Unbooked Heart

Uncertainty and Distractions

Eli's POV

I sat at my usual corner in the university library, surrounded by books, papers, and highlighters. Midterms were over, but the pressure never really seemed to stop. There was always something to study for—projects, essays, and presentations piling up, and I couldn't afford to let my grades slip. I'd always been the type of student who worked hard, but recently, it was starting to feel like my efforts were never enough. Between school, my mom's concerns about my dad, and my complicated feelings toward Basti, it was hard to focus on anything other than what was going wrong.

I sighed deeply and adjusted the books in front of me, trying to refocus on the page, but my mind kept wandering. Maybe it was time to take a break. I'd been at the library for hours, after all, and there was only so much studying one person could do in a day.

Just as I was about to pack up, a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Hey, you're Eli, right?"

I looked up, startled. Standing in front of me was a guy with dark hair and a bright, friendly smile. He was tall and lean, wearing a smart-casual outfit that made him look effortlessly stylish. His posture was confident but not arrogant, and his brown eyes shone with curiosity.

I blinked, unsure of whether I knew the guy. "Uh, yeah. That's me. Do I know you?"

He chuckled, extending a hand toward me. "I'm Marcus. I'm in the Entrepreneurship program. We've got a few mutual friends, actually. I've seen you hanging around with Basti and the gang."

My heart did a little flip at the mention of Basti's name. I hadn't been expecting to hear that, but I quickly masked my reaction with a friendly smile. "Oh, right. Basti's my... friend. It's nice to meet you."

Marcus' smile widened as we shook hands. "Yeah, Basti talks about you sometimes. He says you're always buried in books. I don't blame you though—midterms, right?"

I nodded, my smile a little tight. "Yeah, it's been a pretty stressful week, but I'm getting through it."

We both sat down at the table where I had been studying. Marcus set a notebook down in front of him and opened it, ready to work.

"So, what are you studying?" he asked casually, pulling out a pen and clicking it.

"Legal Aspect and Ergonomics, some major subjects of our course," I answered, feeling like my usual routine of school was slipping into the background. "I'm preparing for the final projects. It's all pretty much hands-on stuff, but we still have to pass exams."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Sounds intense. But I guess it's fun too, right? You get to work with people, learn about the industry."

I chuckled. "Yeah, it's interesting. But right now, it feels like I'm drowning in assignments. How about you? What's entrepreneurship like?"

Marcus grinned, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "It's a mix of theory and real-world stuff. But I love it. I want to open my own business someday, something big. Right now, I'm involved in a few student government projects. You know, just trying to get involved and build connections."

I was impressed. Marcus was clearly ambitious, and he had that kind of confident energy that made people want to listen to him. It was hard not to admire someone like that. As we continued chatting, I couldn't help but notice how easy it was to talk to him. There was something about Marcus that put me at ease, even though my nerves were still a bit rattled from everything going on in my life.

The conversation flowed smoothly, and before long, I found myself laughing along with Marcus. It felt good to have a distraction from the usual worries that clouded my mind. Just as I was starting to feel more comfortable, however, something—or rather, someone—caught my eye.

Across the library, through the large glass windows that led into the study area, I saw Basti. He was sitting at a table with a girl, his arm casually resting on the back of her chair. They were both laughing, talking animatedly, and it was obvious they were having a good time. Basti seemed to be his usual self—effortlessly charming, social, and completely at ease in every situation. But something about the way he was sitting with the girl made my chest tighten.

It wasn't jealousy. Not exactly. But there was a small, inexplicable ache in my chest. I didn't know why it bothered me so much. After all, Basti was a social butterfly, always surrounded by people, always making friends. But still, there was a part of me that couldn't help but wonder if this was something more, if there was something happening between them that I didn't know about.

Marcus noticed my gaze and followed it, raising an eyebrow when he saw what I was looking at.

"Oh," Marcus said, a teasing note in his voice. "That's Basti, right? With the girl? I think that's Natalie, a tourism student."

I quickly turned my gaze back to the table in front of me, trying to act nonchalant. "Yeah, that's him."

"Is something going on there?" Marcus asked, glancing back at me with a curious expression. "I didn't know Basti was seeing Natalie."

I hesitated for a moment, not sure how to answer. "Nah. He's just... Basti's always hanging out with people. He's got a lot of friends."

Marcus grinned knowingly. "I get it. He's definitely one of those guys who's always surrounded by people. But hey, he's a good guy, right? I've heard he's a great friend."

I nodded, trying to shake off the tightness in my chest. "Yeah, he's a good friend. That's all."

Marcus didn't press further, thankfully, and the two of us fell into a more comfortable silence. But I couldn't help but feel the unease lingering in the pit of my stomach. Why had I been so affected by seeing Basti with the girl? It wasn't like we were anything more than friends—Basti had made that clear countless times.

To distract myself, I focused on the conversation again. "So, you mentioned you're involved in student government," I said, trying to steer the discussion back to safer territory. "What's that like? What are you working on?"

Marcus's face lit up again, clearly excited to talk about his involvement in the student body. "It's actually pretty cool. I'm the vice president of the student government this year. We've been working on a few initiatives—getting more opportunities for internships, improving the student services on campus. We're also planning a major event for the upcoming semestral break. It's going to be huge. You guys should join."

"I guess so? I'm not really into extracurricular activities but I try sometimes when forced." I giggled by the thought of the gang forcing me to join to competitions.

Marcus chuckled at my response, clearly amused by my reluctance. "Come on, I get it. Not everyone's into extracurriculars. But hey, we could always use more people who aren't just in it for the grades, you know? Sometimes you've got to take a break from all the studying and just have a bit of fun."

I raised an eyebrow. "Fun, huh? That sounds dangerous," I said with a grin, teasing him lightly.

He laughed, shaking his head. "It's not dangerous, I promise. Just a little breather from all the stress. And speaking of breaks—how about we grab coffee later? I'm always down to get to know someone better, and honestly, I think you could use one. You've been glued to those books for hours."

I hesitated for a moment. The idea of a coffee break sounded nice, especially since the tension I'd been feeling all day was starting to catch up with me. My mind kept returning to Basti and the girl he was sitting with, and I couldn't deny that a distraction might be exactly what I needed right now.

"You know," I said, glancing up at him with a small smile, "coffee actually sounds like a good idea. I could use a break from this place."

Marcus' eyes brightened. "Great! There's a café not too far from here. It'll give us a chance to talk more, and you can get some fresh air too. What do you say?"

I felt a surprising wave of relief wash over me at the thought of stepping away from the library, even if it was just for an hour or so. The last thing I wanted was to stay cooped up in the same spot with my thoughts constantly racing. And for some reason, talking to Marcus felt... easy. He wasn't caught up in any of my other personal dramas, and that made it easier to just be in the moment.

"Alright," I said, grabbing my things and shoving them into my bag. "See you later."

Marcus stood up with a grin, gathering his own things. "Awesome. By the way nice meeting you, Eli. See you later."

As we walked out of the library, I couldn't help but feel a little lighter. I wasn't sure what to expect from this coffee with Marcus, but I was looking forward to the distraction. At least for a little while, I could forget about Basti, my dad's rumors, and the weight of everything else. Maybe, just maybe, I could enjoy a simple moment of calm.

The next afternoon, I found myself walking to the student center, the scent of freshly brewed coffee filling the air as I stepped into the café. I spotted Marcus right away. He was sitting near the window, a cup of coffee already in front of him. When he saw me, he waved and motioned for me to come over.

I made my way over, feeling a bit nervous despite myself. It wasn't like I hadn't hung out with people before, but this felt different somehow.

"Hey, glad you could make it," Marcus said with a grin as I sat down across from him.

"Of course. Thanks for inviting me," I replied, trying to calm my nerves.

Marcus pushed a cup of coffee toward me. "Here, I got you one. I wasn't sure what you liked, but I went with the usual—latte, right?"

I smiled, surprised that Marcus remembered. "Yeah, latte's perfect. Thanks."

"Anytime," he said with a wink. "So, about extracurricular activities we were talking about..."

As the conversation shifted back to more familiar territory, I found myself relaxing. Marcus was easy to talk to, and before long, the two of us were deep in conversation about future projects and the potential for collaboration. But even as we discussed ideas, my mind kept wandering back to Basti, to that girl, and to the confusing mess of feelings I was still trying to sort out.

But for now, I let myself enjoy the moment. The coffee was good. The conversation was flowing. And maybe, just maybe, this meeting with Marcus could be the start of something new.