“Fuck, did I forget that manual at home?” I muttered to myself, rummaging through my bag in a panic. We needed it for today’s class, and the professor was pretty strict about this book. I kept digging through my belongings, but i couldn't find it. 

Feeling defeated, I slumped back in my chair with a heavy sigh. There was no way I could make it back to my apartment in time for class. I would just explain to the professor.

At that moment, Rex and Mick walked into the classroom, causing a ripple of whispers among the students as they headed to the empty seats at my farthest right. The whispers just goes to confirm Rex was the guy everyone had been talking about in the group. My luck had really run out. 

Mick sported a navy blue polo paired with black jeans, his glasses perched on his nose. He settled into his seat, dropping his books onto the table and adjusted his glasses as he organized his materials. Rex, on the other hand, was dressed in a black t-shirt and grey cargo pants, complemented by black sneakers. He took his seat and scanned the room, as if he were searching for someone specific. 

His green eyes swept across the room until they locked onto mine. He blinked once and then resumed his search, scanning the classroom. A look of yearning lingered in his gaze as he focused on something—or someone—of interest. 

Curious about his fixation, I turned to see what had captured his attention when Darla called my name. I responded, shifting my attention to her as she took a seat. “Hey, sorry I'm late. I had a bit of a run-in with security at my hostel. They mistook me for someone else, and when I tried to explain, they just talked over me. Those annoying old men,” she complained, her irritation evident. 

A smirk broke across my face as I inquired, “Who did they think you were?” 

“Apparently, there was a girl, who resembled me, visited last night, and someone reported a theft shortly after she left.” 

“Oh, so they still haven’t tracked her down?” 

“I don’t think so.” 

I hummed thoughtfully, then turned my attention forward. “Why is it so noisy in here?” Darla asked. 

“Rex and Mick came to class today,” I replied casually. 

“Seriously? What makes them so popular? We’re just freshmen!” 

I glanced over at Rex, who was engrossed in his phone. I couldn’t see whom he was fixated on, but his gaze wandered towards both guys and girls alike. I didn’t recognize anyone he might be familiar with. 

What am I doing? This is stupid. I shouldn’t be preoccupied with anything related to Rex. I definitely don't want to repeat the mistake of getting lost in my thoughts about him; I know how that turned out. 

“Did you bring your Manual? I forgot mine,” I prompted. 

“Did you forget it’s with me?” she replied, pulling out the book with my name written on it. 

"I asked if I could borrow it." 

"Really? I don’t remember that. Anyway, I’m just glad it’s here; I thought I left it at home," I replied as I took the textbook. A few moments later, the professor arrived, and class commenced. 

Even though I kept telling myself not to let him get to me, I found it impossible to stop glancing at Rex. 

Old habits die hard, it seems. 

After two hours, the class wrapped up, and the noise level escalated as the professor exited. Chelsea boldly walked up to Rex, a sexy smirk on her face.

"Hi, I'm Chelsea," she said, extending her hand towards Rex. 

Chelsea is a petite girl with flowing brunette hair that reaches her waist. She's quite well-known, primarily because of her frequent boasting about her university connections. Her uncle teaches in our department, her best friend's dad has ties to the dean, and her cousin's boyfriend is the son of a third-year professor here. It’s a tangled web, but you’ll get used to it once she starts her bragging. 

"I'm Rex," he responded in a flat tone. 

"Who doesn’t know that? If you’d like, I could show you around our Faculty," she offered in a sweet voice. The entire class watched and whispered about them, including Darla and I. 

"That can’t be her real voice, right?" Darla asked. I didn’t answer; I just kept watching them. 

"Thanks for the offer, but..." he paused, glancing quickly over her shoulder at someone. It was so swift that I couldn't catch who it was. "I have somewhere to be. You could give Mick the tour instead," he suggested, pointing at Mick. 

Chelsea's smile gradually faded as she glanced at Mick, who was scowling at Rex. “I have a meeting with my tutor.” 

“Oh, right. Well, maybe another time, Chels,” Rex replied, flashing a charming grin that clearly indicated he was flirting. 

“U-Um, okay,” she stammered, giving a slight wave before hurrying away, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. 

Rex and Mick collected their belongings, stood up, and exited the room. The classroom erupted into a chorus of murmurs and whispers once more. What on earth could they possibly be gossiping about? It was really starting to irritate me. 

“I guess we'll have to get used to these kinds of situations now that he’s in our class,” Darla remarked, and I knew exactly what she meant. Back in high school, Rex had a legion of admirers—countless girls and even some boys were drawn to him. 

He was undeniably attractive, athletic, smart, and genuinely nice. Who could resist? I certainly couldn't. 

Regardless, he was constantly asked out whenever he came to our school, yet he never accepted any invitations. That was one of the main reasons I never confessed my feelings back in high school—fear of rejection. 

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«

“There's a class trip scheduled for next week, but I’m not clear on all the details,” Darla mentioned as we settled into our departmental café. 

Having just wrapped up the first half of our classes, we had some free time to spare. We grabbed some snacks to enjoy while we were there. 

“Where are we going?” I inquired. 

“To some company, though I think the specifics are still up in the air,” she replied, taking a sip of her drink. 

“But isn’t that—” I began to say, but was cut off when someone approached our table. 

"I don't want him as my tutor," Mick declared, his jaw tight and his face flushed as he gripped his backpack like it was a lifeline. 

"What? Why not?" I inquired, taken aback. 

"He's incredibly irritating! Always poking his nose where it doesn't belong, way too carefree and playful, downright rude, and to top it all off, he can't seem to keep his eyes where they should be—right in his head!" By the time Mick finished, he was breathing heavily, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. 

Darla and I exchanged wide-eyed glances. Mick and Samson were supposed to meet today to discuss their schedule and other details. I couldn't fathom how Samson had managed to get under Mick's skin so quickly, to the point where he had a whole list of grievances. I figured it would take longer for that to happen. 

"Take a breath, Mick. What exactly did he do?" I asked, hoping to sway him in Samson's favor. 

"What didn’t he do? He—” 

“Are you here to tattle on me, huh, Mickey?” Samson interrupted, sauntering up with a grin that was anything but innocent as he faced Mick. 

Mickey? Now I understood why he found Samson so annoying.

Samson then shifted his gaze to me. "Did he drop any curse words during his little tirade?" he asked, a playful smile dancing on his lips. 

Did he really expect me to answer that? Mick is right and I don't think I'll be able to convince him about Samson anymore 

I glanced at Mick; if this were a cartoon, I would certainly see steam billowing from his head. He opened his mouth, poised for another outburst.....