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SAMARA

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So there's always the question of temperature: Is it just cold, or has it actually reached "bone-chilling"? This morning? Bone-chilling wins. The sky is a steel gray, like the clouds are blocking every ounce of warmth from sneaking through. My single-pane dorm window actually has a little bit of condensation on it, and I can hear the faint sound of wind whistling through the campus. Even thinking about training at the outdoor court today feels insane. Luckily, we'll be indoors.

I check the time. It's nearly 10, still hours before I need to head to training. I've got time to dive into my studies and catch up with Viv. We decided to meet for breakfast, so I grab my coat and head toward the campus café.

Inside the café, I spot Viv already tucked into a booth by the window, her hair slicked back in a low bun, looking half-frozen, half-annoyed.

"Good morning!" I sing as I slide into the seat across from her, rubbing my hands together. "How's the early bird?"

"You look like you're ready to duel the weather," I joke, giving her a side hug.

"I would if I could," she says, rolling her eyes. "But I'll save my fighting energy for the lady at the corner store who apparently thinks I have nothing better to do with my life than listen to her lecture me on 'smart shopping habits.'" She pulls a face, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I mean, excuse me if I want to buy what I want to buy without a play-by-play of why I don't need three different types of cookies."

"Wait, she told you you didn't need both?" I ask, already laughing at her exaggerated look of exasperation.

"Oh, it gets better." Vivica crosses her arms, leaning against the library wall. "She actually took them out of my basket and put two back on the shelf! Can you believe it?"

"Did you just... let her?" I ask, trying to stifle a laugh.

"I was too shocked to do anything," Vivica huffs. "It was like, first of all, ma'am, mind your business. And second, yes, I need three types of cookies. They serve three different purposes in my snack arsenal."

"Oh, absolutely. Clearly, one's for post-study cravings, and the other's to unwind after dealing with meddling store employees."

She snorts. "Exactly! I'm glad someone understands me." She pauses, eyes narrowing. "Okay, let's talk about something less infuriating, please."

I give her a sly grin. "Well, there was this thing that happened yesterday..."

Vivica's eyes light up. "Oh, please tell me it involves a certain Grandpa."

I roll my eyes, but she's already fully invested, practically leaning into me. "Fine. He sat down with me at lunch."

"You mean he found you in the wild and came over willingly?" she teases, giving me a little nudge. "That's commitment."

"Very funny. He had this look on his face, like he was just so amused by everything I said." I can't help but laugh at the memory of it. "But he also wouldn't drop the 'sugar' thing, so I had to start calling him 'Grandpa' to get him back."

Vivica throws her head back, laughing. "I love it! I mean, if a guy's gonna keep pulling the sugar card, he deserves a solid nickname back."

"We had this ridiculous back-and-forth about what he should call me instead. Honestly, Viv, he's not bad company. Surprisingly... funny."

Vivica snickers, clearly delighted. "Oh, so Grandpa's got jokes? Is that what I'm hearing?"

"I never said that!" I say, shoving her playfully. "But maybe. A little. I mean, he's kind of charming in a way that's... annoying? Ugh, I don't know how to explain it."

Vivica narrows her eyes, smirking like a detective who's just solved a case. "So what I'm hearing is, Samara's got a little crush."

I feel my face heat up, which is just unfair. "What? No. Absolutely not."

"Uh-huh," she says, giving me a look. "Sure, Mara. Whatever you say."

We keep going for a few more minutes, Vivica grilling me for every single detail, adding in dramatic gasps and commentary whenever I pause. Eventually, we both head back to our rooms.

Back in my room, I settle in to study before practice. It's quiet, just the low hum of the heater and the shuffling of papers as I review my notes. Why do I even need notes? Ugh, Samara, focus. I give myself a stern mental shake and dive back into the work in front of me.

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At the indoor court, a couple of minutes before 4, the cold weather still seeps in a little despite the heaters, but it's way better than braving the outdoors. I join a small huddle with my teammates, just as the guys start trickling in too, Damson among them.

He's laughing about something with one of his friends, looking completely at ease. As I stretch, I hear footsteps approaching and look up just as he stops beside me, feigning surprise.

And then I feel it-that unmistakable scent of nice cologne. It's like it's been woven into my senses at this point. I look up, and of course, Damson's standing there, hands tucked in his hoodie, giving me that trademark smirk.

"Well, look who it is," he says, a playful glint in his eye. "Didn't think you'd be here so early, sugar."

I groan, only half-joking. "Please stop calling me that. It's, like, bordering on embarrassing."

He laughs, all warm and unaffected. "You wound me, Samara. And here I thought we had something special."

"Something special?" I scoff, folding my arms. "You mean the magical ability to ruin each other's lunches?"

He shrugs, undeterred. "Hey, whatever brings us together, right?" I shake my head, trying (and failing) not to smile. "Just... don't get in my way, Grandpa. Some of us are here to work."

We're interrupted by the coach's whistle, signaling us to warm up. He raises an eyebrow, still grinning as he heads back to his friends. "Whatever you say... sugar."

I roll my eyes and focus on the warm-up, refusing to look over again. Practice begins, and we're thrown into a full-blown endurance drill, barely touching the ball except for a few layups and three-man weaves. It's all about building strength and conditioning right now, pushing us right to our limits and by the end, I'm feeling it. But every so often, I catch myself glancing up-only to find Damson looking back, each time with that little grin like he knows something I don't.

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Finally, three hours later, we're done, and I'm ready to collapse. The cold outside suddenly feels like a relief as I exit the gym, taking a deep breath of the crisp evening air. I tug at my black hoodie that I matched with oversized sweatpants. Trying to cover my whole face. My legs are still shaky as I start to head back to the dorms, but before I get far, I hear footsteps approaching from behind.

"Hey, wait up!"

It's Damson, jogging to catch up, hands shoved back into his hoodie pockets once he's beside me.

"Long practice, huh?" he says with a smile.

"Yeah, let's just say I'm never going to underestimate cold weather drills again." He laughs. "Agreed. And I'm not gonna lie, you kept up better than most."

I glance at him. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Maybe," he teases. "Or just an observation. Take it however you like."

I roll my eyes, but I can't help grinning. We keep talking as we walk back to the dorms, the campus pathways almost deserted at this hour. He tells me a bit about his finance classes, somehow managing to make investment portfolios sound funny, and I find myself laughing despite my exhaustion.

As we reach the dorm building, he hesitates for a second, clearing his throat. "So, I was thinking... maybe you'd want to-"

"Samara!"

Vivica's voice cuts through the night, and we both turn to see her walking up from the direction of the library, her face lighting up when she sees us. The lamp posts light up her light pink matching sweat set. That's my best friend eyy.

"Hey! Thought I'd run into you here," she says, glancing between us with a curious smile.

Damson takes a step back, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Nothing, just, uh... have a good night."

He gives a small wave, flashing me a quick smile before turning and walking off. Vivica watches him disappear, then raises an eyebrow at me.

"So, what did Grandpa want?"

"Oh, just, you know, something." I shrug, feeling my cheeks warm a little.

She narrows her eyes, leaning in. "Is that so?"

We head inside to freshen up, the cold finally wearing off as we warm up back in our rooms. I take a hot shower and change into something comfortable, just in time to meet Vivica outside my door.

We make our way to the cafeteria, and of course, Vivica wastes no time bringing Damson back up. Girl we aint got nothing else to talk about?

"So," she says, drawing out the word with a grin, "you're seriously not going to tell me what Grandpa was going to say?"

I bite back a smile. "Nope. Not because I don't know, but because I really don't."

"Oh, so he left it at a mystery, huh?" she teases, bumping me with her elbow. "Sounds like a classic rom-com move if you ask me."

I roll my eyes, unable to help smiling as we grab our food and sit down. Vivica's still trying to drag more details out of me, but I'm careful to give her only the bare minimum. A girl's got to have her secrets, right?

Still, as we eat, I can't help but wonder... maybe there's more to come.

And maybe I wouldn't mind if there is.

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