Episode 03

The car ride was silent but not the awkward kind. It felt warm. Comfortable. Peaceful. The kind of silence you didn’t want to break… but I did anyway.

"Thank you for taking me home. I could’ve just booked a Grab," I said, glancing over at him.

His eyes stayed on the road.

"Like I said, it’s no problem. We’re headed in the same direction... and I don’t mind taking a friend home."

Friend? I let out a soft laugh.

"I didn’t know we were friends." I giggled, teasing.

This time, he looked at me just for a second and there was a flicker of something playful in his expression.

"You don’t like it?" he asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

Damn. He can joke?

"I didn’t say I don’t like it," I replied. "That’s where it starts anyway... or maybe more..."

I turned to look at him, and I caught the smile pulling at his lips. He said something, but I didn’t catch it, I was too focused on how warm that smile felt.

I looked back at the road, trying to hide my own grin.

"So... you're in a band with Xavier. Does that mean you go to the same school too?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah, Xavier and I go to the same university. Zac and Shawn go somewhere else."

Wait... does that mean we’re at the same school?

I smiled at the thought.

"What are you studying?"

"Engineering," he answered simply.

My eyes widened.

"Wow. Cool." I smiled again, a little impressed, a little more curious.

"Maybe we’ll see each other more often," I said.

"Here’s my stop. Thank you again… Sam. Take care."

The way his name rolled off my tongue sounds nice.

He smiled as he pulled over.

As I opened the door to my house, I stopped at the entrance and leaned against the frame, placing a hand over my chest.

What the hell is this feeling?

Stop it, Amanda. This is not you.

I shook my head, dropped my things on the table, and made my way to the fridge. I grabbed a bottle of water and took a long drink like it could wash away the butterflies attacking my insides.

Then, I went straight to the bathroom, washed my face, brushed my teeth, tried to get a grip.

And finally, I walked toward my bed, ready to collapse and forget everything.

But just before I could let my butt hit the mattress,

My phone rang.

It’s the devil herself. Sigh.

“You—” I started, but she cut me off.

“How was the ride, babe?” Sarah asked, way too teasing for my current mental state.

“You are so dead tomorrow, lady!”

“Oh, come on. You’ll thank me later. I’m helping you find a boyfriend!”

I could practically hear her evil grin through the phone.

“I don’t need a freaking boyfriend, Sarah,” I groaned.

She just laughed.

“Tsk, you’re no fun. And I know Sam is good for you. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you got all nervous around him.”

For freaking sake. This girl never shuts up.

“Yes, I admit he’s cool, he’s handsome, he’s… whatever,” I muttered. “But that doesn’t mean I like him.”

“Whatever you say, Missy," she paused.

"But you’ll thank me eventually! Byeee~ hihihi!"

She hung up before I could say anything back.

I stared at my phone like it had personally betrayed me.

"Unbelievable," I muttered, tossing it on the bed.

I finally collapsed into the mattress, covering my face with a pillow.

Cool, handsome, and more?

God, Amanda. Get a grip.

I sat up and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the chaos Sarah left behind.

I stood up and walked to my bookshelf, scanning the spines with a tired smile, deciding who to "date" tonight.

Once I picked a book, I collapsed back onto my bed like I hadn't just spent the night internally spiraling.

Time to date the men who don’t cause real-life confusion.

I giggled at my own thought, flipping open the cover.

But just as I was about to lose myself in fiction-

My phone rang.

Again.

This shit.

Without even glancing at the caller ID, I snatched it up and answered.

"You better have a freaking good reason to call again, Sarah, because if not I swear I’ll—"

"Sorry—uh, is this Amanda?"

I froze.

That was not Sarah's voice.

"S- sam?"

...To be continued....

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