Against All Odds

CHAPTER - 7

CAMERON

A swarm of students passed by me as I stood by the college gate. The past two days had been filled with rigorous practice sessions for our upcoming game at the end of this month. Unfortunately, this left me with no opportunity to catch a glimpse of my belle. Now, I yearned to lay my eyes upon her once again. Glancing at the gate, I couldn't spot her among the emerging crowd. Minutes turned into an endless half an hour, and frustration began to brew within me.

I made my way towards her locker, filled with anticipation, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. But as I walked closer, a sense of unease started to creep in. What if she wasn't there? The thought alone made me restless, especially since it had been two whole days since I last saw her.

As I strolled around the campus, my restlessness grew. I observed my surroundings, contemplating the potential spots where she could be, only to realize that I didn't even have her number to check in on her. An hour dragged by, and just when I was about give up, she emerged from the library. My heart sank as I noticed her with another guy. An uncontrollable mix of emotions surged within me that I couldn't hide.

I approached them. "Hi, Elle!" I flashed a charming smile, deliberately turning up the charm as I addressed her. The other guy stood there with an easy smile on his face, seemingly unfazed by my presence.

"Oh, hi Cam."

I caught a glimpse of him standing just a step away from her on the opposite side, while I found myself standing three steps away from her.

"This is Jacob, we were studying together." She said.

My heart raced, and a twinge of frustration resurfaced. I continued to ignore the Jacob guy and started talking to Elle. With each word, I inched closer to her, using subtle hand gestures to draw her nearer. Through these gestures, I made it clear to Jacob that he had no right to gaze upon or lay a finger on her.

"Cam, could you give us a minute? I need to talk to Jacob about something." She said.

My jealousy flared as I reluctantly stepped back. "Sure, take your time." I replied through gritted teeth. As they continued to talk and smile, I couldn't shake the growing discomfort within me. "I'll be back." Elle said, as she searched something in her bag. Unable to contain my frustration any longer, I turned towards Jacob. "Listen buddy, I suggest you stay away from her."

Jacob, seemingly unbothered, chuckled. "Relax, man. We were just studying. No need to get all territorial."

My anger simmered beneath the surface as I issued a stern warning. "I'm serious. Stay away from her. Got it?" Jacob raised his hand in surrender and walked away. As he left, I saw her standing beside me. "You didn't have to be aggressive with Jacob."

I sighed, struggling to articulate my feelings. "I don't know, Elle. I just don't like his vibe. You deserve better company."

"Jacob is a good friend of mine."

"But I couldn't resist, okay?"

She rolled her eyes, but there was a subtle warmth in her eyes.

"Speaking of company, how about spending some time with someone whose vibe you actually match with?"

She chuckled, corner of her eyes crinkling. "Smooth, Cam. Very smooth."

I closed the distance between us. "Sorry for being MIA the past two days. Basketball practice has been relentless. But now, all I want is to catch up with you."

Elle's laughter echoed, and she playfully nudged my arm. "I was wondering where you disappeared to. Couldn't even check up on me?" She teased.

I feigned a wounded expression, placing a hand over my heart. "I know, I know. Terrible right?" Her eyes softened. A hint of blush coloring her cheeks.