In Love: Against All Odds

The Squad's Never Gonna Let This Go

Can't Help Falling in Love – Haley Reinhart (cover) ☁️
"Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be"

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Monday at uni felt like a weird mix of refreshing and nerve-wracking. The usual buzz of students filled the air, a chaotic blend of chatter, last-minute assignment panic, and the occasional skateboarder weaving through the crowd like they were auditioning for Fast & Furious: Campus Edition.

And me? I was low-key vibing—hyped, but also kinda nervous.

Yesterday with Patrick had been playing on repeat in my brain, and no matter how much I tried to act normal, my subconscious was not letting me forget that little coffee meetup. It had been nice—a break from all the chaos. For once, I wasn't drowning in the post-Bradwin disaster zone, and I could actually breathe.

But, of course, the moment I reached our usual spot near the lockers, Adri was already waiting, practically bouncing on her toes. A book was in her hands—The Song of Achilles—but the second she saw me, she snapped it shut so fast you'd think it was classified information.

Her eyes lit up like she'd just been handed VIP tickets to meet Jade Kason.

"Kat. Spill. Now."

I groaned, dragging a hand over my face. "Adri, chill. It wasn't that deep. We grabbed coffee, talked about work, end of story."

She gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. "You cannot just drop 'talked about work' like that! That's a code phrase for 'we bonded emotionally over life goals, and now he's secretly obsessed with me.'"

I laughed, shaking my head. "You need to touch grass."

But before I could shut her down completely, she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Wait." She stepped closer, pointing at me. "Why do you look low-key happy right now? Like, suspiciously happy."

I tried to school my expression, but the betrayal of my own face was real.

Adri gasped again. "Oh my god. You like him."

"I—no!" I protested, but my voice cracked on the last word, which did not help my case.

Adri was already cackling. "Katherine Carter, is catching feelings."

"I am not," I insisted, grabbing my books out of my locker. "We were just vibing and studying, okay?"

"Sure," she said, crossing her arms with an exaggerated smirk. "And I just listen to Jade Kason for the vocals, not because I'm mentally planning our wedding in my head."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Exactly."

Just then, the rest of the squad rolled in, their energy already at a 100. Brailey and Vinita had the usual tea-radar activated, but Alista? She was hanging back, quieter than usual.

Brailey wasted zero time. "Ooooh, so I heard somebody had a little café moment yesterday. Tell me everything."

Vinita grinned. "Was it romantic? Did he stare at you like you were the last caramel macchiato on Earth?"

I sighed dramatically. "You guys need better hobbies."

"So that's a yes," Brailey teased.