Ally arrived at her first lecture, notebook in hand, heart pounding. College was nothing like she imagined — it was louder, more crowded, and somehow more stressful than high school ever was.
She scanned the room and froze.
There he was.
Drake.
Sitting in the middle row, arms crossed, eyes focused on his notebook, completely oblivious to the chaos around him. His presence was calm but intimidating, like a storm contained in a single human.
Ally muttered under her breath: "Great. He's everywhere."
Mary leaned over, whispering with excitement. "See? I told you he'd show up. Isn't he… mysterious?"
Ally rolled her eyes. "Mysterious or completely impossible to read? Pick one."
First Attempt at Conversation
During a lull, Ally tried to make conversation.
"Hi… um, Drake," she started, attempting a friendly smile.
Drake didn't look up. Not a flicker.
Ally frowned. "Drake?"
He finally glanced at her, expression neutral. "Yes?"
She tried again, leaning slightly closer. "So… college is fun, huh?"
He tilted his head slightly, like a cat deciding whether she was interesting enough to bother with. "It's… fine."
Ally blinked. "Fine? Fine? That's all you've got?"
Drake's lips twitched in the slightest hint of a smirk — but it didn't reach his eyes. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. He returned to his notebook.
Ally exhaled loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose. Impossible.
Observations
Ally couldn't help but notice how he only seemed to speak to a select few — like Josh, his best friend, who was already sitting at the back of the room, quietly texting him. Everyone else? He barely acknowledged.
Figures, Ally muttered. Of course he's too cool for small talk.
Mary, noticing Ally's frustration, whispered: "You're staring too much. Don't make it obvious."
Ally shot her a glare. "I'm not staring. I'm… observing."
"Sure," Mary whispered, clearly amused.
Alex and Josh: The Rivalry Continues
Across the room, Alex was scribbling notes neatly in his notebook, glancing occasionally at the professor. Josh, sitting near the back, kept trying to get his attention with playful nudges and smirks.
Alex glared once, whispering sharply: "Could you not?"
Josh grinned. "Could I not what? Be charming?"
Alex rolled his eyes. "Yes. Be charming somewhere else."
Josh leaned back, smirking. "Challenge accepted."
Ally watched the two, amused, and secretly relieved she had Alex as a friend — calm, collected, and apparently immune to Josh's antics.
Class Ends
By the end of the lecture, Ally was mentally exhausted. Drake had barely spoken, Josh and Alex were on the verge of a silent showdown, and Mary had somehow convinced half the class that Ally was "secretly the funniest person alive."
As the students packed up, Drake stood, gathering his notebook and backpack. He walked past Ally without a word, but she caught him glance sideways — a fleeting, almost imperceptible flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
Ally's heart thumped. Did he just notice me?
Mary nudged her. "Yep. He totally noticed you. Don't screw it up."
Ally groaned. "Noticing me is the problem, trust me."
After Class
Outside, Ally met Alex again.
"So, what did you think of your first lecture?" he asked, friendly as ever.
Ally grinned. "Exhausting. And apparently, I have a stepbrother who's a silent storm in class."
Alex laughed. "Silent storm? Sounds… dramatic."
Ally muttered, "Dramatic barely covers it."
They walked together across campus, talking about schedules, textbooks, and the chaos of the first day. Ally couldn't stop sneaking glances at Drake, who now stood a few meters away, clearly ignoring her… but she could've sworn he glanced at her once or twice.