Lunch hour at campus had always been predictable. Too predictable. The cafeteria buzzed with the same overlapping voices, trays clattering, chairs scraping against the tiled floor. Students clustered at their usual tables, their laughter and chatter creating a familiar rhythm. For me, it was routine...eat quickly, sit with Damian and Luke, talk about anything that wasn't too personal, then leave. But that day, as I stepped into the hall with them at my side, my eyes betrayed me before I could stop myself.
Amara was already seated at one of the smaller tables near the windows, sunlight slanting in to rest on her hair. She was with Emily, who as usual, was chatting animatedly, hands moving almost as fast as her words. Amara laughed at something Emily said, but it was soft, fleeting...one of those laughs that seemed private, like she hadn't meant to let it escape.
Damian noticed me pause. "What's up?" he asked, balancing his tray with careless ease.
"Nothing," I muttered, but my eyes lingered a second too long.
Luke, who never missed much, followed my gaze. A slow smirk tugged at his mouth. "Oh. Ohhh. Look who's got a view."
I shot him a look sharp enough to cut, but it only made him grin wider. I hated how transparent I must have been, standing there longer than I should, tray untouched in my hands. I could've walked past. I could've sat where I always did. Safe. Predictable. But something shifted inside me, subtle but undeniable.
Before I could talk myself out of it, my feet were already moving.
"Wait....Adrian?" Damian's voice held surprise. "You're not....?"
I didn't answer. I just crossed the room, every step calculated, as if pretending I had no idea how unusual this was. Luke and Damian exchanged a glance before trailing after me, amused.
Emily noticed first. "Oh hey," she said brightly, making space at the table without hesitation. "You're joining us?"
"Yeah," I said simply, sliding into the seat across from Amara. One word, casual enough. But my heart wasn't casual. Not at all.
Her eyes lifted to mine, wide at first...surprise flashing across her face before she quickly masked it. She tried to look unaffected, but the faint pink rising at her cheeks betrayed her. She gave me a small nod. "Hi."
"Hi," I replied, steady.
Damian dropped his tray beside me, still shaking his head like he couldn't believe it. "Well, this is new."
Luke sat next to him, grin practically glued to his face. "Yeah, Adrian branching out. Big day."
Amara's lips twitched, like she was fighting a smile, but she stayed quiet. Emily laughed, leaning into the energy easily. "So, how do you all know each other again? Same classes?"
"Project," I said, my voice even, though my gaze flicked briefly toward Amara.
Emily's eyes sparkled, like she was filing that away for later. "Right. Makes sense."
The conversation circled between Damian's jokes and Luke's sarcastic commentary, but I found myself less invested in their banter than usual. Instead, I noticed small things: the way Amara tucked her hair behind her ear when she grew self-conscious, the way her fingers lingered at the rim of her glass when she wasn't speaking, the way her gaze occasionally brushed mine and then darted away.
I wasn't supposed to notice. I wasn't supposed to care. But I did.
"Adrian," Luke suddenly said, interrupting my thoughts. "You've been quiet. Nothing to add?"
"Listening," I replied.
Damian snorted. "Classic."
But Amara looked at me then, just for a second, and I caught something in her expression...like she was glad I was there, even if I wasn't saying much. It wasn't loud or obvious. Just a quiet flicker. But it stirred something in me I couldn't quite name.
Emily teased Damian about his terrible cooking skills, laughter spilling over the table, while Luke dramatically exaggerated one of their past group trips. I let their words wash over me, content to sit in the background, but aware of every detail about the girl across from me.
At one point, Amara dropped her fork by accident. It clattered lightly against the floor, and before she could move, I'd already leaned down to pick it up. Our hands brushed as I passed it back to her. Just a second. Barely anything. But enough to make her hesitate, eyes meeting mine in the silence between us.
"Thanks," she murmured.
"Anytime." The word slipped out before I thought about it, and her lips curved into the smallest smile.
Luke caught it, of course. He nudged Damian, whispering something under his breath that earned him a stifled laugh. I ignored them both.
The meal stretched on, conversation weaving around us. To anyone else, it probably looked like nothing...a casual lunch among classmates and friends. But to me, it felt heavier. Different. Like choosing this seat had set something in motion I wasn't ready to admit to.
When the trays were cleared and everyone began to stand, Emily announced she had to run to a lab session. Damian and Luke started arguing about whether to grab coffee before their next lecture. Amara lingered, gathering her things slowly, and for a moment, it was just the two of us at the table.
"You don't usually sit here," she said softly.
I met her eyes. "Maybe I should."
Her breath caught...not loud enough for anyone else to notice, but I saw it. Felt it. And before I could say more, Damian called my name from across the room. The spell broke, and Amara glanced away, tucking her books to her chest.
We walked out together, though not too close. Not yet. But as I stepped into the noise of the hallway, I realized my day felt sharper, clearer. And all because I'd chosen a different seat.
That night, lying awake, I tried to convince myself it didn't mean anything. That sitting at her table was just convenience, just coincidence. But her smile kept replaying in my mind, stubborn as a shadow I couldn't shake.
And deep down, I knew: it wasn't coincidence at all.