The classroom was filled with the usual hum of voices, the chatter of students trying to figure out their next move for the weekend. Eliana sat near the back, her eyes fixed on her notes, but her mind was elsewhere. She wasn't focused on the lecture. Her thoughts always wandered, mostly to him Zayne. His laughter echoed in her mind, his smile so effortlessly charming. She couldn't help it. She'd been crushing on him for months, ever since that one conversation they had outside after class. But now, sitting here beside Vanessa, the girl who had somehow wormed her way into Eliana's life, she felt something odd like there was something she didn't fully understand about her new friend.
Vanessa leaned over, nudging Eliana gently with her elbow. "You're zoning out, again," she whispered, her voice playful, but there was something behind the tone something sharp. "What's on your mind?"
Eliana blinked, snapping out of her trance. She smiled faintly. "Just… thinking," she said, looking at Vanessa but not fully meeting her eyes. There was a strange knot in her stomach, but she couldn't pinpoint why.
"Thinking about Zayne, right?" Vanessa's words were so casual, as if she knew something Eliana hadn't told her.
Eliana stiffened, her fingers tightening around her pen. "How did you..?"
Vanessa grinned, leaning back in her seat, her expression unreadable. "It's obvious. You're always looking at him when he's around. Don't worry, it's cute. And…" She paused, tilting her head slightly, as if considering something. "He's a great guy. You should go for it."
Eliana's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected Vanessa to be so… blunt. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Could she trust Vanessa with this secret? Did she even want to talk about it? She'd kept her feelings for Zayne hidden for so long, thinking it was better not to say anything. But Vanessa had this way of making her feel like she could say anything. Almost too much like she could say anything.
"Thanks," Eliana finally muttered, forcing a smile. But inside, she was conflicted. Vanessa was always so confident so sure of herself but why did Eliana feel that maybe she was missing something? Why did Vanessa seem to be pushing this idea so hard? Was it really to help her, or did she want something else?
The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and students filed out, but Vanessa lingered by Eliana's side. She smiled brightly. "Come on, let's grab coffee. You can tell me all about your plans with Zayne."
Eliana hesitated, but the need to talk to someone about this about everything overcame her doubts. "Okay," she agreed, though a sense of unease crept up on her.
They walked to the nearby café, the streets bustling with people going about their day. Eliana's steps were slow, her mind racing. Vanessa kept chatting, her voice light and easy, but Eliana couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The way Vanessa seemed to read her so easily, almost too easily it made Eliana wonder if there was more to Vanessa than she let on.
When they sat down, Vanessa wasted no time. "So," she began, leaning forward, "I think you should tell Zayne how you feel. Seriously. I know he's been talking to you more lately, and that's a sign, right?"
Eliana hesitated. "I… I don't know. I've never really talked to him like that. It feels weird."
Vanessa's eyes gleamed with an almost predatory intensity. "You'll never know unless you try. Look, Zayne is a great guy, but he's also not going to wait forever. He's got options. You can't let someone else get in before you, right?"
Eliana frowned. "You think he'd like me back?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she felt silly even asking the question.
Vanessa's smile was too wide, too knowing. "Of course he would. I've seen the way he looks at you. It's obvious. You just have to make the first move."
There was something in Vanessa's tone that felt almost rehearsed, like she'd been waiting for this moment. Eliana couldn't quite place it, but it left her uneasy. She wanted to believe Vanessa, wanted to trust her after all, Vanessa was her friend. But something about the situation felt too perfect, too easy.
They sat in silence for a moment, the noise of the café surrounding them. Eliana's mind raced. Was she really ready to do this? Could she trust Vanessa's advice? And why did it feel like Vanessa had more invested in this than just being a good friend?
"I don't know," Eliana muttered, shaking her head. "It's just what if I mess everything up? What if he doesn't like me like that?"
Vanessa's expression softened, but only for a second, before a playful glint returned to her eyes. "You won't mess it up, trust me. Besides, if you don't do anything, you might lose him. And that would be a shame, wouldn't it?"
The way Vanessa said it, like it was a matter of fact, made Eliana's skin prickle. Was she really being this convincing, or was something else at play?
Later that evening, as Eliana prepared to head home, Vanessa's words echoed in her mind. "Don't let someone else swoop in." Was she being paranoid? Was Vanessa really just being a supportive friend, or was there something more behind her insistence?
As Eliana walked down the hall of the dormitory, she caught a glimpse of Vanessa through the window, talking to Zayne outside. Her stomach flipped, and she tried to push the strange feeling aside. She was overthinking things. Vanessa was just being helpful, right?
But as the door clicked behind her, the nagging thought wouldn't leave her mind. Was she truly ready to risk everything for Zayne? Or was she walking into something she couldn't yet understand?
The last thing she saw before the chapter ended was Vanessa looking back at her with a knowing smile, her eyes a little too bright, a little too calculating. Eliana had no idea what was coming, but one thing was for sure: nothing about this situation was as simple as it seemed.