Pillows And Promises

Chapter 2: Seth Millers

If people asked me what my biggest dream in life was, I could answer in one word.

Sleep.

Not money. Not fame. Not some groundbreaking discovery that would change the world. Just the sweet, uncomplicated bliss of uninterrupted sleep.

Unfortunately, society didn’t seem to share my passion.

Teachers expected me to participate. Classmates whispered like I was some genius robot who should be solving world hunger instead of dozing off in literature. My parents wanted me to “maximize my potential” and apply to Ivy League universities.

But me? Nahh I just wanted to sleep.

Life was simpler with my eyes closed.

That’s why, when I drifted off in class earlier, I didn’t expect to wake up to Olivia Cassidy standing by my desk, looking like she’d just fought a battle with herself.

“Um… Seth?” she’d said.

Her voice had pulled me from the edge of a very good dream, something about lying on a cloud while numbers solved themselves on a chalkboard.

When my eyes opened, she looked nervous, her cheeks faintly pink, like she’d worked up the courage to approach me.

“What is it?” I asked, still half-asleep.

She stammered, stumbled over her words, and finally mumbled something about the janitor kicking me out if I didn’t leave soon.

I’d thanked her, grabbed my blazer, and walked out.

But not before brushing her arm by accident.

And maybe just maybe, smiling.

Now, walking home with my bag slung over one shoulder, I found myself thinking about her more than I wanted to admit.

Olivia Cassidy.

I knew who she was, of course. It was impossible not to. She sat two rows over in most of my classes, always taking neat notes and doodling in the margins when she thought nobody noticed. She wasn’t the loud type, but she wasn’t invisible either. People liked her. Teachers liked her. She had this… approachable vibe.

Pretty, in a soft kind of way.

And yeah, I noticed her glancing at me sometimes. I wasn’t oblivious. I just pretended not to care.

The thing was, I didn’t know what to do with that kind of attention.

I’d spent most of my life with people expecting things from me. Get the highest grades. Win competitions. Lead group projects. Impress adults. People either admired me, envied me, or avoided me altogether. No one ever really tried to know me.

Except maybe her.

She looked at me differently. Not like I was some trophy or machine. More like… she was curious.

I didn’t mind it.

Actually, it was kind of nice.

The next day, I walked into class late as usual. The teacher gave me a halfhearted glare, but what could she do? She knew I’d ace the quiz anyway. I slid into my seat, leaned back, and prepared to tune out.

But then I caught Olivia’s eyes.

She quickly looked away, pretending to study her notebook, but I’d already seen the faint blush on her cheeks.

For some reason, it made me smirk.

I let my head drop onto the desk, one arm folded as a pillow. From this angle, I could see her scribbling little flowers in the corner of her notes. Absentminded, delicate strokes.

She had nice hands.

…Wait. Why was I noticing her hands?

I closed my eyes, but my mind didn’t drift like it usually did. Instead, I kept replaying yesterday’s scene, her voice waking me, her nervous fidgeting, the way she couldn’t look straight at me.

It was almost… cute.

And that thought annoyed me.

Because it meant she was slipping past the walls I’d built.

During lunch, I escaped to my usual hiding spot, the rooftop. Most people didn’t bother coming up here, which made it perfect for napping.

Except today, when I pushed the door open, Olivia was already there.

She jumped a little when she saw me, clutching her bento box. “Oh—sorry! I didn’t know anyone else came here.”

I blinked at her. “…You’re in my nap zone.”

Her eyes widened. “Nap zone?”

“Yeah.” I dropped my bag and sat against the wall, stretching my legs out. “This is where I recharge.”

She hesitated, then smiled nervously. “I can leave if you want.”

I studied her for a moment. She looked like she was about to bolt, like a deer caught in headlights.

“…Stay,” I said without thinking.

Her expression shifted, surprise, then something softer. She sat back down, a few feet away, and opened her lunch again.

I closed my eyes, leaning against the wall, but I didn’t fall asleep right away. The quiet was filled with the faint sounds of her chopsticks tapping, the occasional hum when she tasted something she liked.

We didn’t talk, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Strangely enough, it was… peaceful.

Like maybe sharing my nap zone wasn’t such a bad idea.

By the time classes ended, rumors were already flying.

Apparently, someone had seen us on the rooftop together. Now whispers followed me down the hallway, “Seth and Olivia? No way.” “Do you think they’re dating?” “She’s lucky if that’s true.”

Normally, I’d ignore it. I never cared about rumors. But when I glanced at Olivia, she looked flustered, ducking her head as if the whole school had spotlights on her.

Something inside me stirred.

Not anger, exactly, but a kind of protectiveness I didn’t expect.

I didn’t like seeing her uncomfortable.

So when a couple of guys snickered as we passed, I casually draped my arm over her shoulders.

The hallway went silent.

She froze, eyes wide, staring up at me like I’d lost my mind.

“What are you—” she whispered, her face turning crimson.

“Relax,” I said lazily, though my smirk probably gave me away. “If they’re going to talk, might as well give them something worth talking about.”

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

And just like that, the whispers turned into gasps, then full-on chatter as we walked together.

I should’ve let go when we reached the gate. But I didn’t.

Instead, I found myself thinking… maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

That night, lying on my bed, I couldn’t stop replaying her expression when I’d put my arm around her.

Shock. Embarrassment. But beneath it all… happiness.

She liked it.

And the realization made something stir in me that I couldn’t quite name.

For the first time in a long while, I wasn’t thinking about grades, expectations, or even sleep.

I was thinking about Olivia Cassidy.

And somehow, I had a feeling this was only the beginning.