Writers 
Chapter Three
The next morning, Amara walked across campus with an iced coffee in one hand and her phone in the other.
“I'm officially becoming a responsible student,” she announced to herself.
She took a sip.
“Okay… maybe next week.”
Responsibility is clearly overrated.
A group of students nearby burst into laughter, and Amara smiled. The campus already felt different from her first day. The nervousness had started to fade, replaced by the comfortable chaos of university life—students rushing to lectures, music playing somewhere across the courtyard, and people sitting beneath the trees with their books open and their attention nowhere near them.
Amara was beginning to like it.
She was beginning to feel like she belonged.
“Amara!”
She turned and saw Tessa hurrying toward her.
“You're coming to the student games this afternoon, right?”
“What games?”
“The interfaculty competition. Everybody's going.”
Amara's eyes lit up.
“Free entertainment?”
“Exactly.”
“Then I'm there.”
Tessa laughed. “That's your only reason?”
“I'm a university student. I have priorities.”
They continued across the courtyard, joking about which faculty would embarrass themselves first.
For a few minutes, everything felt easy.
Then Amara's attention drifted across the courtyard.
She stopped walking.
Adrian was standing near the library with two guys from his department.
Of course.
She almost laughed.
Does this guy live on campus or something?
But there was something different about him.
He wasn't arguing with anyone.
He wasn't wearing that usual expression that seemed to say the entire world was beneath him.
He was simply standing there, looking toward the university gate.
Amara followed his gaze.
A man stood beside a black car.
She didn't recognize him.
The man looked toward Adrian.
Adrian's posture changed.
It was subtle.
His shoulders stiffened, and the amusement disappeared from his face.
“Amara?”
She blinked.
Tessa was looking at her.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
Amara glanced toward the gate again.
The black car was already pulling away.
When she looked back, Adrian was gone.
Okay… that was weird.
“Come on,” Tessa said. “We're going to be late.”
Amara followed her, but the strange moment stayed somewhere in the back of her mind.
She told herself she was being curious for no reason.
After all, Adrian was arrogant.
Maybe strange behavior was simply part of the package.
By afternoon, the campus had completely changed.
Music played across the field, students crowded around the games, and different faculties competed for bragging rights.
Amara stood beside Tessa, cheering loudly.
“That was terrible!” she shouted as one of their classmates missed an easy shot.
Tessa laughed. “You couldn't do better.”
“I absolutely could.”
“You've never played.”
“Details.”
They both laughed.
For a while, Amara forgot about the morning.
She was enjoying herself again.
Then she noticed Adrian.
He stood on the other side of the field, slightly away from the crowd.
Unlike everyone else, he wasn't watching the game.
He was looking at his phone.
The smile disappeared from Amara's face.
There it is again.
That same serious expression.
She watched as he read something on his screen.
His jaw tightened.
Then his phone rang.
Adrian glanced around before walking toward the quieter side of the building.
Amara looked away.
Not my business.
She turned back toward the game.
A few seconds passed.
Then curiosity won.
Okay. Maybe just one glance.
She moved toward the edge of the building, careful not to get too close.
She could hear Adrian speaking.
“I'm not going back.”
Amara stopped.
His voice sounded different.
Not arrogant.
Not annoyed.
Tired.
There was a pause.
Then he spoke again.
“No. They don't know anything.”
Amara's smile faded.
Who is he talking about?
She took a small step backward.
A branch cracked beneath her shoe.
Silence.
Amara froze.
Adrian appeared around the corner.
His eyes immediately found hers.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then he walked toward her.
“You were listening.”
Amara lifted her hands.
“I wasn't trying to.”
“But you were.”
“I heard you talking. There's a difference.”
His expression remained guarded.
“What did you hear?”
Amara hesitated.
“Nothing important.”
He studied her face for a moment.
Then his expression softened slightly.
“Good.”
Amara frowned.
“Good?”
He glanced toward the field.
“You should probably get back before Tessa starts looking for you.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“That's it?”
“What else would there be?”
“I don't know. Maybe an explanation?”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“You ask too many questions.”
“And you give suspiciously few answers.”
He shook his head.
“Trust me, Amara. You're better off not worrying about it.”
He walked past her.
Amara turned to watch him leave.
Was that supposed to make me stop thinking about it?
Because it had done the exact opposite.
She returned to the field, where Tessa was already waving at her.
“Where did you disappear to?”
“Nowhere.”
Tessa narrowed her eyes.
Amara smiled.
“Long story.”
But as she looked across the field, she caught sight of Adrian disappearing into the library.
For the first time since meeting him, Amara wasn't wondering why Adrian was so arrogant.
She was wondering what he was hiding.
And why he seemed so determined to make sure she didn't notice.