ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🦋་༘࿐ Ｓｈｉｌｏ ｓａｎｄｅｒｓ ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🦋་༘࿐

It all started your sophomore year at Jackson State. You were rushing to class—coffee in one hand, bag slipping off your shoulder, mind everywhere but the sidewalk—when you turned the corner too fast and slammed straight into someone. Your iced latte flew, your papers scattered, and you barely managed to keep yourself upright.

“Yo, you good?” the guy asked, already crouching to help pick up your things.

You looked down, then up—and that’s when it hit you. Shilo Sanders. You’d seen him around campus. Heard the name. Deion Sanders’ son. Loud, always laughing, always surrounded by people. And now, kneeling in front of you, handing you back a wrinkled syllabus.

“Yeah,” you said quickly, brushing yourself off. “Just… not my smoothest moment.”

He chuckled. “Nah, you lowkey tackled me. You play football too?”

You laughed despite yourself. Something about him made it easy. Natural.

You figured that was it—just a random run-in. But then you saw him again. And again. And again.

He’d pop up walking past your dorm, hanging around the student union, posted on the steps with his friends—but somehow, his eyes always found you. And every time, he had something to say. Just a “What’s up?” or a playful comment about your outfit or your playlist. Nothing crazy. But intentional.

Eventually, you stopped wondering if it was a coincidence. One afternoon in the library, he slid into the seat next to you without warning, glanced at your screen, and said, “If I help you finish that paper, you owe me lunch.”

And just like that, it shifted.

It wasn’t anything dramatic. No big declarations. But over time, you noticed how he always made sure you were around. How he’d light up when he saw you, or lean in a little closer when he talked. It was subtle. Consistent. Real.

He didn’t try to impress you with who his dad was or who he was on the field. He was just Shilo—messy, funny, smart in his own sideways way—and somehow, he’d worked his way into your days.

And before you even realized it, seeing him started to feel like the best part of your college routine.