A Size Too Big For Him

Chapter 2: Unexpected Sparks

Clara Windly took a deep breath as she stepped onto the sprawling campus of Riverstone University. The sun had barely broken through the overcast sky, casting a muted light over the old brick buildings and manicured lawns that surrounded her. The noise of students milling about, talking, laughing, and rushing to their classes, felt like an alien buzz in her ears. She stood at the edge of the crowd, trying to absorb the energy of the place without letting it swallow her whole.

This was the start of her new life.

She didn't know what exactly she had been expecting when she moved halfway across the country to Bridge Town, but it certainly wasn't this overwhelming feeling of being an outsider. There was a buzz in the air—a vibrancy that was foreign to her. She had grown up in a house where silence and tension had ruled. Now, here she was, among a crowd of people who seemed so comfortable in their own skin, so sure of where they were going.

Clara wasn't sure where she was going yet, but she was determined to find out.

As she adjusted the strap of her backpack, the weight of the books inside pulling at her, her stomach twisted with nervous energy. She was only here to survive, at first—just to make it through the day. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself. She wasn't ready for the spotlight.

She headed toward the main building, her sneakers tapping quietly against the sidewalk. Her eyes stayed glued to the path in front of her, trying not to look at the other students around her. She was painfully aware of how she didn't quite fit in—she was a little bigger than the others, a little quieter, a little less confident. And she was scared of what might happen if anyone noticed that.

When she reached the door of the lecture hall for History 101, Clara hesitated. She could already feel the waves of energy rolling through the room behind it. People laughing, talking, organizing their notebooks, getting ready for the class. She took one last breath, steadied her nerves, and pushed the door open.

History 101: A New Beginning

Clara slipped into the lecture hall as quietly as possible, hoping no one would notice her. The professor—an older man with a bushy beard and thick glasses—was scribbling something on the whiteboard, and the students were still settling in. Clara moved to the back row, her heart beating faster with every step. She scanned the room quickly, finding an empty seat near the corner. It was as far away from the center of the action as she could get, and that was fine by her.

She lowered herself into the chair, hoping she'd blend into the background, the way she always did. As she adjusted her oversized sweater and opened her notebook, trying to calm the racing thoughts in her head, her eyes briefly flicked up.

And that's when she saw him again.

Alec...

He was walking into the room, his presence impossible to ignore. Tall, confident, the kind of guy who seemed to belong in this world without effort. His dark hair fell just the right way across his forehead, and his sharp green eyes seemed to catch everything in their gaze as he walked toward the front of the class. He wasn't looking at her, but Clara couldn't help the electric jolt that ran through her when she saw him. No. Stop. Don't think about him.

But she couldn't help it.

Alec glanced around the room, scanning the seats like he was picking out his next move in a game. And then, just like earlier today, his eyes found hers.

For a moment, the rest of the world seemed to fade into the background, as if they were the only two people in the room. It wasn't even a long stare—just a quick, electric moment that made Clara's pulse spike. He didn't smile. He didn't frown. He just looked at her, as if studying her for a fraction of a second before turning away.