BLACK AND WHITE

AVA’S POV A black luxury SUV rolled past Ava White and disappeared through the gates of Westbridge Elite University.For a brief second, its polished surface reflected her. The worn suitcase beside her, the faded sneakers on her feet. The sleeve of her sweater, slightly stretched from years of use. Then the reflection disappeared just like that. Ava looked away. Her mother had worked three extra night shifts just to help pay for the move. Three weeks of sleeping barely four hours a day. Three weeks of coming home with aching feet and forcing a smile anyway. The memory settled heavily in Ava’s chest. Looking at the expensive vehicles lined up outside the university, she suddenly wondered if all that sacrifice had been enough. Westbridge Elite University looked less like a school and more like a place built for people who had never worried about money a day in their lives. Glass buildings stretched toward the sky. Perfect green lawns covered the grounds. Students moved through the campus with the easy confidence of people who belonged there. People who didn’t have to double-check the balance in their bank account before buying lunch. Ava tightened her grip on the suitcase handle. This was ridiculous. She hadn’t fought this hard just to intimidate herself. A scholarship student—that was what she was. Not a charity case, not an outsider. A scholarship student. She had earned her place here. The words sounded much stronger in her head than they felt in reality. A group of students walked past her laughing. One of them stepped out of a sleek sports car without even bothering to close the door behind him. Someone else immediately did it for him. Ava blinked. “Right.” She adjusted her backpack. “Definitely a normal university.” A laugh escaped from somewhere behind her. Ava turned. An older security guard stood near the gate. His smile suggested he had heard her. It felt embarrassing. “First day?” he asked. “Is it that obvious?” The man’s smile widened. “You’ve been standing here for five minutes.” Five minutes? Seriously? Ava felt heat creep into her cheeks. “I was observing.” “Of course.” “I was,” she didn’t hesitate. The guard chuckled. “If it helps, everybody looks overwhelmed on their first day.” Ava glanced back at the campus. Somehow, she doubted everybody looked this overwhelmed. Still, the comment eased some of the tension sitting on her shoulders. “Thanks.” The guard nodded. Then pointed toward the center of campus. “You should get moving.” Ava followed his gaze. Students flooded the walkways. The day had already begun. Well, for everyone except her. Taking a deep breath, she started walking. Ten minutes later, she was completely lost. The campus map on her phone might as well have been written in another language. She had checked it six times, maybe seven. Every building looked expensive. Every pathway looked the same andsomehow she had ended up standing in front of the Faculty of Engineering when she was looking for the Business and Entrepreneurship building. “Fantastic.” Ava rubbed her forehead. “Excellent start.” She considered asking for directions but immediately rejected the idea. She hated asking for help, always had. Growing up, help often came with conditions, judgment, with pity. Ava could tolerate many things. Pity wasn’t one of them. “Are you Ava White?” The voice startled her. Ava turned. A young woman stood a few feet away, smiling as though they were already friends. Blonde highlights, bright eyes. The kind of confidence Ava envied. “Yes?” The smile widened. “Oh thank God.” Ava blinked. “What?” “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Now she was confused. The stranger laughed. “My name is Mia Carter.” Recognition clicked, the scholarship office. The volunteer student mentor, Mia. “Oh.” “That’s all I get?” Mia asked dramatically. “An ‘oh’?” A reluctant smile tugged at Ava’s lips. “You weren’t what I expected.” Mia gasped. “I’ve known you for six seconds and you’ve already offended me.” Ava laughed, a real laugh this time. Small and unexpected but totally real. Something about Mia made it difficult to stay guarded. The girl grabbed one of her suitcase handles. “Come on.” “Where are we going?,” Ava asked. “To save you from getting lost again.” “I wasn’t lost.” “You were standing outside the engineering building.” Ava sighed. “Fine.” “I accept your surrender,” Mia joked. “It wasn’t a surrender.” “Sure.” As they walked, Mia filled the silence with stories about professors, student clubs, campus events, and university traditions. Ava listened, occasionally responding. Mostly watching. The students, the buildings, the opportunities, the future. Everything she’d spent years chasing was suddenly right in front of her and that unexpectedly made it terrifying. Because what if she wasn’t enough? The thought slipped in quietly, dangerously. What if everyone here was smarter? What if she failed? What if— “You earned your place here.” Ava blinked. “What?” Mia glanced at her. “You’ve been making that face.” “What face?” “The scholarship-student face.” Ava groaned. “That’s a thing?” “Unfortunately.” Mia’s voice softened. “Listen.” She stopped walking. “So what if some people got here because their parents are rich?” Ava remained silent. Mia pointed at her. “You…you got here because you’re smart.” The words landed harder than they should have because deep down, Ava needed to hear them, she needed someone to remind her. For a moment, she thought of her mother again. The sacrifices, the long shifts, the tired smiles, the unwavering belief that Ava could have a better future. Ava swallowed, then nodded. “Thanks.” Mia smiled. “Anytime.” Together, they continued toward the auditorium. The auditorium was already filling up when Ava and Mia arrived. Rows of seats stretched toward a massive stage at the front of the hall. Students talked excitedly while faculty members moved around making final preparations. The sheer size of the room made Ava feel small all over again. “Come on,” Mia said, guiding her toward two empty seats. Ava sat down. Around her, conversations buzzed with anticipation. A few minutes later, the lights dimmed. The room gradually fell silent. A man in a dark suit stepped onto the stage. The university dean. Ava had seen his photograph on the university website. In person, he carried an undeniable presence. “Welcome to Westbridge Elite University.” Applause erupted. The dean smiled. “To our returning students, welcome back.” Another round of applause. “And to our transfer students, welcome to your new home.” Ava felt strangely seen. The dean spent the next several minutes discussing academic excellence, leadership, innovation, and the university’s expectations. Most of it sounded exactly like what Ava expected from a university speech. Until the screen behind him changed. Large bold letters appeared— ‘FINAL-YEAR CAPSTONE PROJECT’ The atmosphere in the auditorium shifted immediately. Students straightened in their seats. Others exchanged nervous glances. Mia visibly groaned beside her. Ava frowned. “What?” Mia pointed toward the screen. “That’s what.” The dean waited for the murmurs to settle. “As many of you already know, all final-year students are required to complete the Capstone Innovation Project.” Ava’s attention sharpened. “This project will run throughout the academic year.” The screen changed again. Graphs, timelines, evaluation percentages. The numbers made several students curse under their breath. The dean smiled knowingly. “Yes, it’s difficult.” Laughter spread through the room. “But it is also one of the most important academic requirements for graduation.” Ava immediately opened her notebook. The dean continued. “Students will work in pairs to develop an innovative solution to a real-world problem.” Ava froze. Pairs? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “Each pair will collaborate throughout the academic year.” Worse, much worse. She preferred working alone. People complicated things. The dean wasn’t finished. “Partner assignments will be released tomorrow morning.” The room erupted. Some students looked excited, some others looked horrified. Mia looked like she had just received terrible news. Ava wasn’t far behind. One academic year, one partner, one project. The wrong partner could make her life miserable. The right partner could make graduation much easier. As students began discussing possible pairings, Ava leaned back in her chair. Tomorrow…she would find out. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she suddenly felt nervous, very nervous. As the orientation came to an end, Ava pulled out her phone. A new university notification had already arrived: FINAL-YEAR CAPSTONE PARTNER ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE RELEASED TOMORROW AT 2:00 PM. Ava stared at the message. Then sighed. “Please don’t give me an idiot.” Beside her, Mia laughed. Unfortunately for Ava White, fate had already made its decision. And his name, Noah Black.