Davon arrived at the dorm right on time, his knock sharp against the door. Elise opened it nervously, stepping aside to let him in. But before he could cross the threshold, Ellie practically skipped forward, eyes sparkling.
"Hi, Davon! I'm Ellie, Elise's friend. I've heard so much about you—"
Davon's crimson eyes slid to her, his expression unreadable. His voice was cool, detached.
"Not interested."
The rejection was so cold that Ellie froze mid-smile, cheeks turning bright pink. Without another glance at her, Davon stepped past her and into Elise's dorm. Anastasia stifled a laugh, Patricia smirked, and Elise wanted to sink into the floor.
"Sorry about them," she muttered, shutting the door.
Davon only shrugged, pulling out his notes. "Let's just get started."
---
The hours dragged quietly as they worked. Elise scribbled ideas while Davon adjusted details, their heads bent over the same notebook. Slowly, her exhaustion caught up with her—she hadn't slept well the night before, nerves buzzing nonstop.
Before she knew it, her eyelids grew heavy. Her head tilted slightly and—without realizing—she slumped gently against Davon's shoulder.
Davon froze. His crimson eyes flicked down to her sleeping face. For a long moment, he didn't move, just studied her. The faint blush on her cheeks, the way her breathing steadied when she leaned against him…
She's still the same Elise.
The dorm door burst open suddenly. Anastasia, Ellie, and Patricia peeked inside—and froze at the sight. Elise fast asleep on Davon, his expression unreadable.
Ellie gasped. Anastasia's jaw dropped. Patricia grinned like she'd just been handed front-row tickets to a scandal.
Davon glanced up at them silently, then, with surprising gentleness, scooped Elise into his arms. He laid her carefully on her bed, tucking her in without a word.
The girls didn't dare speak until he straightened, gave them one last cool glance, and walked out of the room.
The door clicked shut.
Then all three of them pounced.
"Elise!" Anastasia whispered loudly, shaking her. "Do you even realize what just happened?"
Elise stirred awake, blinking in confusion. "Huh? What…?"
Patricia smirked. "You fell asleep on Davon. And he carried you to bed like some fairytale prince."
Ellie groaned, clutching her pillow. "I can't believe it. Why is it always you?"
Realization hit Elise, and her face turned crimson. "Oh no… no, no, no! That's so embarrassing!" She buried herself under the blanket, wishing she could disappear.
Her friends only laughed, jealousy and excitement buzzing around them, while Elise tried not to die of shame.