"Here's to the new semester, guys!" Evelyn said cheerfully, raising her glass of juice. She looked radiant--golden blonde hair and striking ice-blue eyes, bright smile lighting up the cozy corner of the restaurant.
"Cheers!" Billy, Austin, and Annie echoed, clinking their glasses with hers. The atmosphere buzzed with celebration. Evelyn's vibrant energy was a sharp contrast to Annie's quiet charm—her neatly styled black hair and glasses added a touch of understated elegance to her intelligent demeanor.
"Order whatever you like," Evelyn grinned mischievously. "The bill's on me today!"
"In that case, I'm going to feast like there's no tomorrow!" Billy exclaimed, eagerly scanning the menu.
"What's the occasion for this generosity?" Austin asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Looks like Evelyn's just in a party mood," Annie teased, a soft smile gracing her lips.
"It's not just that," Evelyn said, waving the joke aside with a jerk of her hand. "Honestly, when I barely passed the Arora University entrance test, I thought I wouldn't survive. But thanks to you two," she gestured at Austin and Billy, "I managed to finish my first year with good credits!"
"And we had to endure countless sleepless nights explaining assignments and subjects to you," Billy said with a smirk.
"More like nightmares," Austin added rolling his eyes.
"Well, I ended up passing with a good GPA, didn't I? Can't you just be happy for me?" Evelyn pouted dramatically.
"You did well, my baby," Annie teased, patting Evelyn on the back with mock pride.
"Alright, enough compliments for me," Evelyn said with a grin. "But listen, tomorrow is the first day of the new semester. You guys need to be set in order to help these freshers out. This time, attempt to really guide them instead of frightening them away!"
Austin leaned back in his chair and said bluntly, "I'm not interested in dealing with anyone right now.".
"Forget me, what about you two?" Billy asked, pointing a finger at Evelyn first. "You haven't even tried talking to Marcus properly since last year!"
Evelyn's cheeks turned a deep shade of pink at the mention of Marcus. "Why does it always come back to Marcus?" she exclaimed, flustered.
"And you," continued Billy, turning to Annie, "you're always buried in books or novels. When will you start showing some interest in actual people?"
"And why drag me into this?" asked Annie with a calm sip of her juice, though with the tone that hinted at mild exasperation.
"Anyway," Billy said with a dramatic sigh, "as for me, I'm not interested in any girl right now. My heart is set on my angel. No one else compares."
"Here we go again," Annie sighed, shaking her head. "He's starting the angel story again."
"This guy is never letting go of that so-called angel," Austin added with a smirk.
"Come on, guys, she saved my life! How can I not admire her?" Billy said, sounding almost offended.
"Seriously? You can't even remember her face, and the chances of meeting her again are like 0.1%, Evelyn said, throwing her hands up. "Move on already, Billy."
"My little brother and his angel obsession… I wonder when this phase will end," Austin joked, shaking his head in mock pity.
"I have full faith," Billy said with a determined grin. "I know I'll meet her again. Maybe tomorrow, who knows?"
He leaned back with a smirk, then added, "And, for the last time, I'm not your little brother. I'm only three months younger than you."
"Which basically makes you my little brother," Austin teased, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Technically, he is the younger one," Annie quipped quietly, unable to resist the joke.
The gang had broken out laughing, with Billy groaning in frustration, but unable to hide his grin.
Days later, four friends were walking through the busy streets of Arora City. The night had fully set in, and the roads were vibrant with activity from the different vehicles and streetlights. The sidewalk was also filled with people going about their evening, while the city was rife with energy.
"Hey guys, what's the schedule for tomorrow's classes?" Billy asked casually.
The top student didn't even know the schedule?" Evelyn teased with a smirk.
"We have a morning class, don't we?" Annie asked. "Financial Management. New teacher—Amy Anderson."
"Old school professor, probably," Billy said. Laughter burst out in the group.
Just when they all were about to move on, some women were headed straight into them walking in the other direction. As they passed each other, Billy picked up something that caught his attention and put him in his tracks.
"Amy, is your first class tomorrow?" one of the women asked.
"Yeah, tomorrow," another voice replied. "Let's see how the Arora students are."
Billy was frozen in his tracks. That voice—it felt like he had heard it a lifetime ago. He could not place it, but something inside of him stirred. Before he could react, the group had melted into the crowd, disappearing from view.
He stood there for a moment, turning back to look in the direction they'd gone, as if hoping to catch another glimpse of them.
"Billy," Austin's voice broke through his trance, making him turn back. "What are you doing standing there?"
"Nothing," Billy muttered, shaking his head.
"Hey, Billy," Evelyn chimed in with excitement. "There's this ice cream stand nearby, and they say it's the best. Wanna check it out?"
"Ice cream? Say no more—I'm already there!" Billy exclaimed, jogging after her as she led the way to the stall.
"Can't they just walk at a normal pace for once?" Austin sighed, watching the two disappear into the crowd.
"They're having fun—let them be," Annie said with a small smile.
The two followed at a slower pace, letting Billy and Evelyn's excitement set the tone for the evening.
That night, Billy finally went back to his room. Before entering, he kept in his mind the earlier warning by Austin: "Don't stay up playing games all night. If you oversleep, you'll miss class tomorrow."
Billy waved it off with a shrug, opening the door to his modest room. His eyes immediately fell on the desk where his PC stood. He plugged it in and turned it on, booting up his favorite online game, something he'd been hooked on for over a year.
As the game began to load, Billy went to his friends list. A small smile played at his lips when he saw a familiar name on the list: SeraphicSaviour—one of his best gaming friends—was online. Not wasting any time, he sent her a party request.
The moment she accepted, Billy messaged her.
"Hey, Savior, where've you been these last three days?"
Her reply came within seconds:
"SteelSoul, I got caught up with a new job. Finally had some free time today."
Billy leaned back in his chair. He knew nothing about SeraphicSaviour's real identity. He had only gathered during the last year that she was probably a female in her late twenties and liked this game as much as he did. But this did not prevent them from teaming up almost every night.
"Ready for a game, Savior?" he typed eagerly.
Her response came almost instantly:
"Ready to lose again? You sure you're ready for another defeat in my hands?"
Billy grinned at her playful jab.
"We'll see about that. Let's do this."
With that, they dived into the virtual battlefield together, the rest of the world fading away with their usual banter and competitive spirit.
Near the apartment, in a narrow alley, the antisocial Celeb wiped the dust from his hands and muttered to himself. "You really are nothing but annoying pests," he said, casting a glance at the gang members stretched out on the ground. "Thanks to you, I've lost sleep again," he sighed, shaking his head in irritation as he turned away and walked off, leaving the groaning pain of the guys behind him.