Samira’s POV
“I’m telling you, babe. College is going to be wild, and you’re going to need experience to survive it,” Amanda said with absolute confidence.
I scoffed. That logic made zero sense.
“It’s almost exam season,” Novia added, eyes lighting up like she had solved life itself. “You have from now until summer break to at least get a boyfriend.”
I rolled my eyes hard enough to feel it. “Shouldn’t we be focused on exams and getting into a decent university?” I asked, taking a bite of my burrito.
We were at our usual diner downtown. The booths were cracked vinyl, the lighting was always too warm, and the milkshakes tasted better than they had any right to. Saturday evenings here had become routine for us.
Amanda groaned while Novia dramatically slumped against the booth.
“Besides,” I said, shifting so I faced them fully, “why are you two pushing me into a relationship when neither of you is dating anyone? That’s hypocrisy.”
They exchanged a look that was slow, knowing, and far too smug for my comfort.
I sighed. That expression never meant anything good for me.
“What?” I asked.
Novia shoved a fry into her mouth and clapped her hands together. “Because, dear best friend, you have never been in a relationship. We have.”
“And we don’t want you going into college completely clueless,” Amanda added. “You wouldn’t even know how to respond if a guy showed interest.”
I stared at them. “You do realize this is bullying, right?”
“No, it’s not,” they said together.
“It absolutely is,” I shot back. “It’s peer pressure.”
My voice must have carried because the diner fell quiet. I turned away immediately, suddenly very invested in my milkshake.
They giggled and switched topics without missing a beat, whispering about school gossip that I had no interest in following.
I stared out the diner window to tune them out, and that was when I saw them.
Four boys stepping out of a sleek black car like the world was built to make space for them.
My eyes found him without effort.
Calvin Simms.
He walked with effortless confidence, hands tucked into his pockets, posture relaxed. Raven hair fell slightly over his forehead, and at six foot one, he stood taller than almost everyone around him. Annoyingly handsome. Unfairly so.
Too bad I couldn’t stand him.
I was about to look away when he stopped walking and turned his head.
His gaze landed directly on me.
I looked away so fast my neck protested.
Shit.
Why was he staring? We never spoke. That had been the unspoken agreement for years.
Except for that one project we had been forced to work on together. We earned an A+, but every step of it had been miserable. Arguments replaced cooperation, and insults hid behind thinly veiled sarcasm. It was a miracle we survived it.
“The guys are here,” Novia whispered loudly.
Amanda slapped a hand over her mouth. “Stop. They can hear you.”
Both of them were red-faced and flustered.
I laughed quietly. Amanda had a massive crush on Chris, and Novia had been obsessed with Denver for as long as I could remember. Unfortunately for them, all four boys had a reputation. Serious relationships were not their thing.
That was when I felt it.
Someone watching me.
I followed the sensation and met Calvin’s gaze again. His expression was unreadable. Calm. Distant. Different from the way he usually avoided looking at me altogether.
Why was he acting strange?
Calvin Simms. Frederick Myers. Chris Jackson. Denver Andrews.
Trenton High’s untouchables.
I scowled, rolled my eyes, and turned away.
“I’m ready to go,” I said.
Both girls stared at me like I had just said something offensive.
“Please close your mouths,” I added lightly. “Your crushes might be watching.”
“I need the bathroom,” Amanda muttered, suddenly shy.
We tossed our trash and headed inside. The bathroom was cramped and barely fit the three of us.
Novia checked both stalls, then turned on me. “What was that about, Sam?” she demanded.
“What was what?” I asked, shrugging as I stepped into a stall.
She was not dropping it.
“This is not over,” Novia warned, pointing at me before disappearing into the stall beside mine.
I exhaled slowly.
Why was this such a big deal? We exchanged a look. That was all.
Outside, Amanda unlocked the car. Novia claimed shotgun, so I slid into the backseat.
“I saw the way you two looked at each other,” Novia said excitedly. “Do you think he’s interested in you?”
I grimaced. “Absolutely not.”
“Oh, he likes you,” she insisted.
Amanda met my eyes in the rearview mirror. “I don’t know. It wasn’t flirty. Calvin didn’t show emotion, but this is the first time I’ve seen him openly stare at you. And Sam, you’ve always hated him, but you’ve never said why.”
Amanda had always been observant. She noticed the smallest shifts, the details most people missed.
I leaned back, amused. “That was a whole lot of nothing, Amanda. I expected better from our reasonable friend.”
Novia groaned. “You’re useless.”
I smiled to myself as we pulled out of the parking lot.
A whole lot of nonsense.
Or so I thought.
