After class, I headed straight to the library, eager to get some studying done. I grabbed a few books and made my way to one of the empty tables. But to my surprise, I spotted Ethan already sitting there, immersed in his work. He glanced up just as I was about to pass by.
"Hey, Pie," he said casually, with a slight smile on his face.
My heart skipped a beat. He called me *Pie*? I was jumping on the inside, but I tried my best to act cool. "You too, Ethan?" I teased back, pretending to be offended by his little nickname.
He grinned, and I couldn't help but smile. Taking a seat opposite him, I opened my books, trying to focus on the pages in front of me. We quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm, exchanging small talk as we worked through our assignments. It felt... natural, as if we had done this a thousand times before.
To my delight, Ethan helped me solve a few tricky problems. Every time our hands accidentally touched while passing papers or pointing to something in the textbook, a spark ran through me. I struggled to keep my composure, burying my emotions deep down and trying my hardest not to give away how much it affected me.
But every moment with him made it harder.
After a productive study session, I left the library with a big smile on my face, still buzzing from the time we spent together. As I entered the hostel wing, Eva immediately noticed my glowing expression.
"Okay, spill," she said, raising an eyebrow as I walked into our room, blushing and smiling like a lovesick fool.
I tried to brush it off. "Nothing, just had a nice study session."
She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "With who?"
I hesitated for a second before blurting it out. "Ethan."
Her face lit up with excitement, and she wasted no time grilling me for every little detail. I told her how we studied together, how he called me 'Pie,' and how he helped me with my doubts. She squealed, teasing me relentlessly, making it impossible to hide how much I liked him.
"It's just a crush, Eva. Nothing more," I said, trying to downplay my feelings, but she wasn't buying it.
"A crush?" she teased, her grin widening. "Girl, you're blushing just talking about him! That's more than a crush."
"Alright do whatever you want, it's your life? But e careful with boys? They end up hurting us?" She was serious for a moment.
I rolled my eyes, but deep down, I knew she was right. I couldn't stop thinking about him, about how he made me feel.
—————
One day
as I returned to my dorm after studying library , I noticed a loud noise coming from the other end of the corridor. My peaceful time with Ethan was quickly overshadowed by the sound of blaring music and people laughing obnoxiously. Of course, it had to be Zayn again. He had turned the dormitory into his personal party hall.
The moment I opened the door to my room, I felt the weight of the sound pressing against my skull. I tried drowning it out with my new EarPods—the ones Eva had gifted me—but nothing worked. The thumping bass reverberated through the walls, shaking the bed, making it impossible to sleep.
I tossed and turned, covering my head with pillows. It was no use. My frustration grew, and I could feel my anger boiling over. How could anyone sleep through this madness? I pulled the blanket over my head, trying desperately to focus on something—anything—but the noise. My thoughts drifted back to the party earlier, where Zayn caught me burning all those drugs. He hadn't forgotten, I knew it. He was toying with me now.