When the Arch Met the Trojan: A Love Story in Uni Ed

Chapter 1: Hollywood's Heartthrob Hits On WashU

Elite University was a sun-drenched campus bustling with students. Down through the crowd, the University of Southern California made her way—the girl with the most infectious smile and cascading black hair. Every lower-ranked university she passed in the crowd waved and called out to her, and everyone seemed drawn into her orbit of confidence and charisma.

Just walking out from an discussion with some Los Angeles community colleges, USC realized she needed to take a few minutes to get away from the frenzy. She was always so happy and cracking jokes; she never left the spotlight, and sometimes it was a bit much—enough that she felt she might pass out. She sneaked into the nearby library, where she hoped to find some quiet corner in which to reflect and gather herself.

Meanwhile, Washington University in St. Louis, who hated his verbose name and insisted everyone call him WashU, took refuge in a hidden part of the library. WashU sat at a table, wearing his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. His eyes read a thick biology textbook; line by line, his eyes moved down the pages, soaking up information like a sponge. Whenever he shifted his position on the chair, a strand of his long, black, unkempt hair would lazily fall over his forehead. WashU sat quietly—a subtle, unnoticeable part of the background to most people.

USC entered the library and started looking through the rows of shelves, searching for a quiet spot. It was then that she saw WashU. He had a rather plain face and seemed to exude an air of humble intelligence.

Even though WashU was one of the top twenty students of Elite University, USC rarely noticed him. Sometimes, she even forgot about him entirely, since he kept such a low profile. Intrigued, USC walked toward him; she had initially planned to isolate herself, but the opportunity to speak with the enigmatic WashU was too alluring to pass up.

WashU, with his back turned to her, hadn't yet noticed USC. But no sooner had USC reached standing distance and peered over him that he turned his head toward her. He looked up from his textbook, adjusting his glasses; he met her smile with slightly raised eyebrows.

USC smiled, and her brightness lit up the library. "You're WashU, right? Mind if I join you?" she asked.

For a moment, WashU did nothing but blink, speechless that the blinding sun that was USC wanted to hang around him. He glanced around, unsure how to respond. Finally finding his voice, he stammered, "Oh, um, sure. Go ahead," gesturing to the empty seat beside him.

USC sank into the seat, her eyes flashing. "Thanks, I could sure do with a rest," she admitted.

WashU was taken aback by her frankness. USC always seemed to bask in the limelight; not only was she an academic genius of Elite University, but she was an award-winning actress with striking beauty and sharp wits. It never occurred to him that USC was anything less than her perfect, flamboyant performance.

"I can understand that," he replied, allowing the corners of his mouth to pull back into a smile. "I often seek refuge in the library myself. Though this place isn't your typical style now, is it?"

"I've been a part of movies, such as Legally Blonde, Forrest Gump, and Matilda, among many others. My favorite one is when I got to work with the library in Matilda," USC said, sitting up straight. She placed her hand against her chin, tilted her head, and smirked. "I love libraries, especially when they are accompanied by a handsome university."

WashU's face flushed slightly as he fidgeted with the edge of his textbook. USC was known to be a massive flirt. She had already dated several other top twenty universities, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Duke University.

WashU was not as well-known as MIT or Duke, but he was by far the richest of them all, which could explain why USC was flirting with him. He hoped USC was not that kind of university, but he couldn't understand why USC would be genuinely interested in him.