Matriage in the lecture halls

Chapter 5 - just anpther day

Arabella walked into her class - anatomy. She hadn't been here yet, and immidiately upon walking in she noticed the table in the middle of the room. Seated around it were some of the most buff people Arabella had ever seen. Including... was that, Lasia? 

Arabella quickly walked over to snag a seat next to her crush, and was warmly welcomed not only by Lasia, but also by a froggy looking man across the table.

"Wasgood. Do you have tiktok by the way?" The man asked her, offering his hand for Arabella to shake. "I'm asking because I'm kinda famous over there... not to brag, but i have 200 followers. You should totttallyyy check it out."

Lasia rolled her eyes and grabbed Arabella's hand away from the tiktoker. "This is Cinderella. Don't mind him, he's the thirstiest man I've ever met." Laisa gestured to the rest of the table. "This is Mathias, call him Matt. This is A-car, and this is Treasure. Everyone, this here is Arabella." Lasia proudly ruffled Arabella's perfectly styled hair. 

"So, Danielle, was that your name? anyway, you should follow my tiktok-" Cinderella started again, before being cut off by Lasia punching the table. 

"Her. Name. Is. ARABELLA!!!" Lasia sighed in desperation, before rolling her eyes. 

The feud was cut off by the lecturer, who asked everyone to get into groups of 3 for the tutorial. Arabella shot her eyes over to Lasia, sensing Cinderella already glaring in Arabellas direction. Lasia was already looking back at her, and they made some fierce eye contact.

As Lasia and Arabella moved away from the table, they were joined by Matt, who timidly asked to join their group. Arabella agreed, slightly annoyed her alone time with her crush was going to be third wheeled. 

The lecturer pointed at the board, 'Ok everyone, we are going to be identifying muscles today. Does anyone know what this cheeky guy is?' The lecturer pointed at the arm.

Matts hand shot into the air. "ME ME ME!!!!" The lecturer sighed and invited Matt to the front. 

Matt snorted and pushed his glasses up his nose. "That is the Biceps Brachii. And as you can see here..." Matt flexed his arm, and Arabella rolled her eyes. Why were Lasia's friends so questionable? 

Looking to make judgmental eye contact with Lasia, Arabella was horrified to see her eyes already fixed on Mathias, who was still showing off his arms. Arabella felt a pang of jealousy,  but ignored it, remembering that there was no way Matt could beat her in dress to impress. 

The lecturer cleared his throat. "Well well, i believe that was quite enough. Thank you young man. PLEASE sit down now." Matt gleefully skipped back over to their group. "Now, in your groups, I want you to identify all the muscles of the upper body using these cheeky diagrams here. You may begin."

"Did you see that Lasia? I'm pretty big now, right? Don't you think? I look pretty good, right?" Matt was grinning manically while gazing at himself in the reflection of the window. 

"Yes very nice. Now lets get to work." Lasia slapped the diagram down on the table. "Arabella, come help me out." 

As she studied the diagram, Lasia leaned in closer, her arm brushing against Arabella's. "Okay, so we need to identify the deltoid, the trapezius, and the latissimus dorsi. Let's start with the deltoid."

Arabella nodded, trying to ignore the feeling of Matt's eyes lingering on them. She carefully traced the outline of the deltoid on the diagram. "This one goes over the shoulder," she said, pointing it out. "It's responsible for shoulder abduction."

Lasia's eyes sparkled with appreciation. "Exactly! You're sooo smart Arabella."

Matt, still admiring himself, shot a sidelong glance at Lasia. "Lasia, do you think i need to hit legs more? Do you think I'm too top heavy? Do you think it looks good how-" he started, but Lasia quickly cut him off with a sharp look.

"Matt, focus on the assignment, please," Lasia said firmly, her tone allowing no argument.

Matt pouted sulkily but turned his attention back to the diagrams, mumbling something about how his biceps were definitely the highlight of the class.

They worked well together, and Arabella could feel her nerves settling. Despite the distractions, she was genuinely impressed by how Lasia managed to keep the group focused.

"So, the trapezius," Lasia said, pointing at the relevant section on the diagram. "It's the large muscle that extends down the back and neck. It's crucial for moving and stabilizing the shoulder blades."

Arabella looked over, her eyes meeting Lasia's. The intensity of their shared focus made her heart race. "Got it. And the latissimus dorsi is the broadest muscle of the back, right? It's important for shoulder extension and rotation."

"Perfect!" Lasia said, clearly pleased. "You're really good at this, Arabella."

Arabella blushed at the compliment, her heart and eyelashes fluttering. "Thanks, Lasia."

Lasia leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Hey, I'm really glad we're paired up. I know things have been weird, but I want you to know I'm here to help, with anything, okay?"

Arabella's eyes widened. "You're really helping me already, Lasia. Thank you."

Their conversation was interrupted by the lecturer, who walked around the room, checking on each group's progress. He stopped by their table and nodded approvingly. "Looks like you're making some cheeky progress here. Keep up the good work."

"Arabella," Lasia said quietly, her eyes scanning the room to make sure no one was listening. "I need to talk to you after class. It's important."

Arabella looked up, her curiosity piqued but also tinged with unease. "Okay, Lasia. I'll meet you outside?" Arabella could already feel a blush rising on her cheeks. Was she about to get asked out?

Lasia nodded, her expression serious. As Arabella turned back to gather her things, she couldn't shake the feeling that something significant was about to happen.