Chapter 2 — The Track Star
1358 Words
Nathaniel Anderson had a problem.
A very serious problem.
Because somehow, after less than five minutes of eye contact across a student center, he couldn’t stop thinking about Asher Reyes.
Which was ridiculous.
Actually ridiculous.
He didn’t even know the guy.
Yet twenty minutes later, Nathaniel was still staring toward the vending machines long after Asher had disappeared.
Jordan looked deeply concerned.
Jordan: “I need you to be normal about this.”
Nathaniel finally looked away.
Nathaniel: “I am normal.”
Dylan nearly choked on his coffee.
Dylan: “You stopped listening to us mid-conversation because a pretty athlete walked into the room.”
Nathaniel: “That has happened before.”
Jordan: “Not like that.”
Nathaniel frowned slightly.
Because unfortunately—
Jordan was correct.
Something about Asher felt different already.
Most people reacted to Nathaniel immediately.
They flirted.
Smiled harder.
Tried too hard.
Asher had looked directly at him and seemed completely uninterested.
Nathaniel hated how much that fascinated him.
⸻
Across campus, Asher was equally annoyed.
Mostly because his teammate still would not stop talking.
Teammate: “I’m serious, dude. Nathaniel Anderson literally asked about you.”
Asher adjusted the strap of his gym bag while continuing toward the athletic building.
Asher: “Congratulations to him.”
Teammate: “Do you know how many people would kill for his attention?”
Asher: “That sounds unhealthy.”
The teammate groaned dramatically.
Asher ignored him.
Truthfully, he already knew exactly what kind of person Nathaniel Anderson was without meeting him.
Rich.
Popular.
Probably charming.
The type of guy who walked through life expecting people to fall at his feet.
Asher hated those kinds of people on principle.
Mostly because they usually turned out disappointing.
⸻
By evening, the rumors had somehow gotten worse.
Apparently Nathaniel Anderson had looked at him for longer than normal.
Which, according to half the student body, was now considered groundbreaking news.
Asher genuinely hated this school sometimes.
He sat alone near the back of the library while attempting to finish notes for class.
Attempting being the important word.
Because every few minutes someone nearby whispered his name.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
His phone buzzed against the table.
Luca.
Of course.
🖤 Luca
Mom says you sound grumpy today.
❤️ Asher
I am grumpy today.
🖤 Luca
Did somebody annoy you?
❤️ Asher
Several people.
🖤 Luca
Want Mateo to threaten them?
❤️ Asher
That solution cannot apply to every problem.
🖤 Luca
According to Mateo, it absolutely can.
❤️ Asher
That’s concerning.
🖤 Luca
So what actually happened?
❤️ Asher
Apparently some rich student council guy was asking about me.
🖤 Luca
Ugly or attractive?
❤️ Asher
Luca.
🖤 Luca
That means attractive.
❤️ Asher
You’re annoying.
🖤 Luca
And you avoided the question.
❤️ Asher
I don’t care about him.
🖤 Luca
That was also not the question.
❤️ Asher
Goodbye.
Asher locked his phone immediately.
Annoyed.
Mostly because Luca was impossible to argue with.
A quiet laugh nearby pulled him from his thoughts.
Asher looked up automatically.
Then froze.
Because Nathaniel Anderson had just walked into the library.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
The guy looked unfairly attractive under the soft library lighting.
Dark hair slightly messy.
Sleeves rolled up.
Coffee in one hand.
And entirely too much confidence in the way he carried himself.
Asher immediately looked back down at his notes.
Pretending he hadn’t noticed him.
Unfortunately—
Nathaniel noticed him instantly.
Of course he did.
⸻
Nathaniel stopped walking the second he saw Asher sitting alone near the back windows.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He hadn’t planned this.
At least—
that was what he told himself.
Jordan would absolutely call him a liar.
Nathaniel adjusted his grip on the coffee cup while watching Asher pretend not to notice him.
Cute.
Dangerous thought.
Very dangerous.
Then Jordan’s earlier words replayed in his mind.
“Go talk to him.”
Nathaniel smiled slightly.
Honestly, how hard could it be?
⸻
Asher heard footsteps approaching his table.
He already knew who it was.
Unfortunately.
Slowly, he looked up.
Nathaniel stopped beside the table.
Nathaniel: “You’re avoiding me already.”
Asher stared at him for a second.
Calmly.
Asher: “We’ve never spoken.”
Nathaniel sat across from him anyway.
Bold.
Very bold.
Nathaniel: “That sounds fixable.”
Asher blinked once.
Then sighed softly.
Asher: “Do rich boys always invite themselves into conversations?”
Nathaniel smiled immediately.
Nathaniel: “Only when they’re interested.”
There it was again.
That stupid confidence.
Asher should have found it annoying.
Instead—
he almost laughed.
Which was deeply concerning.
⸻
Nathaniel noticed the almost-smile immediately.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He leaned back slightly in the chair.
More relaxed now.
Nathaniel: “I knew it.”
Asher frowned.
Asher: “Knew what?”
Nathaniel: “You do have emotions.”
Asher stared at him blankly.
Asher: “Devastating discovery.”
Nathaniel laughed quietly.
Again.
This was becoming a problem.
Nobody made him laugh this naturally.
Not even Jordan and Dylan sometimes.
Asher closed his notebook slowly.
Asher: “Do you always flirt with strangers in libraries?”
Nathaniel pretended to think about it.
Nathaniel: “Usually cafés.”
Asher rolled his eyes.
Actually rolled his eyes.
Nathaniel nearly smiled again.
Hopeless.
Absolutely hopeless.
⸻
Several students nearby were openly staring now.
Whispering quietly while pretending not to watch them.
Nathaniel ignored it automatically.
Asher clearly did not.
The athlete’s shoulders tensed slightly.
Interesting.
Nathaniel lowered his voice instinctively.
Nathaniel: “You hate attention.”
Asher looked directly at him.
The teasing disappeared from his expression.
Only honesty remained.
Asher: “Most attention is fake.”
The answer caught Nathaniel off guard.
Again.
Because Asher spoke like somebody who already understood people too well.
Like somebody who trusted very carefully.
Nathaniel found himself unexpectedly curious about why.
⸻
Asher noticed the shift in Nathaniel’s expression immediately.
The curiosity.
The attention.
The genuine interest.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Because most people only looked at Asher for shallow reasons.
Athletics.
Looks.
Rumors.
Nathaniel somehow looked like he wanted to understand him.
Which honestly felt worse.
⸻
Nathaniel: “You know, most people would be excited I sat here.”
Asher snorted softly before he could stop himself.
Nathaniel looked delighted immediately.
A mistake.
Definitely a mistake.
Because now Nathaniel looked even more pleased with himself.
Asher: “That line probably works on a lot of people.”
Nathaniel: “Usually.”
Asher: “That’s embarrassing for them.”
Nathaniel laughed loudly enough that the librarian glared at him from across the room.
He lowered his voice immediately.
Still smiling.
Nathaniel: “You’re funny.”
Asher looked unimpressed.
Again.
Asher: “You’re persistent.”
Nathaniel: “You noticed.”
Asher hated that he smiled slightly at that.
Hated it.
⸻
Nathaniel noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
And suddenly the bet with Jordan and Dylan felt much less important than it had earlier.
Because this no longer felt like a game.
Not entirely.
Nathaniel genuinely wanted to know this person.
Which felt unexpectedly dangerous.
⸻
Asher glanced toward the clock on the wall.
Then stood slowly.
Nathaniel frowned automatically.
Nathaniel: “Leaving already?”
Asher: “Some of us have responsibilities.”
Nathaniel placed a hand dramatically against his chest.
Nathaniel: “That felt targeted.”
Asher: “It was.”
Nathaniel smiled helplessly.
God.
This was bad already.
Asher grabbed his bag and slid his notebook inside before looking back toward Nathaniel.
For one brief second, the teasing faded.
His expression softened slightly.
Asher: “You should stop staring at people.”
Nathaniel blinked once.
Caught.
Immediately.
Nathaniel: “I wasn’t staring.”
Asher raised one eyebrow.
The disbelief was painful.
Nathaniel: “Okay, maybe a little.”
Asher shook his head softly.
Then—
unexpectedly—
he smiled.
Small.
Quick.
Real.
And suddenly Nathaniel understood why people became obsessed with Asher Reyes.
Because that smile felt like earning sunlight after days of rain.
Then Asher walked away.
Again.
Leaving Nathaniel sitting there staring after him like an i***t.
Which Jordan would absolutely never let him live down.
- Writer
