ROOM 214

Campaign season

"Who else?" Nia said with a grin.

Zena rolled her eyes as the four of them continued toward Hall C. "Y'all acting like I already won."

Marcus laughed. "You probably did."

"I didn't even ask people to vote."

"You don't have to," Jordan said. "That's the whole point."

By the time they reached the dorm building, students were already sharing the Avanté Streetwear nomination link across social media.

WHO Y'ALL VOTING FOR? 👀 #TheNextFace, #AvanteWears. Comments were rolling in every few seconds. "Zena Brooks." "Sophie Carter all day, "Archie too." "Y'all better stop sleeping on Rowland."

Nia refreshed the page every five minutes like the winners were about to be announced."You know voting just opened, right?" Kayla asked.

"I know."

"So why you refreshing it?"

"...For emotional support."

Jordan laughed. "That don't even make sense."

"It don't have to."

The next morning, campus looked different. Flyers covered bulletin boards,students stood outside academic buildings reminding people to vote.Even the Student Union had set up a table with QR codes leading straight to the nomination page.

Desire stopped in front of one of the posters, the photos from last year's campaign smiled back at her.

"They're really going all out."

"They always do," Kayla said.

"It's a big partnership."

Before they could walk away, someone called Desire's name, she turned around.

Daniel.

He jogged over with a coffee in one hand.

"Morning."

"Hey."

He smiled.

"So...friends?"

Desire looked confused for a second before remembering the other day.

"Oh."

She smiled.

"Yeah. Friends."

Daniel nodded,"Cool."He held up his phone, "you vote yet?"

"Not yet."

"You should."

"I will."

He smiled again before heading toward his own class. Nia waited until he was out of earshot,"I like him."

Desire looked over, "You like everybody."

"Not true."

Jordan appeared beside them carrying two breakfast sandwiches."She definitely like me."

"I tolerate you" Nia shot back playfully.

Jordan handed her one of the sandwiches anyway.

"Sure."

Marcus caught up with Zena near the Communication Building.

"So..."

"So?"

"You vote for yourself?"

"No."

Marcus looked offended."Why not?"

"'Cause that's weird."

"It is not weird."

"It feel weird."

Marcus shook his head.

"You impossible."

"I've heard."

"You really don't care if you win?"

Zena shrugged,"If I do, cool, "If I don't, still cool." Marcus stared at her for a second,"I wish I had your level of peace."

"You don't."

"I really don't."

Professor Jackson walked into class exactly on time. "Phones away."

The room immediately settled down.

Halfway through the lecture, he paused and looked around. "I'm assigning a semester project." Several students groaned.".......You'll be working in groups of four."

That got everybody's attention,Professor Jackson began reading names.

"Marcus Hayes..."

Marcus looked up. "...Zena Brooks..."Marcus smirked, "guess we're stuck together."

Professor Jackson continued, "...Desire Williams..."Desire looked up from her notebook."...and Daniel Carter."

Daniel looked over at Desire with a small smile,Nia immediately twisted around in her seat.

"Ooooh." Desire shot her a look that clearly said don't start.

After class, everyone crowded around the assignment sheet posted outside the lecture hall.

"We gotta make a feature writing?" Nia asked.

Jordan leaned over her shoulder.

"Looks fun."

"You ain't the one doing it."

Marcus walked over to Zena. "We should probably meet this weekend."

"For the project?"

"For the project."

"I'm free Sunday after practice." "Bet."

Daniel looked toward Desire."If you're okay with it, maybe we could meet in the library tomorrow?"Desire nodded,"that works."

"No hard feelings this time?" he joked. She laughed softly, "no hard feelings." As they walked toward the cafeteria, Nia bumped Desire's shoulder.

"He smooth."

"He asked about the assignment."

"He also smiled the whole conversation."

"He smiles at everybody."

"You don't know that."

"I don't."

"Exactly."

Lunch was louder than usual.

The Avanté campaign had become the only thing anybody wanted to talk about. "They saying over two thousand students already voted."

"No way."

"I swear."

"You think Sophie got it?" "You think Zena got it?" "What about Boyles?" Students threw names around from every table.

Even people who normally didn't care about campus events had opinions. Across the room, Sophie sat with the cheer team, listening to them debate the same thing.

"You already got my vote," one of them said. "You better make us proud." Sophie smiled,"I'm just happy to be nominated."

."You know who else got nominated, "her friend nudged her, Sophie looked across the cafeteria, Zena was laughing at something Marcus had said while Jordan tried stealing fries off Nia's tray.

For a second, Sophie smiled to herself, then she looked away before anybody noticed.

Back at Room 214 that evening, Nia flopped onto her bed with a dramatic sigh, "I've decided." Kayla looked up from her laptop, "decided what?"

"If Zena become famous after this campaign..." Zena didn't even look up from typing away on her phone. "I'm listening."

"...don't forget us when you rich." The room went quiet for half a sec.

Then Zena picked up one of Nia's pillows and tossed it across the room, It hit Nia square in the face.

Jordan laughed so hard he nearly dropped his phone. "You deserved that."

"I absolutely did not,"Nia grabbed the pillow and pointed it at Zena. "This ain't over." Zena smirked," come get your revenge then."

"Oh, I will."

"I'll be waiting."

Before Nia could fire back, every phone

in the room buzzed at the same time.

AVANTÉ STREETWEAR: Voting closes tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. Final ambassadors will be announced Monday morning.

Nobody said a word.

Nia looked up first.

"...Monday?"