Chapter 3 – Three Rules
957 Words
The email sat at the top of my inbox all night.
Tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. Room 304, Business Building.
Don't be late.
That was it.
No greeting.
No signature.
No unnecessary words.
It was exactly the kind of email I imagined Noah Carter would send.
Cold.
Straight to the point.
And somehow...
Annoyingly effective.
Because despite telling myself I didn't care, I still arrived outside Room 304 at exactly 8:50 a.m.
Ten minutes early.
"Happy now?" I muttered to no one in particular.
I adjusted the strap of my bag before knocking lightly on the half-open door.
No answer.
I peeked inside.
The classroom was quiet.
Sunlight spilled through the tall windows, casting long shadows across rows of empty desks.
Only one student was there.
Noah sat in the back row, a notebook open in front of him. Earbuds rested on the table beside him, and instead of scrolling through his phone like everyone else, he was reading through a stack of printed notes, occasionally writing something in the margin.
He didn't notice me.
Or maybe...
He was pretending not to.
I cleared my throat.
"...Hi."
Without looking up, he spoke.
"You're early."
"I thought you didn't notice."
"I noticed."
His pen kept moving.
"You've been standing at the door for twelve seconds."
I blinked.
"You counted?"
"No."
He finally looked up.
"I guessed."
I narrowed my eyes.
"I can't tell when you're joking."
"I know."
That somehow made it worse.
I walked inside and chose the seat directly across from him.
"I expected more freshmen."
"You'll meet them in the group session next week."
"So today is..."
"One-on-one."
Great.
Just me.
And the human version of a poker face.
Noah closed his notebook and leaned back in his chair.
"So..."
"Caitlyn Parker."
"My friends call me Cait."
"I'll keep calling you Kate."
I sighed.
"You're impossible."
"I've heard."
"Frequently?"
"Enough."
A tiny silence settled between us.
Not awkward.
Just... quiet.
Noah reached into his backpack and slid a thin folder across the table.
"Your mentoring guide."
I opened it.
Inside were campus maps, academic calendars, library information, tutoring services, emergency contacts...
Everything was neatly organized with colored tabs.
I looked up, surprised.
"You made this?"
"I updated it."
"It looks like it took hours."
"It did."
That answer caught me off guard.
For someone who supposedly didn't like mentoring...
He'd put an incredible amount of effort into it.
I flipped another page.
There were handwritten notes in the margins.
Best place to study when the library is full.
Café on the south side has the cheapest coffee.
Avoid the west parking lot after five. Traffic is terrible.
A smile escaped before I realized it.
"This is... actually really helpful."
"I know."
I laughed.
"You really don't know how to accept compliments, do you?"
"I accepted it."
"No, you just agreed with me."
"Same result."
I shook my head.
"I've never met anyone like you."
"So people keep telling me."
Before I could reply, someone knocked once before pushing the door open.
Ethan.
Of course.
He walked in carrying a paper bag and two iced coffees.
"Morning!"
His eyes bounced between us.
"Oh."
"You two haven't killed each other yet."
"We've only been here three minutes," I replied.
"Give it time," Ethan said dramatically.
He handed one coffee to Noah.
"You forgot breakfast again."
"I wasn't hungry."
"You say that every morning."
Ethan placed the paper bag on the desk.
"And every morning I ignore you."
Noah looked at the bag.
"...Thanks."
It was a simple word.
Quiet.
But genuine.
Ethan only shrugged.
"I don't need my best friend fainting during practice."
I watched the exchange in silence.
It was... different.
Noah wasn't cold.
Not with Ethan.
He was just... subtle.
"You must be Kate," Ethan said, turning to me.
I groaned.
"Please don't."
"What?"
"The nickname."
"I think it suits you."
"I had a perfectly good name before yesterday."
Ethan laughed.
"I don't make the rules."
"No," I said, glancing at Noah.
"He does."
Noah took a sip of his coffee, looking completely unbothered.
Ethan leaned closer to me and lowered his voice dramatically.
"You know what's funny?"
"What?"
"He's never given anyone a nickname before."
I frowned.
"What?"
Ethan nodded confidently.
"Never."
I looked at Noah.
"Seriously?"
Noah didn't answer.
Which, somehow...
Felt like an answer.
A strange warmth crept into my chest.
I ignored it immediately.
"Don't look so proud," I muttered.
"I'm not."
"You have that face again."
"What face?"
"The one that says you're secretly amused."
"I usually am."
I rolled my eyes.
"There it is," Ethan pointed.
"Eye roll number one."
"I did not—"
"Oh, I started counting."
I laughed despite myself.
Noah glanced between us before quietly standing.
"We're leaving."
Ethan blinked.
"Leaving?"
"You have practice."
"...Right."
As Ethan complained dramatically all the way to the door, Noah paused beside me.
"If you have questions about classes..."
He pulled a small card from his notebook.
"My number."
He placed it on the table.
I looked at it.
Then at him.
"I thought mentors weren't supposed to be available twenty-four hours."
"They're not."
"So why give me your number?"
Noah slid one hand into his pocket.
His expression stayed calm.
"Because..."
He looked at me for a brief second.
"...you'll probably get lost again."
Before I could come up with a comeback...
He walked away.
Ethan looked over his shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.
"See you around, Kate!"
The door closed.
I stared at the small card still lying on the desk.
At the bottom, beneath his phone number, was a sentence written in neat black ink.
If you're lost, ask before wandering.
I smiled.
"...He's still annoying."
But for the first time...
The word didn't sound entirely convincing.
- Writer
