CAMPUS LOVE

Campus Love – Chapter 1: The Hustle The restaurant smelled of fried chicken and pepper soup, the kind that lingered in your clothes even after you left. Stephanie adjusted her apron and balanced two plates on a tray. It was just another exhausting evening of juggling work and school, but she had no choice. Her rent was overdue, her tuition half-paid, and her textbooks borrowed. “Steph, table seven is waiting!” her boss barked. She forced a smile and walked briskly to the corner where a group of loud boys sat, their laughter filling the room. At the center of it was Sean Adi, the wealthy final-year student everyone on campus knew. His father was the feared Professor Adi, Head of Department — and the one Stephanie dreaded most. Sean didn’t look up immediately. He was too busy scrolling his phone, his expensive wristwatch glinting under the dim lights. Stephanie placed the plates on the table carefully. “Here’s your order,” she said politely. Sean finally raised his head, his gaze sharp. “Took you long enough,” he sneered. His friends chuckled. Stephanie’s lips twitched. She wanted to snap back, but she had learned to swallow insults at this job. Rent doesn’t pay itself. But then Sean added with a smirk, “You should smile more when serving people. Makes the food taste better.” Something inside her snapped. She leaned forward, her voice calm but cutting. “Maybe if you treated people with respect, everything around you would taste better.” The table went silent. His friends exchanged looks. No one — absolutely no one — talked back to Sean Adi. Sean blinked, clearly not used to being challenged. For the first time, his arrogance wavered, but then he laughed bitterly. “You’ve got a sharp tongue for a waitress. Don’t forget your place.” Stephanie straightened her shoulders. “I never do. Do you?” She walked away, her tray empty, but her chest heavy with adrenaline. She knew she had just made an enemy in Sean Adi, but something in his eyes told her this wasn’t the end of their story. That night, as she closed up, Stephanie whispered to herself: “Campus life is already hard. I don’t need another problem.” But deep down, she had a feeling this boy would soon become the biggest problem of all. End of Chapter 1.