Summertime Loving

Travis headed to math class and slid into his seat next to Eve. She glanced at him, but he didn't acknowledge her, leaving her to wonder if she'd somehow crossed a line.

' Did I do something wrong? ' she thought, shifting uncomfortably. ' Is he ignoring me because I was mad last week? Maybe I overreacted. He probably didn't even want to be with that group. I should've just talked to him instead of assuming the worst. '

After a moment, she gathered the courage to lean forward, tapping his shoulder. He turned to face her, his expression calm.

"Hey," she said softly, managing a tentative smile.

He nodded. "Yo, what's up?"

She took a deep breath. "I just… wanted to say I'm sorry. I know it wasn't cool of me to ignore you. I was just upset seeing you with that group, but I should've asked you about it instead."

Travis's expression softened. "Well, if you'd asked, you'd know I had no plans of hanging out with them," he replied with a reassuring smile.

She nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I get that now. I'm really sorry."

He shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it. It's water under the bridge. Let's move past it and talk about something more interesting."

A real smile broke through on Eve's face. "Like what?"

"Dandadan, the new anime. You seen it yet?"

Her eyes lit up, her worries melting as they launched into an animated conversation, finally back to their usual rhythm.

Eve leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh my god, yes! I started watching it last night. It's insane! The characters, the action—ugh, I'm obsessed."

Travis chuckled, nodding. "Right? I didn't expect it to be that intense. The animation alone is wild. And that plot twist in episode two? Totally didn't see it coming."

Eve's smile widened. "Exactly! And don't get me started on the soundtrack; it gives me chills. I had to pause just to soak it all in."

"Glad you're as hooked as I am," he said, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I was half expecting you to roll your eyes if I brought it up."

She nudged him playfully. "You kidding? I live for this stuff. Plus, I love finding something new we can talk about together. It's… nice."

Travis looked at her, a hint of warmth in his eyes. "Yeah, it is. Especially now that you're not mad at me anymore," he teased, causing her to laugh and shake her head.

"Well, lesson learned," she replied. "From now on, I'll talk to you before making assumptions."

He winked. "Good plan. I'd hate for us to be stuck in another silent treatment."

They shared a comfortable silence for a moment, the kind that felt familiar and easy. She looked at him with a slight blush, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "Hey… so are you coming over today?" She asked.

"Alright, I'll think about it," Travis replied, a smirk playing on his lips. "And I'll let you know. Besides, there's no plan with Mia, if that helps."

Eve raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she leaned against her desk. "As long as she's not getting an edge on me, I'm cool. But it's Judith I'm worried about… I swear, she's closer to you than either of us. Just saying."

Travis stifled a chuckle, clearly amused. "Oh really? And what makes you think that?"

Eve shrugged, giving him a knowing look. "Just a gut feeling. Don't underestimate a woman's intuition. I can't believe I said that, eww" she said and laughed. Making Travis smile. But deep inside.

' Gotta keep an eye on that sixth sense' he mused to himself with a grin.

Class finally ended, and Travis left the room surrounded by all the girls. Judith was chattier than usual, her energy drawing everyone in, her laughter filling the hallway.

She seemed more confident, glowing with a newfound charm that made her presence even more magnetic. Everyone couldn't help but enjoy her company, noticing how much she'd blossomed.

The group walked together, chatting and laughing, their bond evident. Travis couldn't shake the warm feeling of their camaraderie—it made him realize just how much they'd all grown closer.

With each passing day, their friendships strengthened, and he felt a genuine connection with each of them. It was a sense of belonging that only made him more eager to see what lay ahead.

' Let me finish everyone arc first before we get to fucking, I think I'm going to start with Eve. ' he thought.

Her arc wasn't necessarily hard ,just very long. It would be very tiresome if he went with everything that is meant to happen in the story.

[A/N: Which is why I won't. I'll only do arcs that I deem necessary for the story progression. So hope you do not mind]

They arrived at science class, where everyone settled in, ready for the lesson. Travis took his seat, keeping his attention sharp. The last thing he wanted was for Ms. Okita to think he struggled with focus—he knew how quickly she'd whip up some "remedy" for him.

Knowing her, it'd be some experimental pill that, instead of helping him concentrate, would likely give him a side effect he'd rather avoid. He could already imagine the awkward situations it might lead to.

Not that Ms. Okita was a bad scientist—she was brilliant, but he understood all too well that successful experiments rarely happened on the first try. And, as her unofficial lab rat, he wasn't about to be her next guinea pig. Staying on his A-game felt like the best way to avoid any "side effects."

Class started, with Ms. Okita diving into a new topic, instructing them to jot down notes and explaining the concepts in her meticulous way. Afterward, she handed out materials, encouraging them to put their new knowledge to the test in some practical exercises.

Just when he thought things were wrapping up, she surprised them with a pop quiz—a move that made a few classmates groan under their breath.

Travis, though, kept his cool. As he breezed through the questions, he couldn't help but smile; everything felt straightforward, almost too easy. When he finished ahead of the others, he politely asked if he could go to the bathroom, which Ms. Okita allowed.

As Travis stepped into the hallway, he considered his next move.

"Maybe it's time to start Eve's arc," he thought. "First things first, Mrs. Smith is probably going to go off about the dress code again soon. But instead of telling her about it myself, maybe I should stop by Coach Bridget's office and let her worry about it. Besides, I kind of want her to miss me a little."

With a grin, Travis headed down the hall to Coach Bridget's office, conveniently located by the lockers. He reached the door and peeked through the small window. There she was, leaning over her desk, busy jotting down notes.

He couldn't help but smile to himself. "Alright," he thought. "Time to make my move on her."

TO BE CONTINUED