27

The fluorescent lights of the lecture hall were softer today, dimmer somehow, as if they too felt the weight in the air. I could feel Kamala's eyes before I even saw her—like static buzzing under my skin. She always watched me, but lately it felt like her gaze had teeth. Not biting, not yet. Just enough to warn.

The door creaked open behind me, and a new breeze blew through the room—not real wind, but energy. I turned instinctively, just in time to see her walk in.

Michelle.

Curly hair pulled back into a loose puff, the ends still damp from a shower, glistening in the light. Her jawline sharp, smile effortless. She wore a charcoal gray button-up, open at the collar, sleeves rolled, layered chains resting against her collarbone. Masculine, but there was this softness to her—something feminine just beneath the edge. When she walked, she didn't just move—she took space.

Her scent hit before she sat beside me. Something warm. Vanilla, maybe. And gardenia? It didn't match her clothes. It made my eyebrows twitch for a second. But then she smiled at me—wide, genuine.

"Hey. Mind if I sit here?"

I nodded before I processed it. "Sure."

Her thigh brushed mine as she got settled. I told myself it was accidental. It wasn't.

Kamala entered a few seconds later, right on cue. Her heels echoed. Each step clipped and even. But something in her face faltered when she scanned the room. She saw us. Saw her sitting next to me. Saw Michelle lean in a little too close to show me something on her notebook—a doodle in the margins that made me laugh. She saw my head fall back for half a second, my hand touch Michelle's arm in that casual way you do when someone's funny.

Kamala blinked—just once—but it felt like thunder rolled across the walls.

"Good morning," she said coolly, placing her materials on the desk. "Let's get started."

She didn't look at me again. Not once.

The lecture moved, but my mind didn't. Kamala was teaching with a sharpness that made the room feel colder. Her voice clipped. Every word enunciated like it was double-checked before leaving her mouth. She didn't call on me—not even when my hand halfway twitched to go up.

Michelle leaned over at one point and whispered, "She's intense, huh?"

I smiled, trying not to look too hard at Kamala. "That's... one word for it."

Kamala's jaw twitched when Michelle passed me a note. It was dumb—something about a political meme—but still, her timing was perfect. Every touch, every whisper, every shared smile? Calculated. She wasn't just trying to get to know me. She was staking something. Or challenging something. I couldn't tell yet.

When the class was over, Kamala dismissed everyone with a tight, "That's all for today. Don't forget your position papers are due by next week."

Michelle lingered beside me, slow to pack up.

"Wanna grab lunch?" she asked. "Just off campus."

I hesitated, my phone buzzing in my bag. A message from Karina. Another from Kamala—just one word: Office.

Michelle noticed the pause. "No pressure. Just friends," she added, her voice smooth, easy. "Unless that's not what you're looking for."

I smiled, uncertain. "I'll let you know."

She nodded and walked out—calm, confident. Like she knew I'd say yes eventually.

I stared at Kamala's text, then down the hall toward her office.

The storm was coming.

And I was already soaked.

_________

COUGH COUGH!!! 😀Ikr another short chapter...bear with me please.