Evan slid his phone into his pocket and headed out.
Across the room, Grace was still at her desk, packing her books like she was dragging out the last seconds. By the time she glanced up, Evan had already disappeared. She let out a quiet sigh—barely more than a whisper.
She'd wanted to ask him to dinner. Not because she was shy or anything. She just wanted to be first.
She turned to Anna, who was still nearby.
"He left already," Grace muttered.
Anna looked over, curious. "You okay? Did you need to talk to him?"
Grace kept her face neutral, but she didn't dodge the question. "I wanted to ask him to lunch."
Anna's eyebrows shot up, then she grinned. "Again?"
Grace just nodded. "Yeah."
Some of the girls nearby traded glances. Grace never bothered hiding how she felt.
Anna leaned in, whispering, "Just text him. He'll say yes."
Grace gave a stubborn half-smile. "I don't want to text. I want to ask him face-to-face."
Anna laughed. "You're something else, you know that?"
Grace shrugged, like it was nothing.
They grabbed their bags and walked out together.
In the hallway, someone stepped right into Grace's path. Matthew. Tall, sharp dresser, and that smug smile that said he thought he owned the place. Everyone knew he'd been chasing Grace since the first week.
He looked at her like he already knew her answer. "Hey, what a coincidence," he said, smooth as ever. "Want to grab lunch?"
Grace didn't flinch. She paused, locked eyes with him, and waited. Matthew just stood there, all confidence.
"No, I'm eating with my roommates."
He hung on her answer, but she just shook her head. That was it.
Matthew looked good on paper, sure, but she had zero interest in him. He always sounded immature, and he never missed a chance to brag about his family connections.
That was exactly the kind of guy Grace couldn't stand. So she turned him down flat.
Anna and the others let out a quiet breath when Grace refused. They all thought Matthew was too much—fake, honestly. Compared to him, Evan was a relief.
Matthew tried again, frowning before slapping on a smile. "What's the big deal? Let's all eat together."
He stared at Grace, eyes lingering a beat too long. There was something restless about him. Back in high school, he had all the attention he wanted. But the first time he saw Grace in college, that was it. He fell, hard.
Grace wasn't just pretty—she had this calm confidence that made people notice. The kind of girl he always saw himself with.
So he chased her. Not pushy, just steady—like he believed he'd win her over eventually. He'd checked out the whole class and figured he had no competition. In his head, Grace was already his.
"No. We like eating in the dorm," Grace said again, cool and even—nothing like the way she smiled at Evan.
She turned to her friends. "Let's go."
"Yeah."
Anna and the others followed. But before they got far, Matthew stepped in front of them.
"Wait."
Grace's brow creased.
"Actually, there's a reason I asked you to lunch," Matthew said, smile plastered on but arrogance showing through. "You said you wanted the Student Council, right?" He paused, letting it hang. "My dad's friend runs the Executive Board this year. We're basically family. Only five freshmen get in. I don't even have to interview. And I can bring one more person in… if I want to."
He didn't bother hiding the catch.
"So, how about we eat and talk about it?"
He looked so sure she'd say yes.
Student Council wasn't just another club—it ran the whole campus. Whoever led the Executive Board called the shots for everyone. And for Grace, who wanted a future in public service, that was power you couldn't ignore. One wrong move could wreck her chances. One right turn could open every door.
Anna and the others watched Grace, holding their breath. They all knew how much this meant to her.
Would she take the shortcut?
Grace met Matthew's eyes, steady as ever.
"No thanks," she said, voice calm. "I don't need shortcuts. I'll get in myself."
She didn't wait for a reply. She grabbed her friends and walked straight for the dorm, not slowing, not turning back.
Matthew just stood there, stunned. His confidence cracked. He hadn't expected her to turn him down again. Anger flashed across his face.
"Hey Matthew, what's wrong?"
A girl from his class asked, soft and sweet.
"Nothing," he answered, the smile automatic.
"Oh… okay." She drifted away.
Matthew stared after Grace as she left, then pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Hey? Matty, what's up?" The voice on the other end sounded lazy.
Matthew's tone switched instantly, all friendly. "Hey, Alex, remember I wanted to recommend someone yesterday? Change of plans. She's decided to do the interview herself." He dropped his voice, almost whispering. "Can you keep her from getting through? I'll talk to her after and bring her in."
He waited, eyes flicking around the room.
"You're really using this just to chase a girl?"
Alex laughed. "Whatever. Our families are close. I'll handle it. Just show up to the interview."
Matthew's eyes lit up.
"Thanks, man. Dinner's on me tonight?"
"No need. I'm busy."
He hung up. Matthew didn't care. He slipped his phone in his pocket, glanced one last time in the direction Grace had gone, and smirked.
He watched her disappear, the smile on his face slowly turning sharp.
She thinks she can just walk away from me.
She'll be back. And when she is… she'll say yes.
-------
Evan opened his car door, slid into the driver's seat, and fired off a quick text to Emily.
Just pulled into the school parking lot and got in the car. Should be about ten minutes till I get to your dorm. You and your roommates can start heading down.
She answered right away.
Okay, got it~
Evan was slipping his phone into his pocket when another message popped up from Emily.
By the way, my roommate wants to know where we're eating tonight?
Silver Oak Dining, Evan texted back.
Silver Oak Dining? Emily stared at her screen for a second, stunned.
Everyone in Riverton knew that place. It was ridiculously fancy—over a thousand bucks for one person's meal. She'd seen a blogger film a video there once, all caviar and gold leaf, and the video went viral. People ate that stuff up, the whole "rich life" thing.
Okay, got it. Drive safe.
She snapped out of it and shot off the reply.
Evan didn't answer. He was already on his way.
Back in the dorm, Rose watched Emily set down her phone and couldn't hold back.
"So, Emily, did you ask your boyfriend yet? Where's dinner?"
Jasmine said nothing, but she was listening too, sneaking glances.
"Silver Oak Dining," Emily said.
Rose's eyes went huge. "Wait, really? We're eating there? I heard even the cheapest meal is more than a grand…"
She hesitated, then smacked her forehead. "Wait, duh. Your boyfriend's loaded. Still, that's crazy."
She said it was over the top, but her excitement was obvious.
Jasmine, still at her desk, felt her heart race. She tried to hide it, but a little bit of envy flickered in her eyes. Even Isabella, who always looked unbothered, glanced up at the mention of the restaurant.
With all the short videos floating around these days, even regular folks knew about places that used to be private playgrounds for the rich.
"I can't believe it!" Rose grinned. "I'm going to eat like royalty tonight! I need to take a hundred pictures for my Moments."
She grabbed Emily's arm, literally bouncing.
"Emily, I love you! If it weren't for you—"
She leaned over and planted a loud kiss on Emily's cheek.
Emily just stared at her for a second, then wiped her face, giving up.
"Don't be mad," Rose said sheepishly. "I'm just really, really hyped."
Emily shook her head and stood up. "Let's go."
"Mhm!" Rose nodded like crazy.
They were already packed, so all four girls headed down together.
Outside, a bunch of guys waited for their girlfriends. When Emily came out, they all stopped for a second—their eyes lit up. She had that movie star thing going: the glow, the looks, those legs. She was the kind of girl every guy notices.
A few of them couldn't help sneaking glances at Isabella, too. Even in just a white t-shirt and jeans, with barely any makeup, she had that untouchable vibe some guys love.
For a second, it was like the crowd split down the middle: half staring at Emily, half at Isabella.
"Emily, Isabella, every guy here is staring at you," Rose whispered.
Ugh, I always feel so much pressure walking with you two.
Rose let out a sigh and turned to them, but honestly, she never stayed in her feelings for long. She said it, shrugged, and then started worrying about something else.
Emily and Isabella shared a look and smiled, not saying a word.
Jasmine stood off to the side, biting her lip. She saw it too—most of the attention drifted to Emily and Isabella.
A few guys looked her way. Jasmine knew she looked good today, she'd put in the effort. But standing next to Emily and Isabella? It was like parking an Audi next to a Bentley. Sure, Audis are great, but if there's a Bentley right there, everyone's looking at the Bentley.
"Emily, shouldn't we just order cars? One car's not enough—we're five: the four of us, plus your boyfriend."
Rose jumped in first.
"No need to book a car," Emily said, shaking her head.
Rose blinked. "No need? Why not?"
Emily grinned. "Because My boyfriend's got a car, and he'll be here soon to pick us up."
That did it—everyone snapped to attention. Rose's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Jasmine looked stunned, and even Isabella dragged her eyes off her phone for a second.
"Evan owns a car? Already?!" Rose blurted, not even trying to hide her shock.
Emily just nodded. Rose couldn't wait—she jumped in right away, pressing for details. "What kind of car?"
Emily only grinned. "You'll see soon enough." She wasn't giving anything away.
Jasmine kept quiet, but you could tell she was hanging on every word. Underneath, she was stewing—frustrated, maybe a little jealous.
Still, she forced a smile and tried to play it cool. Evan could show up any minute, and she wanted to look her best.
She made up her mind: stay calm, stay in control. That was the only shot she had at sneaking into someone else's relationship.
With that, Jasmine glanced over at Emily and let out a soft little hum, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.
********