Chapter 4: Coincidence?
1078 Words
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring. With a groan, I stretched and grabbed my phone, checking the time. I had about an hour before I needed to be at school.
As I scrolled through my notifications, a message from our class group chat caught my attention.
Mayor: "Reminder! Permanent seat plan starts today. First-come, first-serve! Good luck!"
Almost instantly, Catherine messaged me.
Catherine: "JADE. WE NEED TO SIT TOGETHER. ASAP. EARLY BIRD GETS THE SEAT."
I chuckled before replying with a simple, "We'll see."
After getting ready, I made my way to school, still trying to shake off the drowsiness clinging to me.
The moment I stepped into the classroom, chaos greeted me. Students were scrambling to claim their spots, some arguing over placements, while others formed last-minute alliances to secure the best seats.
From the other side of the room, Catherine was already waving frantically. "Jade! Over here!"
I wove through the crowd and slipped into the seat beside her. "Looks like you secured a good spot."
She grinned triumphantly. "Of course. There was no way I was sitting in the front row."
Just as I set my bag down, our teacher walked in and clapped his hands to grab our attention.
"Alright, since everyone has chosen a seat, this will be your permanent arrangement for the first semester."
A collective mix of relief and disappointment spread through the room.
That’s when I realized something.
I turned slightly, scanning the room until my eyes landed on a familiar face a few rows away.
River.
He was seated near the aisle, in the middle section. He leaned back in his chair, earbuds in, looking completely unbothered by the seat plan chaos.
I wasn't sure why I even looked in the first place. Maybe because of what happened at the music store yesterday. Or maybe because Catherine wouldn't shut up about him recently.
Whatever. It doesn’t matter.
Class started, and I pushed the thought aside.
The day passed quickly, and before I knew it, the final bell rang.
I was packing up my things when I noticed Diana waiting for me in the hallway—again.
And just like yesterday, she wasn’t alone.
A few steps away, River stood near the lockers, casually scrolling through his phone.
I didn’t know why, but seeing them in the same space again made my stomach twist slightly.
Diana beamed when I approached. "There you are! Took you long enough."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "You really didn’t have to wait for me."
She shrugged. "I wanted to."
Glancing at River, I noticed he was still in his usual relaxed stance, his attention fixed on his phone as if the world around him didn’t exist.
Diana leaned in slightly and whispered, "You seriously never told me you were classmates with him?"
I sighed, already knowing where this was going. "It didn’t seem important."
She scoffed. "Jade. That’s THE River Cruz. How is that not important?"
Before I could answer, River’s phone vibrated. Without a word, he turned and walked away.
Diana watched him leave before turning back to me with a knowing smirk. "You’re telling me you two don’t talk?"
I shook my head. "We don’t."
"Hmm." She gave me a look that said she didn’t believe me. "Anyway, coffee shop?"
"Coffee shop," I confirmed.
Sitting across from Diana at our usual table, I finally relaxed, sipping my iced coffee.
"So, spill," she said, resting her chin on her hand.
I frowned. "Spill what?"
She rolled her eyes. "You and River. I know you don’t talk, but after what happened yesterday at the music store, you’re telling me that was just… nothing?"
I groaned, already tired of this conversation. "Diana, it was just a coincidence."
She narrowed her eyes. "A coincidence where he bought the exact same strings as you and then paid for them without saying much? That doesn’t seem like a ‘nothing’ moment, Jade."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "You’re reading too much into this. He was just there. That’s all."
Diana watched me for a moment before taking a sip of her drink. "Fine. I’ll stop for now. But I still think something’s up."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say."
After a while, our conversation shifted to other topics—music, school, random gossip. It felt nice catching up, like old times.
When we finally finished, Diana stretched and stood up. "You heading home now?"
I shook my head. "I need to stop by somewhere first."
"Where?"
"Music store. I need a backup set of strings."
Diana smirked. "Oh? Hoping to run into River again?"
I groaned. "Goodbye, Diana."
She laughed, waving me off as she left.
The music store was quiet when I walked in. The familiar scent of wood and metal filled the air, and soft guitar strumming echoed from somewhere inside.
I headed straight for the strings section, already knowing what I needed.
Elixir 10 Gauge.
Just as I reached for a pack—
Another hand grabbed the same one at the exact moment.
You've got to be kidding me.
I turned my head.
River.
For the second time.
His eyebrows lifted slightly, clearly just as surprised. "You again," he muttered.
I stared at him, still processing the situation. What were the chances?
River glanced at the pack of strings in his hand, then at me. "You sure you’re not just following me?"
I scoffed. "Excuse me? This is literally my music store."
"Hmm." He hummed, clearly unconvinced.
Before I could say anything else, he tossed a second pack of strings into my hands.
"Backup set," he said simply.
I blinked, looking down at the extra pack. "I didn’t ask for—"
"You’ll thank me later," he interrupted before turning toward the counter.
I stood there, gripping the strings, watching as he casually placed his items on the counter.
Then, without even glancing back at me, he called out to the cashier. "E-bank payment, by the way."
And just like that, he was gone.
Leaving me standing in the middle of the music store, completely thrown off.
What the hell just happened again?
I looked down at the pack of strings in my hand, my grip tightening slightly.
This was nothing. Just another random coincidence.
But somehow, as I stood there in the quiet hum of the music store, I had that strange feeling again—
That this wouldn’t be the last time our paths crossed.
- Writer
