The next day

I wake up the next morning to the sound of my alarm and lie there for a moment, trying to convince myself to get up. Eventually, I grab my clothes, get ready, and head across campus with a coffee in hand.

The campus is already buzzing. Students hurry between buildings, some looking half-asleep while others are talking about the party from the night before. I make my way into my first class, find a seat toward the middle of the room, and pull out my notebook.

A few minutes before class starts, a girl walks in and takes the empty seat beside me. She gives me a quick smile as she sets her notebook on the desk. “Hey, is this seat taken?”

“No, go ahead.”

“Thanks. I’m Maya.”

“Ethan.”

She smiles. “Nice to meet you, Ethan. Is this your first class too?”

“Yeah. Final year, though.”

“Same here,” she says, flipping open her notebook. “I can’t believe we’re already at the end.”

The professor walks in and begins class, so we turn our attention toward the front. Every now and then, Maya leans over to quietly ask me something about the syllabus, and by the end of class, the conversation feels surprisingly easy. I can’t help noticing how friendly she is, but I remind myself that I’m here to focus on school.