But the image of Jared’s grin and the sound of his laughter keep sneaking into my mind.
It’s not that I’m suddenly developing feelings for him, at least, I don’t think so. But there was something about last night that felt different, almost unsettling in its normalcy. We agreed to fake date in public, but yesterday, when it was just the two of us, it didn’t feel fake at all.
Jared walks in a few minutes later, looking like he just ran a marathon—exhausted but trying to play it cool. I can’t help but smile. I’m still thinking about how he found that last puzzle piece I couldn’t, that damn smirk still stuck in my head. He catches me staring and just nods like it’s no big deal, that confident grin sliding back onto his face.
“Morning, Alli,” he says, stifling a yawn. “I’m ready for the day.” There goes another yawn.
“Looks like the day started without you.” I pass him a pencil. “Long night?”
“Early morning practice. I didn’t have time to grab a matcha or anything.”
“You like matcha?” I lift an eyebrow. “I always took you as a Monster person or a cold brew guy.”
“When you work in a boba shop all through high school, you start acquiring new tastes.” He glances at me while scribbling something in his notes. “Are you, like, an official member of the matcha haters club, or just in denial about its greatness?”
“I didn’t take you as a matcha boy.” I scoff. “And also, I don’t hate matcha. I just think it tastes like grass.”
“Grass? Really? That’s so unoriginal.”
“It’s an opinion.”
“Your opinion is invalid. There’s good matcha out there. You just haven’t discovered it. You just need a ceremonial matcha and a whisk, and you’ll fall in love.”
Before I can respond, Ethan walks up to our lab table. My heart jumps with nerves as he greets Jared, then lifts his chin towards me. “Jared. Allison.”
All I manage to get out is a quiet “Hi” because I’m holding my breath while holding a beaker.
Jared must sense my nerves are shot because he takes the reins of the conversation, his tone casual but steady.
“Ethan, what’s up?” he asks, keeping his eyes on me.
“Well,” Ethan scratches the back of his head, “my lab partner dropped the class, and Moua says to find a duo to trio with. Is that cool with you guys?”
“I’m fine with it.” Jared turns to me, which means Ethan is also looking at me.
“It’s cool with me.” I say coolly.
Maybe too cool.
Ethan frowns slightly, tilting his head. “You okay?”
I swallow hard, my throat drier than a desert. “Y-yeah,” I stammer, praying my voice doesn’t crack like I’m twelve again.
He grins from just one corner of his lips.
“Bring a chair over,” Jared says.
“Awesome, thanks. I promise I won’t get in the way.”
Ethan sits down next to us, and I take a breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Jared’s presence next to me is surprisingly comforting, his relaxed energy a sharp contrast to my nerves. I manage to get through the rest of the lab without embarrassing myself or spilling coffee on him.
Ethan gives me a half-smile as we clean up. “Nice work, Allison. Maybe losing my partner was a blessing in disguise.”
I offer a safe smile, feeling a bit more confident. “Thanks, Ethan. Glad you’re here.”
Jared nudges me. I roll my eyes and ignore him, but I can’t suppress the growing smile.
“I’ll see you next time.” With that, Ethan salutes us off and walks out of the class. I let out a huge sigh of relief now that I can finally breathe.
