was louder tha

at that wasn't surrounded by overly energetic freshmen. Most tables wer

part. The tryin

a group of students. Her hair was pulled up into another messy bun, and

slowly, keeping he

a started, but the g

ss from him. He didn't smile. Just looked at Brianna with an unreadable expr

sat

t for the bri

art of it. His hair was dark, a little messy, and his posture was annoyingly relaxed, like n

not really offering his hand

ian

od, then looked d

at wa

things that would've annoyed her enough to dismiss him.

reason, that

barely five minutes, barely a conversati

at the table move

and some professor who was already infamous for giving surprise quizzes.

in his chair, chewing slowly. The way his fingers tapped the side of his tray in

irls asked across the table

on science

eased. "She's our smar

iled faintly. She glanced up-a

star

watc

.. lo

, calm as ever, lik

ething stupid. Sh

But somehow, she left the table with Malvin's name echo

-

er laptop on her knees and her fingers motionless on the keyboard.

gone. Of cour

That's what she told herself. But somewhere beneath

ld probabl

sn't ready

she liked hi

endly. He seemed like the kind of person

.. that made

sity was

like scattered stars across the quiet night. Somewhere out there, he exis

ng to, Brianna wh

something you

lvin

but no music playing. The buzz of the welcome event filtered out through th

d've bee

minutes of standing under cheap lights and heari

uch n

retending they we

ing at the sky. No stars to

illingly, to the girl

trange about her. Not in

he space with words or fake smiles. She had just existe

econd-just one-he

ough she was. Not because she

like someone who had learned

underst

le always took more than they gave, and when they left, they n

omething in her eyes

t felt like to be disappoi

school for. He had goals. A plan. A future that didn't

gotten stuck in

annoyed