Chapter 2When We Collided

Wednesday arrived in a flash. Hannah and I picked up our volunteer vests and headed towards the basketball court.

"Ahhh, I'm so glad we signed up fast enough!" Hannah said, practically bouncing with excitement. "This is the holy grail of volunteer gigs. We get volunteer hours and we get to look at hot guys."

"And the game is against Kingston Tech, the engineering school next door!"

I squinted at her. "Giving up on your beloved club president so soon?"

"What? No! I'm just… spreading the love."

"…"

The massive gymnasium was already starting to fill up. Hannah and I put on our bright red volunteer vests, and she started scanning the crowd.

"Looking for your president?" I teased, bumping her shoulder.

She shook her head, her eyes fixed on the entrance. "Nope. I'm scouting for talent." Then, she grabbed my arm and physically turned my head towards a group of guys who were walking in, all wearing matching black and white jerseys.

My gaze landed on the one who stood out, a head taller than the rest, and my heart hammered against my ribs.

At the same time, Hannah’s excited voice squealed in my ear. "Do you see the one in the middle? With the raspberry-red hair? Isn't he gorgeous?"

"I'm telling you, he's definitely the king of their campus. Unbelievably hot…"

After all this time, I never thought I'd see Adrian again like this. And I never would have imagined him with such a bold hair color. I didn't dare stare at him openly like Hannah was; I could only steal quick, furtive glances.

He had changed, yet he was still the same. The dyed hair, the new ear piercing—but his eyes, his expression, were as cold as ever.

But then my gaze drifted down to the girl walking beside him, and I quickly looked away, my heart sinking.

It was Iris Song. She was wearing a simple white dress, quietly following at his side.

"Hey, hey!" Hannah nudged me. "Is that his girlfriend?"

"I heard some of the Kingston Tech kids talking about a girl who's always with him. That must be her." Hannah pouted. "She's really pretty, though." Then, she quickly added, "But you're prettier, Juliet."

At that moment, I deeply regretted agreeing to volunteer. Not only were we standing directly across from them, but these bright red volunteer vests were impossible to miss.

Seeing that I wasn't responding, Hannah got even more animated. "She's got that ethereal, water-lily kind of beauty, but you… you're bright and fiery, the kind of beautiful you can't ignore. The first time I saw you, and your figure… I was like, wow."

The crowd was getting bigger, and the two of us were just standing there like bright red targets. Hannah, completely oblivious, was getting more and more worked up.

"Hannah, if you keep this up, someone's going to report us," I said, gently pushing her hands away as she tried to demonstrate my "figure."

Suddenly, she shot me a look, wiggling her eyebrows. At first, I didn't get it.

Then, Sean Sheng came jogging over to us. He was smiling, a little shyly. "Juliet, you're volunteering here?"

Hannah had vanished. I was left alone, feeling incredibly awkward. I nodded, a silent confirmation.

Sean had been pursuing me since the first week of school. Even though I had told him clearly that I wasn't interested, he persisted.

Seeing him now, I saw a reflection of my younger self. I finally understood what a nuisance I must have been to Adrian.

"So, uh, after the game, wait for me, okay? We can get dinner together."

Before I could refuse, he smiled and jogged back to his team. I stared at his retreating back, speechless.

Hannah reappeared at my side, her voice low and thoughtful. "You know, I think Sean is actually a pretty great guy. Very persistent…"

She caught my murderous glare and quickly zipped her lips.

I sighed and looked down, trying to figure out how I was going to survive the next few hours.

Hannah leaned in again. "Hey, do you know that hot guy from Kingston Tech? Why has he been staring at you this whole time?"

My heart skipped a beat. I jerked my head up.

Adrian was sitting on the bench, leaning back slightly, his face impassive. But his eyes, those sharp, almond-shaped eyes, were brewing a storm.

"Don't tell me he's into you too!" Hannah whispered, covering her mouth in shock.

I was genuinely terrified of what she might say next. I quickly clamped my hand over her mouth. "Don't be ridiculous. He has a girlfriend."

"Mmmph mmm," she mumbled through my fingers, her eyes wide. "She's not as pretty as you."