Her Favourite Distraction

Butterflies And Basketball

I woke up the next morning feeling all fluttery inside, butterflies swirling in my stomach. Excited, nervous, and somewhere in between.

My phone buzzed on the bedside table. A message from Henry:

How was your night, sweetheart?

I smiled, remembering the night before. His kiss — soft, gentle, careful. The way he always asked for permission, the way he made me feel completely comfortable. He was such a gentleman.

But my thoughts kept drifting back to Mr. Adrian — the way he carried himself, how he commanded the room, his aura. And the way he had acknowledged me when I answered his question in class. I didn’t know why I couldn’t stop thinking about him. He’s my lecturer… my freaking lecturer.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I barely noticed Isaa standing in the doorway, staring at me.

“Who’s causing that smile this early in the morning?” she teased.

Her voice yanked me back to reality.

“Uhh… it’s nothing,” I mumbled.

“That doesn’t look like nothing. Is it Henry?”

My eyes widened. I hadn’t told her about him yet.

“You’re wondering how I knew,” she said, grinning. “I saw you guys at the party. I was just waiting for you to spill.”

“I… I didn’t even know what it was,” I admitted.

“Do you know now?”

“I don’t know… we kissed.”

Isaa’s eyes went wide. She squealed and scooted closer.

“Spill the tea, boo!”

“Nothing much,” I said, laughing. “We went for a tour… and he kissed me.”

“Woah. Romantic much? Did you guys… you know?”

“No, Isaa!” I laughed, flustered.

“When you do… you have to tell me,” she said, winking.

I shook my head and smiled. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

“Good. Go get dressed then!”

I headed to the bathroom, showered, and dressed casually — an ash sweatshirt over a black basic top — something comfortable for the cafeteria and the day ahead.

The cafeteria was bustling. Students walked past trays clattering, laughing, chatting in small groups. We found an empty seat and sat down, taking in the chaos.

“See that guy?” Isaa said, pointing.

I looked. “Yeah… what about him?”

“He had three girlfriends… and they finally caught him,” she whispered.

I blinked. “And…?”

“Drama,” she said with a grin. “They trashed his room. Now they’re friends.”

“Wow. How do you even know all this?”

“I have reliable sources,” she replied mischievously.

We stood to grab our food. As we walked, I noticed a group of girls dressed in impeccable outfits.

“Who are those?” I whispered.

“Oh, them? The fashionistas. Parents donate a lot, so they show off.”

I nodded, impressed. We got our food — a hamburger, fries, and a milkshake for me — and returned to our seat.

I was mid-conversation with Isaa when someone bumped into me. My drink almost spilled, but the person caught it.

I looked up. Henry.

“Hey, Amanda,” he said, handing me my drink.

“Thanks, Henry,” I replied.

Isaa’s suspicious eyes narrowed, and she started making faces at me. I laughed, and Henry looked confused.

“Why are you laughing?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I managed.

He followed us back to our table and sat beside me.

“So you’re the Henry, huh?” Isaa teased.

Henry glanced at me, confused.

“Amanda mentioned you,” Isaa added.

“Only good things, I hope?” he said, smiling.

“Of course,” I murmured, feeling my cheeks heat up. Isaa could be such trouble.

“Anyway,” Henry said, standing, “I’m going now. Will you two come watch me play?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Isaa replied.

“Thanks. By 5 p.m.!” he waved and walked away.

I turned to Isaa, who started making exaggerated kissing faces at me.

“He invited me to watch him play,” I said.

“I heard. Have fun!” she teased.

“You’re not coming?” I asked.

“Hmmm… okay, fine. I’ll come. But mostly to meet new guys.”

“Your problem,” I laughed.

After class, Isaa and I made our way to the basketball court. The game was a friendly match against another school. Students cheered from the sidelines, some relaxed in the sun, others capturing every play on their phones.

Henry was incredible on the court, scoring most of the points. Wow. He really was good at everything.

We cheered loudly, and when his team won, Isaa and I went to congratulate them.

I hugged Henry. “You were amazing out there.”

“Thanks,” he said, smiling.

One of his teammates shouted, “Who’s the girl?”

“Bro finally brought a girl,” another teased.

Henry tossed a ball at them, laughing, and then took my hand, leading me to the bleachers. Isaa wandered off with one of his friends.

“So… your major?” he asked.

“Psychology.”

“Why?”

“I want to understand people better. A lot of people are misunderstood, and I want to understand how they really feel.”

Henry studied me, eyes sparkling. “You’re different from most people here.”

I blushed and ducked my head. He leaned closer, tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and kissed me. Slowly at first, then more passionately. My heart raced, warmth spreading through me.

After a moment, he pulled away softly.

“Let’s go,” he whispered, taking my hand.

The sun was setting as we walked back to my dorm. The sky was a masterpiece of colors, and I couldn’t stop staring.

“I love the way the sky looks,” I said.

Henry nodded, smiling.

Soon we reached my dorm.

“I’m really glad we ran into each other,” he said.

“Me too.”

We kissed again, lingering just long enough to make my heart flutter.

As I stepped inside, Isaa grabbed my hands. “Tell me EVERYTHING!”

I laughed nervously and recounted every detail. She teased me relentlessly, but I didn’t mind.

As I finished, a warm feeling settled in my chest. College was turning out to be far better than I had imagined.

And I loved it.