Level the Playing Field

Bright Eyes.

A/n: I think I have like three chapters tops left in me with this lol. Any way, enjoy ☺️

Molecular biology already seems like it's going to be a horror show after just one lecture. She, of course, expected the courses to be harder for senior year, but she already knows this is the one that will pull at her sanity. She has no time for distractions this year; no matter if they come in the form of a big, sexy, charming man with great dick. Amazing dick. I miss it. I miss him. Sadé gathers her things and exits the lecture hall. She wants desperately to head back to her room and have ramen so she can rest for her shift in the library later but Mikayla insists on having lunch in the cafeteria. She spots her friend easily in the spacious, busy room. Mikayla is seated around a table towards the back. Sadé strides through the room pretending not to feel the stares she's getting. She knows it's going to be like this for a while until Jude is rumored to be with someone else or until they stop caring which usually happens quickly. They just didn't have enough time before the last semester ended to properly ogle and gossip; she's fine with it, as long as nobody tries to interact with her directly.

"I'm sorry, when I suggested this I didn't remember the stares." Mikayla says as soon as she's in earshot. Sadé awkwardly balances her laptop in one hand while she puts her bag down on the bench before sitting down.

"It's okay, besides, you're getting stares too." And it's true; Ryan is also a big deal at the uni and he has not been keeping her a secret. People are curious.

"Yeah, I... I hate this." Mikayla ducks her head shyly.

"This is what you get for wanting to eat healthier." Sadé teases grabbing the extra grilled chicken sandwich on the table.

"What happened nutritionally the last couple of months in sophomore year cannot happen again, Sadé. And eating at the cafeteria is easier than attempting to cook daily."

Sadé almost shivers in horror remembering how poorly they ate. Her friend is right. Just then, the glass doors of the cafeteria squeak as they are swung open; a group of eight people walk in. Sadé wants to scream, maybe her mom back home is actively wishing her the worst luck. Sadé hasn't been to the cafeteria often, less than ten times since she enrolled here, actually. Still, she never saw Jude and his clique in here before, so why are they here now? And why is Ryan sauntering their way to bring everyone else's attention to them also? Annita immediately sneers when they make eye contact, cuddling into Jude's side. Sadé rolls her eyes, facing forward to look at the notes on her laptop screen. She meant it when she said she's not doing this again this semester. The group, except Ryan, occupies a table a couple feet away from theirs.

"Hey." Ryan greets her friend gently. He gives her lips a soft peck. Mikayla turns red as a tomato, looking around the room shyly. Sadé, while happy for her friend, can't help but feel a little tap on her shoulder from the green eyed monster. She can't help it, she knows she'll never have this with him and it makes her chest ache.

"Hi Sadé." Ryan gives her a soft smile that she happily returns. She likes Ryan, he's making her best friend happy.

"Hey Keanu." She teases with a giggle as the man rolls his eyes. He looks like a younger version of Keanu Reeves with green eyes so Sadé had called him that as a joke over the summer on one of his many facetime calls with Mikayla and it stuck.

"No food for me?" Ryan pouts in her friend's direction and she offers him a bite of her sandwich. Sadé tunes out their conversation after that knowing it's all flirting and giggling from there. She focuses on keeping her gaze on the screen instead, trying to seem too busy to notice the heated stare she can feel burning into her skin from her right. The bracelet on her wrist suddenly feels heavier and she subconsciously reaches to toy with it.