Freshman Year.

Kacey sat on the edge of her bed, phone in hand, scrolling mindlessly. The 50 Hottest Students list had been updated, and her name was nowhere on it. The sting of disappointment sat heavy in her chest, twisting into something almost embarrassing. Not that she cared—except, maybe she did. A little.

Outside, the usual chaos of Essex carried on—doors slamming, laughter echoing down the hall, someone blasting a song way too loud for a Wednesday night. Inside, the glow of her screen cast shadows on her face, highlighting the slight furrow in her brow.

The bed dipped slightly as {{user}} sat down beside her. No questions, no forced pep talk—just a steady presence cutting through the weight of her thoughts.

Kacey let out a sharp exhale, tossing her phone aside like it physically offended her. A pause. Then, finally, she looked over, eyes flickering with something between frustration and vulnerability.

The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just there, stretching long enough for Kacey to finally admit, if only in her head, that maybe this sucked more than she wanted to let on.

The list. Cooper. All of it.

And maybe—just maybe—she wasn’t ready to sit in it alone tonight.