Against the Edge

Morning at the Quad

Miguel stood near the entrance of Harvard's law building, watching students pass by. He adjusted his backpack, his gaze drifting to Blanca, who sat on a bench, engrossed in her phone. Ethan was next to her, talking about the upcoming basketball game.

Miguel smirked, walking over to them. "Hey, Blanca, Ethan," he greeted, his tone light but his eyes lingering on Ethan. He trusted his friend, but that nagging feeling of jealousy still crept up sometimes.

Blanca looked up, a smile instantly lighting up her face. "Miguel! You done with class already?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as Miguel sat beside her, his arm casually resting on her shoulder.

"Yeah, Professor John let us out early. I think he's warming up to me," Miguel joked, his thumb lightly brushing Blanca's shoulder. "What about you? Still drowning in student union work?"

Blanca sighed dramatically. "Always. William is driving me crazy with all these new initiatives."

Ethan chuckled, stretching his arms behind his head. "At least you're not the one being dragged into extra basketball practices. Coach is acting like it's the championship game every week."

Miguel's competitive side kicked in. "It is the championship if I'm on the court," he teased, shooting a playful grin at Ethan.

"You wish, bro," Ethan fired back with a smirk.

Suddenly, Blanca's phone buzzed. She glanced at it, her expression turning serious. "Looks like Nick is asking for another meeting tonight," she said, rolling her eyes.

Miguel tensed slightly. "Again? Doesn't he know you have a life outside the student union?" His voice had a hint of irritation, but he masked it with a chuckle.

Blanca nudged him. "Jealous much?" she teased, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You know you're the only one I'm interested in."

--

Later that afternoon, Miguel and Ethan were at the gym, shooting hoops before practice officially started. James and Louis were already there, causing a ruckus as usual.

"Hey, Miguel, you hear about that law competition coming up?" Louis asked, bouncing the ball toward him. "I bet you and Blanca will dominate."

Miguel caught the ball, taking a shot. "We're thinking about it. It's not really her scene, though. She's more into the student union stuff."

James laughed. "Yeah, and dealing with Nick. How are you not losing your mind with that guy hanging around?"

Miguel rolled his eyes. "I'm not worried about Nick. He can flirt all he wants, Blanca knows where she stands."

"Yeah, but does he?" Ethan chimed in, snatching the ball from Miguel for a quick layup.

Miguel smirked. "He'll figure it out soon enough."