Chapter Ten — Amelia's POV
The sun had barely risen when my alarm went off. The dorm was still quiet, except for the soft hum of the ceiling fan and the faint rustle of pages from my desk. I'd fallen asleep over my Physics notes again. My pen had rolled to the floor, and my Bible lay open beside my notebook — right where I'd left it after whispering a prayer at midnight.
It was a new week, the one before the final quiz team trials, and my nerves had never been sharper. The preliminary results were in, and to no one's surprise, the top three names were Kamen Dela, Hilda Grant, and Amelia Reynolds. The fourth spot was still open — a reminder that every mark counted.
Doja was the first to react when she saw the list.
"Of course!" she squealed, waving the notice like a victory flag. "My girl made it! Brain and beauty — unbeatable combo!"
I laughed, taking the paper from her. "It's just the prelims, Doja."
"'Just'? You're literally two points below Kamen! That's practically a tie!"
Her excitement warmed me, but I couldn't stop thinking about Hilda. She'd been unusually quiet since the results came out. I caught her a few times staring at Kamen and me when we worked together in class, her expression unreadable.
Hilda had always been one of the best — confident, quick-thinking, competitive. She wasn't cruel, but there was something sharp about her now, like she needed to prove something.
The next few days turned into a blur of formulas, group revisions, and whispered study sessions under the big oak tree. The place had somehow become ours — Kamen's and mine.
Sometimes, he'd explain a concept, and I'd just watch him talk — his brow furrowed, voice steady, words precise. He had a way of making even the hardest theories sound simple. Other times, we sat in silence, solving problems side by side until the sun dipped below the horizon.
One afternoon, after hours of studying, I sighed, stretching my sore arms. "You ever get tired of this?"
"Of what?"
"Always studying. Always being the serious ones."
He glanced at me, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You're asking me that?"
I laughed. "Fair. But still, don't you wish for something… lighter?"
He didn't answer immediately. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet.
"Sometimes. But working hard—it keeps my mind busy. It helps me forget things."
I wanted to ask what things, but the look in his eyes told me not to. Instead, I said softly, "Then let's both keep busy. But don't forget to breathe once in a while."
He chuckled under his breath. "You sound like my conscience."
"Maybe I am," I teased.
That moment lingered, longer than it should have.
⸻
Doja, on the other hand, was determined to pull me back into her world.
"Amelia, you're turning into a robot," she said one evening, tossing herself onto my bed. "All this studying and praying — when was the last time you did something fun?"
"Studying is fun," I replied without looking up.
She groaned. "You're impossible. Listen, Saturday night, there's a little gathering at the student lounge. Food, music, nothing wild. Come with me. Just one night."
I hesitated. I wanted to say no — but something in her voice made me pause. Maybe I had been too withdrawn.
"Fine," I said finally. "One night."
Doja's scream nearly shook the walls. "Victory!"
Saturday came faster than expected. I wore a simple blue dress — modest but soft enough that even Doja approved. The student lounge was warm and full of laughter. For the first time in weeks, I wasn't thinking about equations or prayer points.
Halfway through the night, I felt a familiar gaze. I turned, and there he was — Kamen — standing at the doorway, arms crossed, his usual unreadable look softening when our eyes met.
"You came," he said when I walked up to him.
"So did you," I replied.
"I was dragged."
"Same."
We both smiled. It was easy, natural, almost as if the weeks of silence between us had folded into this single, quiet moment.
Doja, of course, noticed immediately.
"Oh, don't mind me," she teased, passing by with a grin. "Just two nerds pretending they're not falling in love."
"Doja!" I hissed, but she only winked and disappeared into the crowd.
Kamen looked amused. "She's… something."
"She's my friend," I said fondly. "Even if she drives me crazy."
He nodded. "She keeps you balanced."
"Exactly."
For the rest of the evening, we didn't talk much. Just shared the same space, the same quiet laughter. When the music faded and the crowd thinned, he walked me back to my dorm.
"Good luck tomorrow," he said softly. "You'll do great."
I smiled. "You too."
He hesitated, as if wanting to say more. Then he simply nodded and walked away.
⸻
That night, I couldn't sleep. I replayed the day — the laughter, the smiles, the way Kamen had looked at me like he finally saw something he hadn't before.
The next morning, before dawn, I knelt beside my bed and prayed.
"Lord," I whispered, "help me remember that everything I do, I do for You. Not for attention, not for pride. But because You gave me this mind, and I want to honor You with it."
When I opened my eyes, peace filled my chest. Whatever came next — the trials, the results, the emotions I didn't fully understand — I knew I'd face it with faith.
And maybe, just maybe, with someone beside me.