Chapter 3 - Signals in the Dark
1337 Words
Luca lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the room dim except for the faint glow of the streetlamp outside. He’d turned the lights off ages ago, but sleep refused to come. His mind kept looping back to the same place, the same face, the same moment.
Adrian.
The class.
The way Adrian’s jaw tightened when Luca’s answer outshone his.
The way his eyes had narrowed — not mocking, not smug, just sharp, calculating. Too close.
Luca squeezed his eyes shut.
He could still feel the weight of that stare, the tension in the room, the way his breath had caught when Adrian leaned forward. It was ridiculous. He barely knew the guy. He didn’t even like him. Not really. Not in any way that made sense.
But his body hadn’t gotten the memo.
He rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow, groaning into the fabric. “Stop thinking about him,” he muttered.
His brain ignored him.
Every time he tried to think about something else — homework, dinner, tomorrow’s schedule — Adrian’s face slid back into focus. The sharp jawline. The steady eyes. The way his voice softened when he asked if Luca was sure about his answer.
It was infuriating.
He needed a distraction.
A big one.
That was when he heard it.
A faint vibration.
A tiny bell sound.
Luca lifted his head.
The bedside table was glowing.
He blinked, confused. He hadn’t even noticed a phone there until now. He’d been too overwhelmed — new universe, new schedule, new everything. He’d seen Mara and other classmates on their phones, but it hadn’t even occurred to him that he should have one too.
He reached over and picked it up.
A text lit the screen.
Cam:
You haven’t been returning my texts and calls all day. I hope everything is okay.
The profile picture showed a decent‑looking, slightly nerdy guy with glasses. Luca had no idea who he was.
But the worry in the message tugged at him.
And honestly? Thinking about anyone other than Adrian felt like a blessing.
He typed back:
Luca:
Sorry. I haven’t really touched my phone since I got here. Just saw your messages now.
The reply came instantly.
Cam:
Oh thank God. I thought something happened to you.
Luca stared at the screen, a strange warmth settling in his chest. Someone worrying about him — someone he didn’t even remember — felt surreal. Heavy. Kind.
Another message popped up.
Cam:
It’s 8pm already. Want to get tacos at Los Betos? I need to talk to you about something.
Luca’s stomach growled.
He hadn’t eaten since lunch.
And he desperately needed to stop replaying Adrian’s face in his mind.
Luca:
Sure.
He paused.
He’d have to google where Los Betos was.
---
It turned out Los Betos was just down the street. Before leaving, Luca checked Cam’s social media profile — a quick scroll through photos and posts. They were classmates, apparently. They didn’t share many classes, except Physics on Tuesdays.
Which meant they’d be together tomorrow.
Great.
Another thing he had to pretend to remember.
The smell hit him before he even reached the restaurant — grilled meat, warm tortillas, cilantro, lime. His mouth watered.
Cam was waiting outside, pacing slightly. When he saw Luca, his face lit up with relief.
“Luca!” he said, rushing forward.
Before Luca could react, Cam hugged him — tight, warm, familiar.
Luca stiffened, surprised.
Cam pulled back, hands still on Luca’s shoulders. “I was so worried. You didn’t answer anything all day.”
“I’m fine,” Luca said quickly. “I was in a rush this morning. Mara was freaking out.”
Cam snorted. “Yeah, she’s like that.”
They went inside, ordered, and sat down with their tacos. The first few minutes were silent except for the sound of wrappers crinkling and Luca’s involuntary groan after the first bite.
“Oh my God,” he said. “This is so good.”
Cam laughed. “They always are. Did you forget the owner’s from Guadalajara?”
“No, I know,” Luca lied smoothly. “They’re just… especially good today. And I forgot to eat.”
They devoured the first taco in silence, hunger overriding conversation. By the second, they slowed down enough to talk.
Cam wiped his hands and leaned forward, eyes bright. “You know that physics project I’ve been working on? I think I’m making real progress. Professor De Silva’s been helping me — giving me ideas when I get stuck. He even talked to his doctor friend at the hospital. She showed me their MEG machine and how it works. She even pulled up anonymous brain scans and explained everything.”
Luca blinked.
He had no idea what Cam was talking about.
But he nodded anyway. “That’s great.”
Cam’s enthusiasm was infectious. “Do you know what this means?”
Luca shrugged, chewing.
“It means I’m one step closer to figuring out how electricity works in our brains — and how it relates to consciousness. Maybe the biggest mystery of all. Where does consciousness come from? Is it generated by the brain? Or is it everywhere, part of the universe, and our brains are just receivers?”
Luca froze mid‑chew.
A chill ran down his spine.
What if…
What if Cam’s research had something to do with him?
With why he was here?
With how he’d crossed timelines?
He swallowed hard.
He didn’t say any of it.
Cam would think he was insane.
Or worse — he’d believe him.
And Luca wasn’t ready for that.
So he asked instead, “Are you going into science? Or premed? Or what?”
Cam laughed. “We’ve talked about this. I’m taking premed‑qualified classes and general science. I’m just not declared yet. Maybe I’ll do both. MD‑PhD.”
Luca smiled, genuinely impressed. “That would be awesome.”
Cam’s expression softened. “So… how was your day? Besides forgetting your phone.”
Luca hesitated.
He didn’t know how close they were supposed to be.
But he needed to talk to someone.
So he told Cam everything — the morning with Adrian, how he approached him out of nowhere before class, outsmarting him during class, being confronted by him after class.
Cam’s eyes widened. “Wow. That’s… a lot. Adrian’s the hottest ticket in town. Do you like him? I mean — who wouldn’t?”
Luca’s heart skipped.
He wasn’t sure what Cam meant by that.
Was Cam on the same team?
Was he teasing?
Was he jealous?
Luca couldn’t ask.
He should already know.
So he just shrugged.
They finished their food, and Luca felt the exhaustion of the day settle into his bones. Talking helped — like venting pressure from a valve. The problem wasn’t solved, but it felt lighter.
They said their goodbyes outside, heading opposite directions into the night.
- Writer
