Hearts Across Halls

Chapter 4

Elara lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts spinning. Her alarm was still an hour away, but sleep had abandoned her. The nervous energy of the first day of classes mingled with her increasingly conflicted feelings about Luca. She replayed the events of their last night out—the biting incident, the lingering glances, the way his attention seemed to shift to her, then away, leaving her in a haze of attraction and confusion. What did she actually know about him? Not much, apart from the undeniable pull she felt whenever he was around.

A loud clatter from the kitchen snapped her out of her thoughts. The downside of having the room next to the kitchen was the near-constant noise. She sighed, deciding to make the most of the early wake-up. It was time to get ready for the day, starting with her dreaded "Introduction to Theoretical Mathematics" lecture. If math hadn't been a core subject for Physics, she would have happily avoided it.

As she brushed her teeth, her phone chimed.

"Good luck today!" Sophie had texted.

Elara smiled, sending a quick heart emoji in response. Sophie would get the full Luca debrief in person soon enough.

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Despite her early start, Elara found herself rushing to class. She blamed her endless daydreaming for her tardiness. Bursting through the auditorium doors, she slid into a seat at the back just as the lecturer began.

Elara pulled out her notepad and pen, noting how most of her classmates had laptops out. For a math-heavy subject, she preferred the tangible act of writing notes by hand. Besides, she could always type them up later, turning the process into a mini revision session.

The lecture dragged on, and Elara found herself checking her phone repeatedly—not for messages, but to keep track of time. Afterward, she had a tutorial covering the same material. She couldn't decide if this back-to-back setup was efficient or just plain cruel.

As the lecture wrapped up, she practically sprinted to the elevators. Her tutorial was on the fifth floor, and she didn't want to show up sweaty. She slipped into an elevator just as the doors were closing, only to feel her stomach drop when they reopened.

Cyrus.

The tall, brooding figure stepped in without acknowledging her presence. Elara held her breath, hoping he wouldn't notice her.

When the elevator arrived on the fifth floor, her unease deepened as she saw him heading in the same direction. Sure enough, he entered the tutorial room ahead of her.

Ah, fuck. Cyrus is in my tutorial group.

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"That professor expects us to have done all the readings already!" Rachel wailed, slumping dramatically in her chair.

The group was gathered around a kitchen table upstairs in Luca's flat. Elara found herself enjoying the change of scenery, though the topic of conversation—academic panic—was already growing old.

"How much have you read so far?" an unfamiliar boy asked Rachel, looking hopeful.

"...None," Rachel admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

The kitchen erupted with laughter, Kenzie offering Rachel a consoling pat on the shoulder.

"What about you, Luca?" Elara asked, eager for an excuse to engage him.

"Eh, it was fine," Luca said, his tone darkening. "But this one girl—ugh. She's self-taught in Italian, and she had the nerve to tell me my pronunciation was wrong! Like, excuse me, I'm literally Italian. She looked like a frog too." His irritation was palpable, and Elara couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"Yikes, an enemy already!" Kenzie teased, glancing at her phone. "Shit, we need to get going! The party started half an hour ago, and if we're too late, the VIP wristbands will be gone."

"VIP?" Elara asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep, courtesy of these guns," Leo said, flexing his biceps proudly.

"He means we're in the football society," Luca clarified, rolling his eyes.

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The night ended with a small group gathered in the courtyard. The boys were smoking while the girls huddled together for warmth. Elara was exhausted but content, leaning against Emmy as the crisp air helped sober her up.

A boy sat down behind them, his presence unfamiliar.

"Good evening, ladies. Enjoy the party?" he asked.

Elara noticed Luca glancing their way, his gaze flickering briefly before he turned back to his conversation.

"Yes, quite the spectacle, kind sir," Emmy slurred, giggling.

"I'm Charlie," the boy said, extending a hand to Elara. "Second year. I'm crashing here tonight."

Before Elara could respond, Emmy blurted out, "Elara fancies you."

Elara froze, eyes wide in horror.

"Is that so?" Charlie smirked, leaning closer.