CHAPTER THREE: FRIENDSHIP IN PROGRESS
1306 Words
Kai had exactly three rules for surviving college life:
1. Never say no to free food.
2. Never trust the dorm showers.
3. Always be the funniest person in the room.
So naturally, when Professor Hargrove entered the class and set his coffee cup on the desk, Kai struck.
He pulled out a small remote from his hoodie pocket and pressed a button.
Suddenly, a mooing sound echoed from the professor’s bag.
The entire class went silent.
The professor froze. “What on earth…”
Kai leaned toward Ariella and whispered, “I slipped a cow sound chip in his bag before class. I call it... ‘Moo-d Science.’”
Ariella covered her mouth to stop a laugh. “You’re insane.”
“I’m not. I’m gifted.”
Professor Hargrove gave the bag a suspicious look, reached in, and pulled out a fake rubber cow.
“WHO PUT THIS IN HERE?!”
Kai raised his hand innocently. “Sir, I believe the cow wants to audit the course.”
Laughter exploded around the room. Even Skye smirked behind her laptop.
“Mr. Hunter,” the professor sighed, rubbing his temples. “Detention.”
“Worth it,” Kai said, leaning back proudly.
Skye, sitting two rows ahead, shook her head. i***t.
Meanwhile, her eyes scanned the room until they found him.
Zayn.
Pen in mouth, scribbling something in his notebook. Face calm, almost... innocent. Like the kind of guy who apologizes when he bumps into a chair.
Skye (in her thoughts): Still weird. Still soft. There’s no way this guy is the son of a wanted criminal. Maybe the milkman is his real dad.
Zayn looked up. Their eyes met. He smiled and waved—pen still in his mouth.
Skye blinked, then turned away with a deep sigh.
Why was he always so... cheerful?
Kai nudged Ariella. “Operation: Get Friendly Without Being Suspicious is in motion.”
Ariella laughed. “You really need better mission names".
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As soon as the bell rang, the class exploded with noise. Students rushed out like they were in a fire drill. Skye, of course, walked calmly, expression unreadable as ever.
Kai jogged up beside her. “You left too early, sis. You missed the chaos. Hargrove thought someone hacked his tablet—it kept reading out cow sounds. Moo.”
“I wonder who could’ve done that,” Skye said dryly.
Kai held up his hands. “No idea. Could’ve been anyone with a talent for digital farm animals.”
Ariella joined them, smiling. “Zayn looked so confused. He was checking the windows like cows were about to fly in.”
Skye rolled her eyes. “He would.”
“He’s adorable though,” Ariella added with a dreamy sigh.
Kai raised a brow. “You too?”
Ariella blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Literally every girl in this school has a crush on that guy. He breathes and someone faints.”
“Can you blame them?” Ariella shrugged. “He’s sweet. He’s an athlete. And have you seen those arms?”
Skye made a face. “He tripped over a chair yesterday. Muscles don’t cancel out zero balance.”
Kai nodded seriously. “Exactly why we need to keep an eye on him. Nobody is that perfect and that clueless at the same time.”
“He’s clueless because he is clueless,” Skye muttered.
Across the hallway, Zayn waved excitedly when he saw them. Skye blinked at him, turned her head, and kept walking.
“He waved again!” Kai whispered. “He’s so persistent.”
Ariella giggled. “He thinks you guys are friendly.”
Skye gave them both a sharp look. “We are not friends. We are classmates. Big difference.”
Kai grinned. “You say that now…”
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Skye made it halfway across the school lawn before hearing it.
“Hey! Ice Queen!”
She stopped. Slowly turned. “Did he just call me—”
“Yes,” Kai answered, already laughing.
Zayn jogged over, grinning like someone who’d just won the lottery. His backpack bounced awkwardly, and somehow, he still managed to trip over absolutely nothing.
He caught himself, straightened up, and beamed. “Hi.”
Skye stared. “What do you want?”
“You left your pen,” Zayn said, holding out a pink gel pen with a fluffy unicorn head.
Skye blinked. “That’s not mine.”
“It was on your desk,” he insisted.
Kai leaned in. “Skye doesn’t do unicorns. She only uses pens that look like weapons.”
Zayn scratched his head. “Oh. Then... maybe it’s mine?”
Skye crossed her arms. “So you ran all the way here to return a pen you weren’t sure belonged to me?”
Zayn nodded. “Yep.”
Ariella laughed. “You’re such a puppy.”
“I get that a lot,” he said proudly.
Skye shook her head and started walking again. “I don’t have time for this.”
Zayn walked beside her. “What do you have time for, Skye? You never talk to anyone. You're like a... cool secret agent.”
Skye almost choked.
Kai bit his lip, fighting a laugh. “Oh, if only you knew, bro.”
“What?” Zayn asked, confused.
“Nothing,” they both said quickly.
Ariella tried to cover her giggle with a cough.
Zayn shrugged. “Okay, but you guys are sitting with me at lunch.”
Skye stopped. “We don’t sit with anyone.”
“Now you do,” Zayn said confidently. “Squad rule.”
Kai whispered, “Did we just get drafted?”
Ariella nodded. “I think so.”
---
The cafeteria was packed, buzzing with noise. Zayn waved them over to a table already crowded with admirers — mostly girls.
As Skye, Kai, and Ariella approached, whispers followed them.
“Who’s the new girl?”
“She’s so pretty... but like, scary pretty.”
“That’s Skye. I heard she knocked out a teacher at her old school.”
“What?! No way.”
“Shh! She’ll hear you—”
Skye dropped her tray on the table with a thud. The entire table went silent.
Kai followed, plopping beside her with a huge grin like nothing was wrong. “I love the silence of fear in the afternoon.”
Zayn slid into the seat across from them, beaming as if this was completely normal.
Ariella sat next to him and leaned in. “Do you always bring chaos to the table?”
Zayn shrugged. “It’s more fun that way.”
One of the girls sitting beside Zayn pouted. “Zayn, you said you’d sit with us today.”
He blinked innocently. “I did? That doesn’t sound like me. You sure it wasn’t a dream?”
The girl huffed and stormed off with her tray. Her friend glared. “You’re so fake sometimes.”
Zayn’s smile froze for half a second. He looked up slowly, his entire expression changing.
His voice dropped. “Say that again.”
The girl paused.
Ariella’s eyes widened — even she felt the shift.
Zayn’s goofy warmth vanished. His eyes were sharper now, calm and calculating. His posture straightened like someone used to being in control.
The girl took a step back. “Whatever,” she mumbled, then turned and left.
Skye watched him carefully.
Two sides. Two completely different Zayns.
Interesting.
Zayn turned back to them, cheerful again like someone flipped a switch. “So! What’s everyone doing after class?”
Kai leaned toward Skye, whispering, “I think I just saw a demon slip out of that boy’s soul.”
Skye smirked. “Told you he’s not that innocent.”
Zayn sipped his juice like a toddler.
---
- Writer
