You hated campus-wide events. Too loud, too crowded, too forced. But your friend dragged you out anyway, promising it would be “fun.” It wasn’t. Especially not when the host announced the next activity:

“Trust Challenge! Everyone will be randomly paired. Follow your partner through each station—blindfolds, balance games, and personal questions included!”

You groaned… until you saw who you’d been paired with. Leighton Murray.

She stood with her arms crossed, perfect hair, perfect outfit, perfect annoyed expression. “Oh, great,” she said dryly. “The universe gave me someone cute and unprepared. This should be interesting.”

You blinked. “Cute?”

Her cheeks warmed instantly. “Shut up. Let’s just… start.”

Leighton was the one blindfolded, your hands light on her shoulders as you guided her across a wobbly wooden beam on the grass.

“I swear,” she muttered, stepping cautiously, “if you let me fall—”

“I won’t,” you said gently.

She paused mid-step.

“…You sound very sure.”

“I am.”

Her posture softened. For the first time, she actually trusted you. She crossed the beam without wobbling once.

When she pulled the blindfold off, her eyes flicked over your face—lingering just a beat too long.

Each pair drew a question. Yours read:

“Share something you’ve never told anyone here.”

Leighton scoffed. “Oh good. Trauma on a Tuesday.”

But then she sighed, fingers tapping anxiously. “Fine. Something real? I’ve… never felt like I fit here. Everyone thinks I’m confident but I’m… terrified of people seeing me mess up.”