Next To You

3

The vibe in the classroom is very sleepy, Jade has been fighting off the urge to close her eyes and sleep. The monotone lecture of their professor is not helping her case. Jade blinked at the projector screen, trying to make sense of the professor’s latest ramble about metaphysical dualism. She twirled her pen absentmindedly in her fingers, her notebook is filled with hurried bullet points and doodles of arrows and stars she didn’t remember drawing.

Philosophy had never been her favorite subject, but she was determined to try this time to really listen and absorb all of the lectures. With everything going on, she figured it wouldn’t hurt to pay closer attention to the bigger questions in life, like whether the droplets that the rain gives is is real or we’re just pretending to know what we know.

She squinted at the screen again and jotted down:

Descartes – “I think, therefore I am”

Right. That much she could handle.

Jade leaned forward slightly, tuning into the professor’s voice as he scribbled something barely legible on the whiteboard. She glanced sideways, instinctively curious to see how Neil was keeping up with the drowsiness that the room carries.

Except… he wasn’t taking notes.

He was drawing.

Jade tilted her head just a bit, subtle enough not to look obvious. She caught sight of his notebook. Sure enough, Neil wasn’t writing anything related to Descartes or metaphysical anything but he was sketching. In fluid, confident lines, he was halfway through a realistic drawing of their professor, with every lines of his bone structure and wild hair included. The resemblance was actually impressive.

Jade blinked.

Seriously? She thought he was the type to hang on every word. After all, this was the same guy who practically shouted an answer in Research Lab the other day just to rack up bonus points. She had him pegged as a grade conscious and trying hard. But now here he was, drawing their professor like it was a casual art period.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and turned back to her own notes.

“Mind and body are separate but interact” she scribbled, but her focus was slipping.

Neil? An artist?

Huh. Guess he isn’t that grade conscious after all.

She almost snorted. Honestly, it was hard to keep up with the version of Neil she had built in her head.

Their next class was Research Laboratory, and Jade was relieved for the change of pace. Philosophy made her head spin, but at least Research Lab was hands on something she could actually wrap her mind around.

The moment they entered the lab room, the professor was already at the front, clipboard in hand.

“Good afternoon,” he began, straight to the point. “This semester’s lab will require consistency. Attendance will affect your overall grade. To make things easier for me and for you, we’re going to follow a permanent seating arrangement based on alphabetical order. Everyone, please refer to the list projected in front of you and take your assigned seats now.”

There was a flurry of motion as students began shuffling around, some sighing at being separated from their friends, others scanning the screen in horror. Jade craned her neck and found her name in the third row, second seat.

Cassie, whose surname is “Alvarez,” was naturally placed in the very first seat of the first row.

“Great,” she mumbled, walking to her spot and plopping down.

Jade scanned the row in front of her. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, Neil was seated directly in front of her again. What were the odds?

She moved to her seat and sat down. The student next to her was quiet, dark haired, with thick glasses and an air of introverted mystery. He hadn’t even looked up when she sat down.

The name on his ID read Peter Navales.

A moment later, Shery took the seat next to Peter, flipping her hair over one shoulder and letting out a small sigh of mild annoyance.

“Separated again,” she muttered, giving Jade a sideways look.

Behind them, Trish ended up next to the back wall, leaning on her bag with her usual unbothered expression. She gave Jade a finger heart and a pout..

Jade exhaled. So much for sitting together.

The professor began the session with a lecture about safety procedures in the lab, flipping through slides about goggles, gloves, and emergency showers. Jade did her best to listen, but her attention kept drifting forward, specifically to Neil, who seemed oddly restless in his seat.

Every few minutes, he’d casually look back over his shoulder and sometimes twice. Each time, his eyes drifted across their row, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. At first, Jade assumed he was just stretching his neck or checking the time on the clock behind them.

But by the fourth time, she was no longer sure.

Is he… looking at me? she wondered, pulse quickening. Why else would he keep turning around and smiling?

It was distracting, to say the least. She fought the urge to fix her hair or check if something was on her face. Get a grip, Jade, she scolded herself. You’re not in some drama series.

The professor shifted to the actual lab work discussion.

“Our first project will be soap making. Simple, but it takes time so you need to use your time efficiently, You’ll work in groups of four that you’ve already decided last meeting. You’ll need to finalize your formulas, assign roles, and prepare materials by next week.”

At that, a small buzz of energy stirred through the room.

“Now,” the professor continued, “please meet with your groupmates and begin listing potential ingredients or themes for your soap. We’ll discuss safety protocols next session.”

Jade pushed her chair back, preparing to stand and head to her usual group with Shery, Cassie, and Trish, but paused when she noticed Neil getting up, heading straight toward their row.

Her heartbeat stuttered.

Okay, maybe he really was looking at me.

He walked directly toward her, that same relaxed, confident air about him. She felt her spine straighten instinctively.

But then… he turned and started talking to Peter.

“Dude,” Neil said, grinning as he clapped Peter on the shoulder. “We’re finally lab partners again.”

Peter looked up, smiled slightly, and gave a nod. “Good timing.”

Jade blinked. Wait, what?

He wasn’t smiling at her. He was smiling at Peter. He wasn’t looking back at her. He was checking in on his friend.

Her cheeks flushed. A sharp wave of embarrassment hit her like a slap. All that time she’d been speculating, interpreting glances that weren’t even meant for her.

Ugh. Get over yourself, Jade, she scolded.

She kept her gaze down, feeling like she had just tripped in front of the whole class metaphorically, at least.

Before she could sink any deeper into that mortifying feeling, Shery leaned over and tapped Peter on the arm.

“Hi,” she said sweetly. “Would you mind switching seats with me? I’d like to sit beside my friend.”

Peter didn’t seem to mind at all. He gathered his things, gave a quiet “Sure,” and swapped seats with Shery without fuss.

Shery sat down next to Jade and immediately called over her shoulder. “Cass! Trish! Group huddle here!”

Cassie and Trish were already on their feet, weaving through the other students to join them. Cassie pulled her chair between Jade and Shery, while Trish dragged hers in from behind.

Just like that, their crew was complete again.

Jade exhaled, the tension leaving her shoulders. The sharp sting of that earlier embarrassment faded slightly as they all leaned in to begin their planning.

“So, soap,” Trish began, stretching. “Can we make it smell like a bakery? Because I’m not about to walk around smelling like flowers or hospital soap.”

Shery smirked. “You mean vanilla and cinnamon?”

“Exactly.”

Cassie took out a small notebook. “Okay, so theme wise: cozy, edible vibes. Vanilla base, maybe a swirl of cinnamon, and some oatmeal bits for exfoliating.”

“I love that,” Jade said, finally smiling again. “Simple, warm, kind of like those breakfast bars you eat, Cass.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “One time and I get branded.”

They brainstormed for a while, throwing around scent combos, shapes, and packaging ideas. The mood was light again, easy. Jade felt herself settle back into the comfort of being with people who knew her who wouldn’t mistake her silence for awkwardness or misread a glance.

Still, every now and then, she felt Neil’s presence just a few feet away. Laughing lightly with Peter, but also writing down their ideas, occasionally throwing a glance toward their group but probably just because they were the loudest in the room.

She didn’t let herself wonder anymore.

Later, as they packed up to leave, Jade slung her bag over one shoulder and looked ahead. Neil and Peter were already halfway to the door. She caught a glimpse of Neil tossing his bag around like it weighed nothing, full of energy as usual.

Cassie nudged her. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Jade replied automatically.

As they filed out of the lab room, Jade caught one last look at Neil before he disappeared down the hall, Peter by his side.

Maybe she’d misread things. It wouldn’t be the first time. But that was fine.

Because, as she reminded herself, the seat beside her might be occupied now but that didn’t mean she had to give it meaning just yet. Some things weren’t meant to be figured out in a day or even in the first week of school.