Mornings at the university had a different energy, especially after parties. The campus seemed to regain its usual rhythm as students hurried across the lawns, coffee in hand and tired eyes scanning their surroundings. Alex was among them, his backpack slung over one shoulder and a water bottle in his other hand. He was heading to the training field, where he spent most of his time.
The events of the previous night still lingered in his mind. Olivia was different from anyone he had ever met. He couldn't understand how someone so carefree and full of life could be so intriguing. She challenged him in ways he didn't expect, which left him curious.
---
Olivia, on the other hand, was sitting in the art studio. Morning was the only time the space was silent. Her brush moved across the canvas as she tried to capture something new—a feeling, perhaps. But instead, her mind wandered to Alex. She had met many guys before, but Alex was... different. Reserved, yet with an intensity she wanted to understand.
"You're distracted," said Mia, her best friend and fellow art student, walking into the studio with two cups of coffee.
"I'm not," Olivia replied without looking up.
"Liar," Mia shot back, handing her one of the cups. "I know that look. Someone got under your skin."
Olivia sighed and put the brush down. "Maybe. I met a guy at the party last night."
"That's not news," Mia teased. "But by the look on your face, he's not like the others."
"He's... complicated," Olivia admitted, turning the cup in her hands. "He doesn't just go with the flow. It's like he's carrying the weight of the world."
"And you like that," Mia teased with a grin.
"I don't know," Olivia said, but the smile tugging at her lips gave her away.
---
Later that day, Alex and Olivia crossed paths unexpectedly in the library. He was picking up books on football strategies while she searched for artistic references for a project. Their eyes met by chance, and Olivia didn't hesitate to approach.
"Do you live here or on the football field?" she asked, leaning against the shelf beside him.
Alex raised an eyebrow, surprised but not annoyed. "I could ask the same about you and the art studio."
"Touche," Olivia replied with a smile. "Studying strategies?"
"Something like that," Alex said, closing the book. "And you? Looking for inspiration?"
"I'm always looking," she replied, watching him with a curious gaze. "You take things seriously, don't you?"
"I have to," Alex said, his voice firm but not harsh. "It's what got me here."
Olivia nodded, impressed by his determination. "Maybe I should learn from you."
"Or maybe I should learn from you," Alex countered, surprising her. "You seem to live more than I do."
For a moment, the silence between them was comfortable. They were from different worlds, yet there was something inexplicable that drew them together, something that was beginning to grow, even slowly.
"Want a coffee?" Olivia asked, breaking the silence.
Alex hesitated for a second but then smiled. "Why not?"
And so, between smiles and curious glances, they began to build something neither of them could define just yet.