At the other end of the cafeteria, a more popular set of people sat.
Both in the same world of science, but two different universes apart.
Seated with his fellow computer and technology friends, his dark wavy hair falling just above his eyebrows.
He was wholly absorbed in his laptop, his lashes lowered behind the frame of his glasses.
He wore a red and white designer sports leather jacket, which should have clashed with his otherwise nerdy demeanor, but somehow didn't.
While his friends chattered loudly, he gave the occasional nod, his expression calm and focused.
He looked exactly the same as always. Yeah, the same. The picture of innocence. Too much innocence, in her opinion.
A look of innocence can be deceiving and she had memories to prove it.
She shivered at the thought that crossed her mind.
"Frida?" Leah's voice cut through her thoughts. "Are you even listening?"
Frida jolted, quickly stuffing a fry into her mouth. "Yes, of course. Group projects totally suck."
Leah narrowed her eyes suspiciously, then followed Frida's line of sight. Her lips curled into a sly grin. "Right the pharmacology project is hard?"
"Totally." Frida agreed sipping her smoothie.
"You did not just dead-ass check out Laziel." Leah snapped at her.
Frida froze, heat rushing to her face. "What? No!" she nearly choked.
Leah leaned in closer, her grin widening. "Tell me you're not thinking about him."
"I'm not!" Frida scoffed, stuffing another fry into her mouth as if that would erase her guilt or the obvious blush betraying her to rise in her cheeks like sunrise.
"Mm-hmm. Sure." Leah's smirk didn't waver, but she didn't press further.
Frida glanced back at him, then quickly looked away. She could feel Leah watching her.
"This has nothing to do with him," Frida said, a little too defensively.
Leah leaned back in her chair, shrugging. "Yeah, and you licked your lips just now because they were chapped."
Frida glared at her friend but said nothing.
She couldn't admit it, not even to herself.
Because the truth was, that Chapter of her life was over. Shut, sealed, and buried.
It had to be. For her own sanity.
But as her gaze flickered back to him, the air seemed to shift too heavy, too charged.
Her pulse quickened, and a heat she couldn't control coiled low in her stomach.
She wanted to look away.
But she didn't.
And he wasn't even looking at her.