Gianna tried to shake off the weird tension from the café, but by the time she stepped into school on Monday, it was still clinging to her. She hadn't expected to see Adrian over the weekend, and even less so at school. But as fate would have it, their worlds seemed determined to keep colliding.
The hallway buzzed with the usual Monday morning chatter, lockers slamming shut, and students rushing to class. Gianna moved through the crowd, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder, trying to stay invisible. It wasn't like she and Adrian had ever crossed paths at school before—not really. He was just another face in the sea of students, one she barely noticed before all those café encounters started piling up.
But today, as she rounded a corner on the way to her locker, she spotted him.
Of course, he was standing right there. Leaning casually against the lockers with a couple of guys she vaguely recognized from gym class. Adrian didn't seem to notice her at first, deep in conversation with his friends, but just as she was about to turn and take another route, his eyes flicked up—and locked onto hers.
For a split second, Gianna froze.
There was no way to avoid it now. She forced herself to keep moving, walking past them as casually as possible, but her mind was racing, her heart doing an odd little flip. She felt his gaze lingering on her, and she hated how aware of him she had become. This was just another day, another hall, and yet it felt like she was under a spotlight.
"Gianna!"
The sudden voice made her jump, pulling her out of her thoughts. Mia bounded up beside her, clutching a handful of notebooks and practically bouncing with energy.
"Did you see the new guy? Everyone's talking about him. He's in my English class and, oh my God, so cute—" Mia's voice dropped to a mock-whisper, though her excitement was anything but subtle. "And apparently, he's super smart. Like, impossible to beat smart. Ugh, why are the cute ones always intimidating?"
Gianna barely registered Mia's words, her focus still caught on the fact that Adrian was now walking in the same direction, just a few steps behind them. Great, she thought. Now he was going to hear every embarrassing thing Mia was saying about the "new cute guy," without knowing that she was actually talking about Adrian.
Mia didn't seem to notice Gianna's distracted state as they made their way to their lockers. "Anyway, what's up with you? You've been weirdly quiet all morning. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Gianna said quickly, stuffing her books into her locker. "Just tired, I guess."
Mia narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "Tired? Or something else? Because I swear, you've been acting off ever since—"
"Mia." Gianna cut her off, not wanting to explain. "I'm fine."
Her friend raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. Gianna exhaled softly, thankful for the reprieve.
But just as she closed her locker and started walking toward class, she nearly ran smack into Adrian. Again.
"Oh—sorry!" she blurted, her heart rate spiking.
Adrian seemed unfazed, but there was something in his eyes that hinted he found the situation as awkward as she did. "No problem," he said, his voice calm as always, but his lips twitched in what might have been the start of a smile.
Gianna quickly sidestepped him, her face burning. She couldn't believe this was happening again—and at school, of all places. She hurried past him, determined to put as much distance between them as possible. But even as she walked away, she could feel his presence like a weight at her back.
Mia, of course, had noticed everything. "Wait. Wait. What was that?" she demanded, jogging to catch up with Gianna. "Since when do you know him?"
"Who?" Gianna tried to play dumb, though she knew it wouldn't work.
Mia shot her a look. "The cute guy we were just talking about! You totally know him! What's going on? How do you know Adrian?"
"Adrian?" Gianna echoed, more to buy time than anything. "Oh, he's…he's just a guy. He comes to the café sometimes."
"Just a guy?" Mia repeated, incredulous. "Girl, no. That was not a 'just a guy' moment. That was an awkward 'I know you but don't know how to act around you' moment. Spill."
Gianna groaned inwardly. Mia was relentless when she got curious about something, and there was no point in trying to dodge her questions now. "It's nothing," she insisted. "He comes in, orders coffee, and that's it."
Mia wasn't convinced. "Uh-huh. Sure, whatever you say. But I'm going to need details next time, because that was definitely something."
Gianna rolled her eyes, brushing off Mia's teasing, though her mind was spinning. She couldn't figure out why these run-ins with Adrian felt so strange, like they were charged with some kind of hidden meaning she couldn't decipher. He was just a guy who liked his coffee black and kept to himself. There was no reason for these encounters to feel so…awkward.
Except they did.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, with Adrian popping up in random moments that made Gianna question whether the universe was deliberately messing with her. At lunch, she saw him across the cafeteria, casually eating with his group of friends while she sat with Mia, trying to focus on the conversation but constantly sneaking glances at him.
Later, in the hallway, she bumped into him again—this time, quite literally, when she turned a corner and walked straight into his chest, dropping her notebook in the process.
"Sorry," she muttered, quickly kneeling to pick it up.
Adrian crouched down to help, their hands brushing again. This time, the contact was brief but noticeable, and Gianna felt a jolt of embarrassment flood her cheeks.
"You're good," he said, handing her the notebook with that same calm expression. "I'll see you around."
Gianna mumbled her thanks and scurried off, mortified at how often they seemed to be running into each other lately. It was like no matter where she went, Adrian was there—quiet, composed, and completely unsettling her with his presence.
By the time the last bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Gianna was exhausted—not from the classes, but from the constant awkward encounters with Adrian. She gathered her things from her locker, ready to escape to the safety of home, when she saw him one last time, walking toward the exit with his friends.
Their eyes met briefly, and for a second, Gianna thought she saw the same flicker of discomfort in his gaze that she felt. But then he turned away, blending into the crowd of students heading out the door