times already. She should've seen it by now, right?"
Jack slumped in his seat, clearly frustrated, whispering to Evan and Ryan.
Evan just shot him a look, saying nothing. Honestly, he had so many complaints bottled up, he didn't know where to start.
Ryan, sitting next to them, chimed in, "Come on, Jack. Chill out. Maybe she's testing you, you know? Seeing if you're patient enough. Don't blow it by being impatient."
Ryan looked so serious when he said it—his face always seemed way older than his age. It was hard not to believe him.
Jack nodded like he'd just been given life advice. "Yeah, Ryan, you're right. I'll wait. I won't freak out."
That's right. I might not have any experience with relationships, but I've read enough to know what I'm talking about. Trust me, you can count on me.
Ryan looked full of confidence. He and Jack leaned in and started whispering.
Evan stayed out of it. He pulled out his phone, ready to check in—first with Emily, then with Lena since it was her first day at work.
You can't play favorites when you've got two girlfriends.
But just as he was about to send a message, he paused and glanced up at Grace, sitting up front.
She sat with a straight back, hair in a bun, pale neck catching the light—a whole picture, really.
Not that any of that was the point.
What bothered him was—why did she suddenly add him as a friend? And what did she want to ask?
He thought about it. He hadn't spoken a single word to Grace since the semester started. So what was this about?
He shook his head, shrugged it off, and hit "agree" anyway. Her chat popped up right away.
Grace's profile picture was a gorgeous Ragdoll cat. Probably hers.
"What's up, class monitor? Ask away." He tore his eyes away from the profile picture and sent the message, then switched straight to Emily's chat.
"Still in the class?"
He waited. No reply from Emily.
No big deal. He clicked over to Lena and asked about her first day.
She replied in a flash.
"It's great. My best friend's been here for two months already. She's showing me the ropes, so no one's given me any trouble…"
She sent a couple more messages, chatting away.
Evan smiled at her updates. Just as he was about to type back, another message popped up—a photo this time, showing her desk, now decorated simply but with a few plushies lined up beside her computer.
"Pretty, right?" she wrote.
"Looks good," he replied, actually nodding as he typed.
They chatted a bit more. Lena wasn't busy at all. She said today was just orientation, getting to know the place. Three days to settle in before she'd have to tackle any real design work, so she was chilling.
Emily finally replied, just as class was wrapping up.
"Just finished," she wrote, her message appearing after a significant delay. "Professor kept us late. What's up?"
Evan glanced at the clock and fired off a reply.
"Nothing urgent. Just checking in. You eating lunch on campus?"
"Yeah. With my roommates," Emily texted back. After a few seconds, she added, "You?"
"I'll see. Might grab something outside."
He set his phone down right as the classroom started to clear out. Chairs squeaked, people started talking louder, and the stiff, quiet mood from the lecture just faded away.
Jack jumped up first and stretched, way too dramatic about it. "Alright, boys, lunch time. I need some real food today—gotta celebrate."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Celebrate what, exactly?"
"My future," Jack grinned. "I can feel it. Grace is just… taking her time."
Evan didn't bother with a response. He slid his phone into his pocket and stood, bag slung over one shoulder. As he stepped into the aisle, he glanced ahead for a second.
Grace was still packing up, calm and steady. She moved like she had all the time in the world. Her phone sat face-down on her desk, untouched.
Did she already see my message?
He had no clue. And honestly, it didn't bother him as much as he'd expected.
Grace stood, smoothed her skirt, and turned just enough that their eyes met. Barely a second, but it was there. Her face froze for a heartbeat before she looked away, fiddling with her bag strap like nothing happened.
Evan just raised an eyebrow and walked past her without saying a word.
Behind him, Anna leaned in close to Grace, whispering, "Grace… was that him?"
Grace hesitated.
"…Yeah."
Anna's eyes went wide. "And?"
Grace shook her head, lips pressed tight, fighting a smile. "Nothing. Not yet."
Outside, Jack was still going on.
"Ryan, listen, if she says yes tonight, I'll take her out for coffee. No—lunch. Wait—maybe both. I'll let her decide."
Ryan nodded, pretending this was serious business. "Solid plan."
Evan walked ahead, barely listening.
His phone buzzed again.
Not Emily this time.
It was Grace.
"I just wanted to ask—about the materials for next week's group assignment. Are you free later?"
Evan stopped walking.
Jack almost bumped into him. "Dude, what's up—"
Evan waved him off, eyes glued to his phone.
Free later?
He let out a breath, thumb already typing before he could overthink it.
"Yeah. I'm free."
Send.
Somewhere behind, Jack kept talking about fate.
And up ahead, Grace gripped her phone just a little tighter, her heart beating faster than before.
The semester had barely started.
But things were already changing.
******