Tasha and Sabrina made it back to their dorm, quickly dropping off their empty bags. Tasha changed out of her now-stained sneakers, trying to scrub off the pizza sauce, but it looked like a permanent mark.
"Don't worry," Sabrina said, seeing Tasha's frown. "We'll get you new ones this weekend. Now, let's find that Psychology class!"
They used the campus map app again. The building for Intro to Psychology was on the other side of campus from their dorm. They walked past bustling student centers and quiet green spaces. Tasha felt a nervous excitement. This was her very first university class.
They found the lecture hall just in time. It was a huge room, with rows of seats rising up like an amphitheater. Students were already filling the seats, talking and getting ready. Tasha and Sabrina found two empty seats near the middle, not too close to the front, not too far back.
"Wish me luck," Tasha whispered to Sabrina, who was heading to her own class nearby.
"You got this!" Sabrina grinned, giving her a thumbs-up before disappearing into the hallway.
Tasha took a deep breath, pulling out her notebook and a pen. She looked around. Everyone seemed so focused, so smart. She hoped she'd fit in.
Just then, someone sat down in the seat right next to her. Tasha barely noticed, still looking at her notebook.
A familiar scent, a faint mix of something clean and a subtle, musky cologne, wafted over. Tasha froze. She slowly turned her head.
And there he was. Liam.
He had his backpack on the seat beside him, already pulling out a sleek laptop. He didn't look at her, his face calm, almost bored.
Tasha's mind raced. No way. This can't be happening. Of all the classes, in all the university, he had to be in her Intro to Psychology. The same guy who had bumped into her three times, called her annoying, and didn't apologize for ruining her shoes.
She felt a hot flush rise to her cheeks. She wanted to move, to find another seat, but the hall was almost full. Plus, moving now would make it obvious. And she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
Liam seemed to sense her staring. He slowly turned his head, his dark eyes meeting hers. There was no surprise in his look, just that same unreadable, slightly impatient expression.
Tasha quickly looked away, pretending to be very interested in the empty whiteboard at the front of the room. She could feel his presence next to her, a strange mix of annoyance and something else she couldn't name.
The professor walked in, a lively woman with bright red glasses. "Good morning, everyone! Welcome to Introduction to Psychology!"
Tasha tried to focus on the professor, but her mind kept drifting. Liam was right there. She could hear him lightly tapping on his laptop, a quiet, steady rhythm. This was going to be a long semester. And she had a sinking feeling this was just the beginning of their unsettling connection.