Coincidence is a Gamble
1392 Words
I didn’t believe in moments that changed everything—until I spent countless hours thinking about a smile that wasn’t meant for me.
Enzo Hex hadn’t said much. He hadn’t done anything extraordinary. And yet, every time I tried to focus on my tasks, his voice replayed in my head—calm, unreadable.
I told myself it was nothing.
But nothing had ever made my chest feel this tight before.
Violet had left hours ago after receiving one of her mysterious phone calls and, as usual, disappeared to God-knows-where. She was already running late for our next class. I glanced at my wristwatch.
12:15 p.m.
Our class was in fifteen minutes so I guessed she must have been hooked by something too interesting. I pulled out my phone to text her, only for a voice note to pop up instead.
“Gawd! I just met the love of my life. I think I’m going to ditch class for coffee. Please cover up for me. P.S. He’s a billionaire!”
I rolled my eyes. Typical Violet.
Sometimes I wished my life could be that fun. But here I was—stuck with books, anxiety, and yet another day of being invincible.
Another message popped in. This one from my boss. The text was simple.
“No open hours this week.”
Great.
How was I supposed to survive on low cash? I mean, I’d saved a little from the previous week, but it would only sustain me for about three days. I had no one to turn to except my estranged mother— and that thought alone made my stomach churn.
“Perfect life, Hazel. Absolutely perfect.” I picked up my things and headed to class, Enzo’s smile the only positive thing going for me today.
Getting to class early was my thing, so I wasn’t surprised to find it empty. A few minutes later, students began trickling in as I scrolled through social media mindlessly. Then, my timeline betrayed me.
A video of Enzo appeared — camera flashes, wide smiles, signing papers in Madrid.
He was the star boy.
“Hey, you again.”
My heart dropped.
I looked up.
Jayden Henderson.
“God, no,” I whispered.
“You’re stalking me, aren’t you?” He slammed his palm onto my desk.
I shook my head.
“Then what are you doing in my class?” he pressed, laughter already rippling through the space.
I glanced around, only to realize how full the class had become. A thousand eyes were suddenly on me. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole.
“Um—sorry?” My throat tightened.
“Well, next time, just write me a love letter or something,” Jayden said loudly, “I’ll toss it in the trash and save us both the trouble.”
Laughter exploded.
I shrank into myself. It wasn’t funny—but because it was Jayden, of course everyone would laugh.
I said nothing. I just held my phone tighter like a lifeline and prayed something— anything—would save me from this ravenous wolf.
He sighed, rolled his eyes, then leaned closer until our faces were aligned.
“You don’t have to stalk someone to prove you love them.”
His eyes gleamed— bored, cruel, waiting…
I could tell he wanted to hurt me further.
Camera’s clicked. I didn't move.
I couldn’t.
Jayden noticed them too and scoffed.
“Let’s give them a show then, eh?” He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.
The clicks grew louder. And a lump formed in my throat.
“Please…” I managed to let out, my lungs tightening under the weight of the attention.
“Huh?” He cupped his ear theatrically. “Didn’t hear you.”
I tried to speak again. Nothing came out.
He straightened, adjusted his collar, then threw his arms wide.
“She says she wants to take me on a date!”
Cheers erupted.
“Cut it off, man.” That calm, crunchy bass echoed through the room, and silence fell instantly. We all turned toward the door.
Enzo stood there—with the rest of the soccer team behind him.
Jayden licked his lips, amused. “Just having fun, skipper.”
The silence stretched.
Then Enzo walked in with a soft swagger, his presence filling the room effortlessly. He stopped in front of us, cast me a knowing look, then squared his shoulders at Jayden.
“There’s a thin line between fun and abuse,” he said evenly. “You don’t want this hitting the media. And you definitely don’t want the coach hearing about it.”
Jayden cursed under his breath.
“That's what I thought,” Enzo continued. “I’m sure the scouts would not fancy this shit.”
With that, he shrugged and walked away—without sparing me another glance.
Butterflies swarmed my stomach, an unwanted smile tugging at my lips, until a middle-aged woman in a gray suit strode in.
“Good afternoon, class. I hope you enjoyed your weekend and didn’t spend it partying and drinking, because the first item on my list is your assignment.”
Professor Haylee.
The devil incarnate.
I had to call Violet.
“Need I remind you,” she continued, “that this assignment constitutes thirty percent of your continuous assessment, and attendance is a prerequisite—”
My heart thumped as I pulled out my phone. Violet couldn’t afford to miss this. I dialed—
“Put your phones away, please,” Professor Haylee snapped. “I would not like anyone in my bad books today.”
My heart sank.
And that was how Violet missed a vital class for graduation.
Hours later, her phone was still unreachable. After waiting at the café for a while, I decided it was time to face my reality.
First stop—Mr. Tom’s office.
I found the bald man packing his files, clearly ready to leave for the day. When he noticed me, he shook his head without looking up.
“I thought I told you there were no hours for you this week,” he said.
“I know, sir. I just wanted to see if anything had changed,” I replied, my voice hopeful despite myself.
He paused, then sighed. “Hazel, you’re a good girl, a wonderful person. And I hate to do this, but—”
His eyes scanned me from head to toe. I hugged my cracked laptop tighter. It needed fixing, but I had no insurance—something I’d never tell Violet. I needed money badly, and my desperation was obvious.
“We’re fully staffed at the moment.”
“Please, Tom. I’m sure you can fit me in somewhere.”
“When there’s space, sure. But right now, we won’t be needing your services anytime soon.”
I froze. “What did you just say?”
He rested his hands on his waist. “I’ve reached my staffing limit for the rest of the year.”
“You’re firing me… for nothing,” I said, tears burning my eyes.
He couldn’t even look at me. He grabbed his unzipped bag and hurried off, muttering a half-hearted “sorry” as he went.
I stood there for a long moment, fighting back tears.
There was only one option left—my mother.
At least I needed to pull myself together before making that call.
With no other choice, I began the walk of shame home, replaying the day in my head. The chaos of Professor Haylee’s class. And Enzo— my Enzo.
He was so far out of my league.
The screech of tires snapped me out of my reverie…
A car barreled toward the sidewalk—out of control. I could tell the brakes had failed. Directly in its path stood a young boy, clutching a cotton ice cream.
“Hey! Get out of the way!” I screamed.
He didn’t hear me.
My legs moved before my mind could catch up.
I lunged, shoved him aside—and then—
A deafening crash.
Horns blared. People screamed. Sirens wailed. My vision blurred as pain exploded through my head.
“Are you alright?” voices asked, faces hovering above me.
Everything felt foggy.
Then I realized I’d hit my head.
And the world went dark.
- Writer
