FRAT LINE-KNJ✔️

+52+

THIRD

To say that it's freezing would be an understatement. The wind is whipping cold lashes across the faces of the students at Georgia Tech as they walk across campus.

The flurries of snow tumble down increasing the cold and causing people to rush to their destinations. Everybody but one.

Malia stands in the walkway, unmoving. Staring at the poster on the building, her eyes are unblinking.

Dance captain.

It sounded so much better at the start of the school year. She knew nothing of what would happen to her. She knew nothing of what would transpire between her and Namjoon. She knew nothing of the complicated emotions that she would be feeling, the lack of cohesive thoughts that she would have.

All summer, she built up the mindset to be better, to do better. She was almost there, she felt that she was so close. Somehow she had managed to lose it all in a matter of weeks. She had managed to let him in and lose all resolve for him in no time at all.

She betrayed herself. She has nobody to blame but herself for thinking that anything would be different. Malia feels like a fool for even entertaining the thought that she could measure up to Namjoon's social arc.

"Hey." She blinks out of her thoughts and turns her head. Xavier is looking at her with concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

The simplest of words. So very simple and she breaks. The dam that she's built cracks and everything pours out at once. She shakes her head as she bursts into tears. Malia runs into his arms in her moment of vulnerability and he braces his stance for the impact of her body against him.

He holds her as she cries. He doesn't know what's going on, he just found it odd for her to be standing in the cold like this.

"Come on. We can talk inside, Lia. It's cold." He grabs her hand and she doesn't move.

"I don't want to be here. I can't.. I want to go." She looks at him as she sniffles. Xavier nods slowly. The expression on her face saddens him deeply. He's never seen her this way.

"Okay. We can go out then." He holds her hand as they walk across campus to his car. She almost slips and he catches her, pulling her back up to stand.

"Why are you so clumsy?" He asks, trying not to laugh. She forces a frown on her face.

"I am not. It's just slippery out here."

"Maybe if you had on boots instead of sneakers, you'd be okay. It's not tha-." He slips and Malia laughs. She doubles over as he lays flat on his back with his arms and legs spread. He looks up at the sky with a scowl on his face.

Malia's face comes into view as she cracks up. "You were saying?" She mocks. He reaches his arm out and pushes her calf, causing her to fall as he sits up.

"How are you dancer with weak calf muscles? You oughta be ashamed of yourself." He mocks back. She continues to laugh and he smiles. She is effectively distracted from whatever was making her so sad.

And he, the same. He didn't think that he would bump into her while walking. He needed to clear his head and felt that this was the best way to do so; a walk. He saw Malia stuck and forgot about himself.

They help each up and off of the ice. Holding onto one another, they continue their walk to his car, laughing and joking as they try not to slip. Xavier opens the door for her and she thanks him before getting in.

He closes it and looks up to walk to his side. He pauses in step, coming in contact with furious dragon eyes. In contrast, Xavier's eyes are saddened.

Namjoon takes steps in their direction and Xavier looks back at Malia through the front window. She smiles at him and he forces one back. He turns to Namjoon and shakes his head.