Chapter 2: Rules and Boundaries
593 Words
Cassandra sat in the back row of the lecture hall, her notebook open, pen poised. The words on the board blurred slightly as her mind wandered back to the moment earlier—the one where a stranger had bumped into her.
She shook her head, as if shaking away a thought that wasn’t supposed to be there. Focus, Cassandra. Focus.
She had rules. Strict rules.
No dating. No distractions. No “maybe” situations that could pull her attention away from what truly mattered—her studies, her future, and her dreams.
She glanced around. Students chatted, laughed, and scribbled in their notebooks. Some smiled at each other, exchanged numbers, or whispered about weekend plans. Cassandra felt detached from all of it, deliberately so.
Her gaze drifted unconsciously to the entrance. And there he was—Daniel.
He wasn’t looking at her. He was talking quietly with a friend, notebook in hand, but for some reason, her heart skipped a beat. She reminded herself—this isn’t about him. Or anyone.
Still, there was something… different about him. Calm. Confident without arrogance. Gentle, but not weak. She had seen people like that before, but something told her he wasn’t like the rest.
Cassandra turned back to her notes, scribbling carefully, though her mind refused to stay quiet. She could feel a subtle pull—the curiosity she hated admitting she had.
Curiosity is harmless, she told herself.
Just observe. Don’t get involved.
---
After the lecture, the students began filing out, talking loudly and comparing schedules. Cassandra packed her bag methodically, her movements precise. She noticed Daniel approaching from the side, this time with no one else around him.
“Hey,” he said, casually, as if it were the easiest thing in the world to speak to her.
“Hello,” she replied cautiously, keeping her distance.
“I didn’t catch your name yesterday… I mean, today,” he said, smiling faintly.
“Cassandra,” she said, firm but polite.
“Daniel,” he offered, holding out his hand. She hesitated, then shook it briefly.
There was a pause, a small silence that somehow felt loaded.
“So… classes start off okay?” he asked.
Cassandra shrugged. “Fine.” Short. She didn’t want to give more.
He seemed unbothered by her coldness, though. “Good. That’s… good. I hope the first day isn’t too overwhelming.”
Cassandra raised an eyebrow. “I can handle myself.”
He chuckled softly, a sound that made her ears prick up even though she wanted it not to. “I can see that.”
Why does he sound so calm? she thought, irritated at her own curiosity.
“I have to go,” she said, gathering her bag tighter. “See you around, Daniel.”
He nodded. “See you.”
As she walked away, she told herself again—focus. Don’t think about him. Don’t let him distract you.
But when she turned a corner, she caught a glimpse of him watching her, notebook in hand, with that calm, observant expression. Something in her chest tightened—not fear, not longing, just… recognition.
She hated it.
---
That evening, Cassandra sat at her desk, textbooks open, but her mind wandered back to Daniel.
He seems… different. And why do I care?
She scribbled in her notebook:
Rule #1: No distractions. Rule #2: No dating. Rule #3: Ignore him.
She paused, pen hovering over the page. Somehow, writing it down made it feel… harder.
Maybe, she thought bitterly, some distractions weren’t meant to be ignored.
- Writer
