*Nates's POV*
I know how I appear to people. Tall, confident, maybe even a little intimidating. I don't do much to stand out, but somehow, I still do. People smile at me, greet me like I'm some kind of celebrity, and yet, I've never really understood why. Maybe it's because of Ashley. With her by my side, we're labeled as the "powerhouse couple" of the university. It's ridiculous, really. Ashley and I have been best friends since childhood, along with Austin and Caleb. We grew up together, went through every milestone side by side, and somewhere along the way, our friendship turned into something more. She's smart, beautiful, and so sure of herself. Being with her just makes sense.
As we walk through the hallways on the first day of sophomore year, warm smiles and eager greetings follow us. Everyone here is kind, well-dressed, and always paying attention. I let Ashley handle most of the socializing, simply nodding at the occasional "Hey, Nate!" while keeping my focus ahead.
That's when I see her.
She's not like the others. Long dark brown hair, petite, dressed simply—almost too simply for this place where everyone tries to make an impression. She looks unfamiliar, which is strange. In a small-town university like ours, everyone knows everyone. Who is she? An out-of-towner? Our eyes meet for a moment before she looks away.
I shake off the thought and continue walking with Ashley.
Later, in the cafeteria, I spot her again. She's sitting with our classmate Cassandra and her best friend, Millie—if I recall her name correctly. Five tables away. Close enough to see but not close enough to hear. As I sit down, our eyes meet again, but this time, it lasts longer. There's something about her gaze that makes me pause, but before I can think about it any further, Ashley's voice pulls me back to the conversation at our table.
Days passed, and Friday arrives. I'm walking through the university grounds when I see her again. This time, she looks lost, circling around the same area for a while now. Amused, I decide to approach her.
"You know you've been circling around for 15 minutes, right?"
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize—" she stammers, but I cut her off.
"It's alright. You're new here, aren't you?" I say, studying her carefully. There's something interesting about the way she carries herself. She's shy, unsure, yet determined.
"Yes," she answers, barely meeting my gaze.
"I'm Nate, by the way. Nathan Dawson. And you are?"
"Samantha Pearson. I'm a freshman."
Figures. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I've never seen you around here before."
She nods. "Oh yeah, my mom and I just moved here recently."
"So, Samantha, are you lost? Where are you supposed to go?"
"Uhm, well... I just can't seem to find the University Registrar. I know it's on this side of the campus, but this map is confusing me, so I'm not sure anymore," she admits, stumbling over her words.
For some reason, I feel like helping her. I don't usually go out of my way for people I barely know, but something about her makes me pause.
"That's where I'm going too. Come on," I say casually, already walking away. It's a lie of course, but she doesn't need to know that.
"So what was your plan if I hadn't caught you wandering around?" I ask as we walk.
"Well... I had some time, so... I thought I would just visit every building on campus until I found the registrar," she says, her voice unsure.
I stop and stare at her. I laugh, shaking my head. "Just ask for help! We're all students here, you know. Nobody's going to eat you whole or anything."
She smiles slightly. "Well, I'm still new here. I'll probably get more settled soon."
When we finally reached the Registrar, I slowed my pace. "Well, here you are. I'll be going now."
She looks surprised. "Didn't you say this is also where you were going?"
Shit. She caught me.
I hesitate for half a second before putting on a calm expression. "Uhm... well, I forgot something somewhere. I need to get it back. Bye. See you around, Samantha!"
I turn quickly and walk away, not bothering to glance back.
I don't know why I went out of my way to help her. I don't know why I even noticed her in the first place. But one thing's for sure—Samantha Pearson is different. And for some reason, I can't seem to ignore that.
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A week has gone by. I'm here at the school library. I sometimes come here during my breaks. Ashley took up an elective class, so we're not classmates in that subject.
As I enter the library, I see her again. Samantha. She looks so focused but also like she's struggling. I chuckle at how troubled she looks. She's sitting at a long empty table, so I decide to sit a few seats away from her. She lets out a deep sigh, looking frustrated. She's really interesting.
"Wow, that's like the longest sigh I've ever heard," I say.
She jolts at the sound of my voice. "I'm sorry, was I too loud?"
"No, it's alright. Everybody does that sometimes."
"So, Samantha, what's pissing you off anyway that you had to sigh that long?" I ask, smirking.
"Constitutional Law is evil!!! It's so hard to understand," she says, plopping her head onto her book.
"Well, what can't you understand? Maybe I can help," I offer.
She looks around as if observing her surroundings. "Don't you have other things to do?" she asks.
I'm surprised by her tone but don't show it. Most people would die for my attention, but Samantha is different. It's as if she wants me to go away.
"I'm here to study, of course. I was just curious about which topic made you sigh that hard," I say, chuckling.
"I'll be fine, thank you," she answers and buries her head into her book again. I find her really amusing.
A few minutes go by but I noticed she never turned a page. She's still reading the same paragraphs over and over. I feel bad, so I go behind her and peek at what topic she's reading.
"The Court's Power of Judicial Review... okay, what about it?" I whisper behind her.
She quickly closes her book and glares at me. It's an easy topic for me, so I know I can help her.
"Oh, come on, let me see. I just want to help you, you've wasted so much time on this topic already. Law school is very fast-paced. You have to keep moving forward," I say in a serious tone.
Finally, she gave in and let me help her. I explained the topic to her. She kept nodding as I go on. After my explanation, she lets out a sigh of relief and says she finally understands.
She reads a few more pages, and after some time, she stands up and gets ready to leave.
"Thanks so much, Nate! I really appreciate it. You have no idea how much you've helped me. I gotta go now, though. Thank you, really," she says, giving me the warmest smile. It's so genuine that I can tell she truly appreciates my help.
I'm caught off guard for a moment. Her smile is gorgeous. But I quickly hide my reaction and go back to my usual poker face. I nod and say, "You're welcome."
She's about to leave when I can't help myself and speak again. "Uhm, Samantha? In case you need help with any subject, just... uhmm... just let me know."
I say this in a serious tone, but my eyes must have given something away because they feel... pleading.
She just smiles and says, "Thanks for the offer."
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