Sal watched as (Y/N) scribbled the lecture notes on her notebook. Her attention never leaving her writing as she listened to the professors speech.

The bluenette looked down at his own notes, wondering when his attention had shifted from the interesting lecture to his new friend. As he regained focus and started writing once again, his phone started to vibrate in his pockets.

Ash: wanna skip? my lecture is sooooo boringggg. bring (y/n).

Sal rolled his eyes and locked his phone, trying to immediately go back to writing to not lose swiftness.

buzz buzz

(Y/N) stretched next to him, her delicate fingers turning the page of her notebook. She cracked her knuckles, flexed and extended her digits, and massaged her wrists. She placed her jean jacket on the backrest of her chair and started rummaging through her pencil pouch.

Victoriously, she found the exact gel pen she was looking for. Highlighted words and titles adorned the pages of her navy blue notebook. Miniature sketches of flowers and kittens splashed around the corners of the pages and notes, placing emphasis on certain paragraphs.

buzz buzz

Sal started to impatiently bounce his right leg. His phone kept vibrating against his pants, he knew it was Ash, and for some reason that made him extremely upset. At this point, he had completely lost focus of the lecture and that made him even more distressed. He ran his fingers through his hair as his phone vibrated once more.

Sal popped his neck and angrily fished out his phone from his pocket.

Ash: hello?

Ash: sal

Ash: sally, dont ignore me.

Ash: salllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

He huffed and finally started to type out a response. (Y/N) watched him through her peripheral vision and she noted he was typing in a rough and speedy manner. The boy stuffed his phone in his pocket once again after placing it in do not disturb.

Sal: No. Leave me alone, we're actually trying to learn something over here.

(y/n) had not even noticed that Ash had been mass texting her as well, since she had placed all of her devices in do not disturb before she even walked in to the lecture room.

She was too focused on the lecture to notice that Sal was having a hard time in class today. Something was bothering him and she hadn't even noticed.

While she had been writing down notes on psychological theories, Sal had been fidgeting throughout the whole lecture. His mind had not been at ease today and sadly, he didn't know why either.

There was something in the air that day.

As the lecture came to an end, both friends packed their stuff hurriedly. Sal stood behind (y/n)'s chair, waiting for her patiently. He picked at his black nail polish as she finally took a stance next to him.

She wiggled her eyebrows at him and smiled, "do you want to get lunch here?" She chirped.

Sal pondered at the thought for a moment. But he shook his head in an unsure tone. "Maybe we can go eat at an actual restaurant?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders adding on to the question.

(Y/N) contemplated the suggestion as she nibbled on her lower lip. The strawberry and jasmine notes of her perfume were circulating around her figure. Sal had not noticed the perfume before but now, it was all his senses could recognize.

"Where could we go?" She said, her eyes meeting his azure pair. Her thick and long eyelashes fluttered in the process. "I really don't know any place outside of my apartment or the food hall here"

Sal hummed amusedly, "Let me think about it while we make our way to my car"

(Y/N) pulled out her phone from her pocket, eyes widening as she realized she had 13 missed messages from Ash. "Oh my... Ash was texting me throughout class, I-I didn't even realize"

She stopped in her tracks as she started typing out a response, but before she could hit send, someone shouted their names throughout the hall.

Sal and (Y/N) both turned their heads towards the feminine voice and to no surprise, it was Ash. The redhead was jogging her way towards her friends, panting and waving her hands.

Sal internally cursed as he knew Ash was going to insert herself in their lunch plans. But, why was that wrong?

Finally, Ash stopped in front of both of them, placed her hands on her knees as she huffed and puffed, "dude, I have not run since like elementary" as she regained her composure, (Y/N)'s eyes glimmered.

She was staring at Ash's auburn locks and giggling to herself. Sal couldn't help but stare at her longingly. Ash cleared her throat and looked at her friends, "so... what are we doing today? Class was insufferable" her hands were moving around her face as she tried to dramatize her feelings.

Sal looked away from her and stared out into the hallway of the building, he did not want to deal with Ash today. Recently, he had become annoyed at her constant noisiness and bombarding of affection. Sal clicked his tongue and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

But then realization hit him, why had he been so bothered by Ash? She had been one of his best friends for years now. He knew she was affectionate, overly affectionate. Sal also knew she was noisy, but her excuse was always that she cared and wanted the best for the group.

Sal furrowed his eyebrows under his prosthetic, his eyes scanning the pair of girls next to him. He knew Ash liked Larry, but there was something hidden under all of his frustration towards her at this moment.

"Sally, do you want to go get ice cream?" said Ash, smiling at him as she swayed on her heels. "I was telling (Y/N) about that diner that serves yogurt ice cream and soft serve. I've been craving some white chocolate and raspberry ice cream"

Sal thought about if he wanted to go or if he just wanted to go home. He contemplated his options and what he really felt like doing at the moment, "It's fine. You guys can go, I need to go home and feed Gizmo. I'll see you guys tomorrow"

Before the girls could answer, Sal walked the opposite way of the hallway and disappeared between the crowd of students. (Y/N) pursed her lips at Sal's sudden change in nature. Ash took a small gasp and made eye contact with (Y/N), trying to process what had just happened. Sal had never turned down an invitation to socialize with them.

"Maybe we can invite Larry?"

Ash thought about her friend's proposition carefully. She actually did want to see Larry but her mind was blurry and confused as to why Sal had been in such a bad mood with her lately. Ash finally sighed and nodded at her friend, "Let's go girlie"

-

"This is fucking amazingggg" Larry moaned as he shoved another spoonful of cookies and cream ice cream in his mouth.

The girls giggled at his reaction and looked at each other happily. Ash had ordered a bowl with three scoops of white chocolate raspberry ice cream. While (Y/N) had ordered a cone of strawberry ice cream, Larry had been a little selfish and ordered a bowl with three scoops of cookies & cream and a vanilla milkshake.

Ash quietly ate her ice cream, sitting next to her girl friend and in front of Larry. She kept dissociating and thinking about Sal. Even with Larry in front of her, she couldn't take her attention off the bluenettes off-putting temperament.

Larry noticed the silence coming from Ash, it was something so unusual, she always had this bubbly and sweet persona. So something must've been bothering her really bad

Larry's hand reached over to touch hers, when his fingertips grazed her skin, Ash's viridian eyes met his brown ones. He furrowed his eyebrows and leaned his head to the side, nonverbally asking her what was going on.

She shook her head slightly and broke eye contact. Her hand reached out towards his milkshake, she took a sip out of it and placed it back in front of him. Larry furrowed his eyebrows in frustration, he squinted his eyes at her, once again pushing for an answer.

Ash rolled her eyes and shrugged, she looked back at her friend who was nonchalantly licking her ice cream cone and on her phone. She hadn't noticed the whole silent interaction the pair had carried out.

Ash pursed her lips as she picked up her phone, taking her hand away from Larry's.

She opened his chat and started typing.

Ash: sal was really weird today

ding! ding!

Larry fumbled with his phone as he silenced it, he gave (Y/N) as wide smile as he cornered himself at the end of the booth, acting like if someone wanted to read his messages.

Larry: weird?

Larry: weird how?

Ash rolled her eyes and tapped with fingernails on the table top. She cursed herself in her mind, maybe she had thought too much into it? Larry hadn't even noticed Sal being weird... but (Y/N) was there when he stormed off, so she wasn't crazy.

Ash: idk, he seemed annoyed or upset

Larry squinted his eyes at the message and looked towards Ash. He was pondering on this comment, Sal was not the type of person to EVER be upset or annoyed at anyone.

Larry: do you have any idea what it could be?

Ash stared at Larry, her gaze so intense like she was trying to burn holes through his head. Larry met her stare and cringed.

While the two of them continued to text and make silent comments at each other, (Y/N) was texting Sal.

(Y/N): hey, I noticed you were kind of upset today... everything okay?

As she put her phone down she looked out the window of the diner, the cloudy day was coming to an end soon and she really wanted to go home and take a nap before she would study or go over her notes.

She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the booth. The cold surface burning a small spot on her temple, it wasn't intense enough for her to move her head though.

buzz buzz

She lifted her phone once again and read the message notification.

Sal: everything's okay, thank you.

Humming to herself, (Y/N) stood up from the booth. Larry and Ash finally broke their tension bubble and looked at their friend, "I'm ready to go home, I have so much homework"

This was a lie, she actually had no homework at all and was planning on visiting Sal as soon as Larry stepped into his apartment and Ash left the complex.

There was a gut feeling in her that was whispering that Sal didn't want to deal with so many people. As understanding as (Y/N) was, she felt entitled to being the one person he would talk to today.

-
Hello everyone!

How are we doing?

Grad school is killing meeeee, I never thought it would be so hard. But I'm hanging on.

I will try to update more frequently, I promise.

Let me know what you guys think!

Have a nice day <3