His Favorite Distraction

Chapter 1 Harper's POV There were three things I had planned for my first evening back at Westbridge University. Unpack the mountain of clothes currently occupying my suitcase. Organise my notes for the new semester. And, most importantly, enjoy one peaceful evening without anyone demanding my attention. Apparently, my friends had other plans. My phone buzzed for the fourth time in less than ten minutes. Chloe: Where are you? Madison: Please tell me you're not still in your room. Chloe: We're waiting! I glanced at the time before typing my reply. Me: You said we'd meet at six. It's six fifteen. Madison: Exactly. And we're being very patient. I stared at the screen. They were being patient? I was the one who had arrived on time. They were the ones who had apparently forgotten that clocks existed. I slipped my phone into my pocket and leaned against the courtyard railing, watching students cross campus. Westbridge was already buzzing with the excitement of a new academic year. People greeted old friends, dragged suitcases towards residence halls, and gathered in groups to discuss everything they'd missed over the summer. I had missed it too, even if I would never admit that too loudly. A familiar voice finally interrupted my thoughts. "Harper!" I turned to see Chloe Bennett hurrying towards me, with Madison Reed following close behind. Chloe looked effortlessly put together in a white top, jeans, and her usual confident smile. Madison had somehow managed to make an ordinary afternoon outfit look like something from a fashion magazine. I looked at both of them. "Fifteen minutes." Chloe opened her arms. "We missed you too!" "That's not an apology." Madison reached us and adjusted the strap of her handbag. "You're welcome, by the way." "For what?" "For making your return to university exciting." I raised an eyebrow. "You were late." "Details." Chloe laughed and pulled me into a hug. Madison joined us a second later, and for a moment, all my complaints disappeared. I'd missed them. We had spent most of the summer exchanging messages and making promises to meet up, but there was something different about seeing them in person again. "How was your summer?" Chloe asked. "Quiet. Peaceful. Productive." Madison looked horrified. "That sounds terrible." "It was wonderful." "Well, that's about to change," Chloe announced. I narrowed my eyes. "Why do I suddenly feel threatened?" "Because we have plans." "No." "You haven't even heard them." "I know you two." Madison grinned. "There's a welcome-back party tonight." I stared at her. "Have fun." Chloe laughed. "Harper." "What?" "You're coming." I folded my arms. "Was that a question?" "No." "Then I don't see why we're having this conversation." Madison stepped closer, looking far too pleased with herself. "We're not asking you to come. We're informing you that you're coming." I blinked. "That's an interesting way of inviting someone." "Thank you. I thought so too." "I have things to do." Chloe waved a dismissive hand. "You can do them tomorrow." "I have unpacking." "Your clothes will survive." "I have reading." "Your books aren't going anywhere." "I have a perfectly good bed waiting for me." Madison considered this for a moment. "There's free food." I paused. Chloe noticed immediately. "And drinks," she added. I looked between them. "What kind of food?" Madison smiled triumphantly. "Now we're getting somewhere." "And apparently, there are welcome-back gift bags," Chloe continued. "Plus free entry, music, and a few other things." I sighed dramatically. "You two are incredibly manipulative." "We prefer persuasive." "I hate that I have friends like you." "Love you too," Chloe said. I glanced at the sky as though I needed time to consider the decision. "Fine. I'll come." Madison clapped her hands. "Excellent!" "But I'm leaving if the food is terrible." "Of course." "And I'm not staying until midnight." "Naturally." "And nobody is allowed to make me dance." Chloe and Madison exchanged a look. I pointed at them. "Don't." They both burst out laughing. *** An hour later, I was standing in front of the mirror in my room, trying to decide whether my outfit looked like I had made an effort or simply given up. I settled on a fitted black top, blue jeans, and a pair of comfortable shoes. My hair fell loosely around my shoulders, and I added a little lip gloss before grabbing my handbag. When I stepped into the corridor, Chloe and Madison were already waiting. Madison gave me an approving look. "See? You can look presentable when you try." "Thank you. Your compliments always make me feel special." Chloe linked her arm through mine. "Come on. We're going to have fun tonight." "That's what you said before the last university event." "And we did have fun." "You made me participate in a dance competition." "You enjoyed it." "I was fighting for my life." Madison laughed as we headed towards the main campus hall. The welcome-back party was being held in one of the university's event spaces. Music spilled into the surrounding corridor, and students crowded the entrance, laughing and talking as they made their way inside. The room was decorated with strings of lights and university banners. A small stage stood at one end, while tables filled with refreshments lined the opposite wall. I spotted the food almost immediately. "Now this," I said, "is an event worth attending." Chloe shook her head. "I knew the food would convince you." "Never underestimate the power of free food." We collected refreshments before finding a space near the edge of the room. For a while, everything was surprisingly enjoyable. Chloe seemed to know half the people there, and Madison kept stopping to greet students she had met during her first year. I was perfectly content observing the crowd and enjoying the refreshments. Then Chloe suddenly straightened. "Oh, look who's here." I followed her gaze. A group of male students had entered the hall. They attracted attention almost immediately, particularly one tall guy wearing a dark shirt and carrying himself with the sort of confidence that suggested he had never once worried about being noticed. Madison leaned closer. "That's Jace Calloway." I looked at her. "Should I know him?" Chloe gave me an incredulous expression. "Harper, he's practically campus royalty." "That sounds exhausting." Madison ignored me. "He's a third-year Sports Management student. Basketball captain. Very popular." "Congratulations to him." Chloe laughed. "You really don't care, do you?" "I care about the food. Everything else is secondary." I turned towards the refreshments table, intending to get another drink. That was when everything went wrong. I stepped backwards just as someone moved behind me. We collided. My cup tilted, and a splash of coffee landed across the sleeve of my black top. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." A hand caught the cup before I could drop it completely. "Careful." I looked up. And there he was. Jace Calloway. Of course. His eyes moved from the cup in his hand to the coffee stain on my sleeve. "Well, that's one way to make an entrance." I stared at him. "Are you always standing where people are trying to walk?" His eyebrows lifted. "Usually, people notice when someone's standing in front of them." "Usually, people don't walk into strangers." He glanced at the cup. "Technically, I caught that before it fell." "Would you like a medal?" His mouth curved into an amused smile. "Depends. Are you giving them out?" I took the cup from him. "Just move." He stepped aside, looking thoroughly entertained. "You're welcome, by the way." I looked down at my stained sleeve. "Thanks for catching the cup. Shame about the coffee." He laughed. I turned away before he could say anything else. When I returned to Chloe and Madison, both of them were looking at me with expressions I didn't trust. "What?" I asked. Chloe's eyes widened. "Was that Jace?" "No. It was a random stranger who enjoys getting in people's way." Madison burst out laughing. "You just argued with Jace Calloway." "Then I hope he enjoyed it." Chloe shook her head. "You really have no idea who he is." "I know he's responsible for ruining my sleeve." "Harper!" "What? It's true." Madison leaned towards me. "He's the captain of the university basketball team. People practically fall over themselves trying to get his attention." "Sounds like a personal problem." Chloe laughed so hard she nearly spilled her drink. I took another sip of mine, deciding that Jace Calloway was not worth any more of my attention. At least, that was what I told myself. *** Monday morning arrived far too quickly. I sat in the second row of my Journalism and Media Studies lecture, laptop open and notebook ready. Chloe and Madison were seated beside me, although Madison seemed more interested in checking her messages than listening. Our lecturer, Professor Harris, entered carrying a folder. "Good morning, everyone. I hope you've all settled back into university life." A few students responded. "This semester, you'll be working on a multimedia feature project. You'll choose a subject, conduct original research, arrange interviews, gather supporting material, and develop a clear angle for your final submission." I began writing. "This is an individual assignment," he continued. "You are responsible for selecting your subject and arranging access to your sources. I want work that demonstrates curiosity, accuracy, and independent thinking." That caught my attention. Professor Harris placed his folder on the desk. "There's another reason I want you to take this seriously. The five strongest submissions will be considered for prestigious summer internship opportunities with our partner media organisations." A quiet murmur spread through the room. Madison finally put down her phone. "Internships?" she whispered. I nodded, already thinking about the possibilities. A summer internship with a respected media organisation was exactly the kind of opportunity I wanted. Professor Harris continued explaining the assessment requirements, but my mind had already started working through possible subjects. I wanted something interesting. Something people wouldn't immediately expect from a journalism student. Something that would allow me to tell a story rather than simply repeat information. After the lecture, Chloe leaned over my desk. "Have you decided what you're doing?" "Not yet." Madison joined us. "I'm thinking about something related to student fashion." "That sounds like you," I said. "Thank you." Chloe considered her options. "Maybe student societies or campus events." "Both could work." "What about you?" she asked. I glanced towards the window, where a group of students wearing university sports jackets were crossing the courtyard. Then I remembered the basketball arena. The captain. The team. An entire world of competition, pressure, teamwork, and ambition that most students only saw during games. "Basketball," I said. Madison looked at me. "Basketball?" "Maybe. I haven't decided completely, but I think there's a story there." Chloe smiled. "That could actually be interesting." "That's the plan." Over the next few days, I researched Westbridge's athletics programme and looked through previous university sports features. Most focused on match results, statistics, and championship achievements. I wanted to explore something different. The people behind the team. Their routines, ambitions, relationships, and the pressure of representing the university. I contacted the athletics department to ask about access for a student journalism project. Their response arrived the following afternoon. They were happy to discuss the arrangement, but suggested I contact the basketball team's captain first to coordinate practice attendance and interviews. I stared at the name included in the email. Jace Calloway. Of course. Apparently, the universe had a strange sense of humour. I opened a new email and began typing. To: Jace Calloway Subject: Journalism Project — Basketball Team Access. Hello Jace, My name is Harper Ellis, and I'm a second-year Journalism and Media Studies student at Westbridge University. I'm working on a multimedia feature about the university basketball team and would like to arrange access to selected practices, games, and interviews with team members. The athletics department suggested I contact you to discuss the arrangements. Please let me know when you might be available to talk. Thank you, Harper Ellis I read it twice before sending. Then I closed my laptop and returned to my notes. I wasn't expecting an immediate response. So when my phone buzzed less than an hour later, I almost ignored it. Almost. From: Jace Calloway Subject: Re: Journalism Project — Basketball Team Access. Harper, Got your message. We can talk after practice tomorrow. Come to the arena at four. Ask for me. I stared at the screen. Then I leaned back in my chair. Fantastic. My journalism project had officially brought me back into contact with the most irritating person I'd met since returning to Westbridge. I had absolutely no idea that the most irritating encounter of my university life was about to become the story I would never want to end.