Chapter 3: Mixed Signals
1164 Words
The next few weeks passed faster than either Hannah or Garrett expected.
What had started as a simple tutoring arrangement had become part of their daily lives.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they met at the library.
Every Tuesday and Thursday they grabbed coffee before class.
And almost every evening they exchanged messages about assignments, hockey games, music, or completely random topics.
Neither of them mentioned how much they looked forward to those conversations.
Neither of them needed to.
It was obvious.
At least to everyone except themselves.
---
"You like him."
Hannah nearly choked on her drink.
"No."
Allie rolled her eyes.
The two friends were sitting outside the student center enjoying lunch.
"You literally attended a hockey game."
"So?"
"You hate sports."
"I don't hate sports."
"Hannah."
"Fine. I dislike them."
"Exactly."
Hannah looked away.
The truth was she had enjoyed the game.
Not because of hockey.
Because she had enjoyed watching Garrett succeed.
And that thought was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Because Garrett Graham wasn't supposed to matter this much.
---
Across campus, Garrett was having a similar conversation.
Except less subtle.
Much less subtle.
"You like her."
Garrett nearly dropped his hockey bag.
"What is wrong with everyone?"
Logan laughed.
"Nothing."
"Then why does everyone keep saying that?"
"Because it's true."
Dean, another teammate, nodded.
"Very true."
Garrett pointed at them.
"We're friends."
"Sure."
"We are."
"Okay."
"Stop saying okay like that."
The three teammates exchanged amused looks.
Garrett groaned.
This was exactly why he hated talking about feelings.
---
That evening, Hannah and Garrett met at the library.
As usual, Hannah arrived first.
As usual, Garrett arrived carrying coffee.
"Your payment."
"I don't get paid."
"You do now."
He handed her the cup.
Their fingers brushed briefly.
Just for a second.
Yet somehow both noticed.
Both immediately looked away.
And suddenly the library felt warmer than before.
---
The study session should have been normal.
Instead, everything felt slightly different.
Not bad.
Just different.
Every accidental touch seemed more noticeable.
Every smile lasted a little longer.
Every joke felt more meaningful.
Hannah hated how aware she was of Garrett sitting beside her.
Meanwhile, Garrett struggled to focus on philosophy because Hannah's perfume smelled surprisingly nice.
Neither was having a productive evening.
---
After two hours, Hannah finally closed her textbook.
"You're impossible today."
Garrett blinked.
"What did I do?"
"You answered a question about Plato by talking about hockey."
"It made sense in my head."
"It absolutely did not."
Garrett laughed.
The sound made Hannah smile despite herself.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The smile."
She rolled her eyes.
"Focus."
"You focus."
"You're the student."
"You're the tutor."
"Exactly."
"Then tutor me."
"I am tutoring you."
"Poorly."
Hannah threw another pencil at him.
This time it hit his shoulder.
Garrett grinned victoriously.
---
Later that night, Hannah sat in her dorm room trying to write music.
Unfortunately, her concentration kept drifting.
Every lyric she wrote reminded her of recent conversations with Garrett.
Every melody felt connected to some memory.
The coffee.
The hockey game.
The library.
The sunset conversation.
It was becoming a problem.
A very frustrating problem.
Her phone suddenly buzzed.
A text message.
Garrett.
Garrett: Important question.
Hannah immediately smiled.
Then frowned.
Then smiled again.
Hannah: What?
Garrett: Do penguins have knees?
She stared at the message.
Hannah: That's your important question?
Garrett: Yes.
Hannah: Why?
Garrett: My teammates are arguing.
Hannah: You interrupted my work for penguin knees?
Garrett: It's a serious issue.
A minute later another message arrived.
Garrett: Also, yes. They do have knees.
Hannah laughed.
For some reason, that simple conversation made her entire evening better.
---
The following weekend brought another hockey game.
This time Hannah hadn't planned to attend.
Unfortunately, Garrett had other ideas.
"You should come."
"No."
"Why not?"
"I have work."
"What time?"
"Five."
"The game starts at seven."
Hannah narrowed her eyes.
"You already checked my schedule, didn't you?"
"Maybe."
"That's creepy."
"It's strategic."
"It remains creepy."
Garrett smiled.
"So you'll come?"
She sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
His grin widened.
For some reason, seeing him happy made refusing impossible.
---
The arena was packed that night.
Students filled every seat.
Music blasted through speakers.
Excitement buzzed through the crowd.
Hannah sat beside Allie near the middle section.
The moment Garrett skated onto the ice, hundreds of people cheered.
Hannah understood why.
Confidence surrounded him.
Not arrogance.
Confidence.
The difference mattered.
As the game progressed, Garrett played brilliantly.
Fast.
Focused.
Determined.
Everything seemed effortless.
Until it wasn't.
Midway through the second period, another player slammed into him.
Hard.
The entire crowd gasped.
Garrett crashed into the boards.
For one terrifying moment, he didn't move.
Hannah's stomach dropped.
Without realizing it, she stood.
Beside her, Allie noticed immediately.
The concern on Hannah's face was impossible to hide.
Fortunately, Garrett slowly got back up.
The arena erupted in applause.
Only then did Hannah sit down again.
Her heart was still racing.
---
The game ended with another victory.
Afterward, Hannah waited outside the locker room.
Players gradually emerged.
Eventually Garrett appeared.
"Hey."
"You okay?"
The question came out faster than she intended.
Garrett looked surprised.
Then he smiled softly.
"I'm okay."
Relief flooded through her.
"So dramatic."
"You got hit into a wall."
"Occupational hazard."
Hannah shook her head.
"Hockey players are insane."
"Probably."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Garrett stepped closer.
Not much.
Just enough to make Hannah aware of every heartbeat.
"Thanks for worrying."
She froze.
"I wasn't worried."
"Liar."
"Maybe a little."
Garrett's smile widened.
Something warm settled in his chest.
Because Hannah rarely admitted things like that.
And somehow her concern meant more than hundreds of cheering fans.
---
Over the next few days, things continued changing.
Not dramatically.
Not obviously.
Just small moments.
Meaningful moments.
Comfortable silences.
Private jokes.
Long conversations.
Shared smiles.
The kind of moments that quietly become memories before you realize they're important.
Neither Hannah nor Garrett talked about it.
Both were afraid to ruin what they had.
Friendship felt safe.
Anything more felt complicated.
---
One evening, after another study session, they found themselves sitting outside beneath a sky filled with stars.
Campus was unusually quiet.
The world seemed smaller somehow.
More peaceful.
Garrett leaned back against the bench.
"You know something?"
"What?"
"You're my favorite person."
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Silence followed.
Immediately, Garrett regretted saying it.
Not because it wasn't true.
Because it was.
Hannah looked at him.
Really looked at him.
For the first time, neither was joking.
Neither was hiding behind sarcasm.
The moment felt honest.
Dangerously honest.
Finally, Hannah smiled.
A genuine smile.
The kind she rarely showed anyone.
"You're one of my favorite people too."
Garrett's heart nearly stopped.
And although neither said another word about it, both knew something important had changed.
The line between friendship and something more was becoming harder to see.
And sooner or later, one of them would have to decide whether crossing that line was worth the risk.
- Writer
