The café felt calmer than the rest of campus, with soft conversations blending into the background and quiet music filling the space without becoming distracting.
Students worked on assignments, a few people chatted over coffee, and the steady sound of the espresso machine created a rhythm Maya found surprisingly comforting.
She liked places like this.
Everything felt organized.
Everything felt manageable.
Most importantly, it was easy to focus.
Unfortunately, Carter Vance seemed determined to test that focus.
He sat across from her with one elbow resting on the table, lazily spinning a pen between his fingers instead of looking at the physics problem in front of him.
Maya watched him for a few seconds before finally speaking.
“You’re not even looking at the question,” Maya said while folding her arms, clearly unimpressed by his lack of effort.
“I am looking at it,” Carter replied while casually twirling the pen again, sounding completely unconcerned.
“No, you’re pretending to look at it,” Maya answered while pointing toward the notebook.
“Those are two very different things.”
“I’m thinking first,” Carter said with an easy grin, refusing to sound guilty.
Maya studied him for another moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
She reached across the table, gently pulled the notebook toward herself, and flipped to a clean page.
“This is exactly why you’re stuck,” Maya explained while beginning to write several equations.
“You’re trying to memorize the method instead of understanding why it works.”
“…Isn’t that what everyone does?” Carter asked while leaning forward with genuine curiosity.
“No,” Maya replied simply while continuing to write.
“At least, that isn’t how I learn.”
Carter rested both elbows on the table before watching her work.
“Alright, genius,” Carter said with a teasing smile.
“Show me your magic.”
Maya ignored the nickname.
“It’s difficult to explain using the textbook’s method,” Maya said while sketching a simple diagram beside the equation.
“Forget the complicated explanation for a minute.”
Carter remained quiet.
“Imagine you’re skating toward the goal,” Maya continued while drawing an arrow across the page.
“You don’t shoot the puck without thinking. You choose the angle, control your speed, and decide exactly where you want it to go.”
“Obviously,” Carter answered while nodding.
“This equation works the same way,” Maya explained while tapping the page with her pencil.
“You’re controlling direction and force. The numbers simply describe what you’re already doing instinctively.”
Carter leaned closer, his attention completely fixed on the notebook.
“…So this section changes the direction?” Carter asked while pointing at one part of the equation.
“Exactly,” Maya replied with a small nod.
“And this determines how much force I’m using?”
“Yes.”
Carter stared at the page for another few seconds before looking back at her.
“…That’s seriously all it is?” Carter asked while blinking in disbelief.
Maya nodded once.
“That’s all it is.”
A surprised laugh escaped Carter before he leaned back in his chair.
“Why didn’t anyone explain it like that before?” Carter asked while shaking his head.
“I did,” Maya answered without missing a beat.
“You weren’t paying attention.”
Carter rubbed the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile.
“…Fair enough.”
For several peaceful minutes, neither of them spoke very much.
Carter worked through the next problem while Maya quietly watched his calculations, only interrupting when he made a mistake.
The atmosphere felt surprisingly comfortable.
Carter leaned closer to compare his answer with Maya’s notes, and his shoulder lightly brushed against hers.
Neither of them acknowledged it.
Neither of them moved away.
The café door opened.
Maya’s attention shifted almost automatically toward the entrance.
Her pencil began tapping lightly against the edge of the table.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The rhythm was quicker than before.
Carter noticed immediately.
His eyes followed Maya’s line of sight toward the entrance.
A tall blond student wearing a basketball jacket walked inside before greeting several people near the counter with an easy smile.
Recognition flashed across Carter’s face.
He knew exactly who that was.
Ryan Foster.
Starting forward on the university basketball team.
One of the most recognizable athletes on campus.
A slow grin spread across Carter’s face.
“Oh,” Carter said while glancing back toward Maya with obvious amusement.
“Now I get it.”
Maya looked at him in confusion.
“…Get what?” Maya asked while setting her pencil down.
“That’s why you looked at me like I was something unpleasant,” Carter replied while nodding toward Ryan.
Maya frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
“You like him,” Carter said confidently while folding his arms.
Maya blinked twice.
“What? No.”
Carter chuckled.
“You started tapping your pencil the second he walked through the door,” Carter observed while raising an eyebrow.
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You’re still trying to deny it.”
Maya immediately folded both hands together on top of her notebook.
“…That doesn’t prove anything.”
Carter leaned forward slightly, clearly enjoying himself.
“Tall, athletic, basketball player, probably polite,” Carter said with an exaggerated shrug.
“I can see the appeal.”
“He’s not my type,” Maya replied while shaking her head.
“Oh?” Carter asked with a curious smile.
“Then what exactly is your type?”
Maya opened her mouth to answer.
Nothing came out.
Carter noticed immediately.
His grin grew even wider.
“That’s what I thought,” Carter teased while trying not to laugh.
“You’re making assumptions,” Maya replied while narrowing her eyes.
“I’m making observations.”
“They’re incorrect.”
“Are they?”
“Yes.”
Carter studied her for another moment.
“So you really don’t like him?” Carter asked while nodding toward Ryan again.
“No.”
“Not even a little?”
“No.”
“Then why did you react?”
“I wasn’t reacting.”
“You definitely were.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You were.”
Maya closed her notebook with a little more force than necessary.
“Can you please focus on physics?” Maya asked while giving him a pointed look.
“I am focused,” Carter answered with a small smile.
“I’m just temporarily interested in something else.”
“That’s exactly your problem.”
Carter looked at her quietly for a few seconds before speaking again.
“…You really don’t like me, do you?” Carter asked while sounding noticeably more serious than before.
The question caught Maya off guard.
Only slightly.
Enough for Carter to notice.
She met his eyes without looking away.
“No,” Maya answered calmly.
Carter held her gaze for another moment before nodding once.
“…Right.”
This time, he didn’t smile.
The silence between them lasted only a few seconds before Carter suddenly lifted one hand.
“Hey, Ryan!” Carter called while waving toward the counter.
Maya’s eyes widened.
“Carter, don’t—”
It was already too late.
Ryan turned toward them before recognizing Carter almost immediately.
He walked over with an easy smile.
“What’s up?” Ryan asked while stopping beside their table.
Carter nodded toward Maya.
“You know her, right?” Carter asked casually.
Ryan smiled warmly.
“Of course,” Ryan replied while looking at Maya.
“She’s the cheer captain.”
Maya offered a polite smile.
Her fingers tightened around her pencil beneath the table.
“You two studying together?” Ryan asked while glancing between them.
Before Maya could answer, Carter spoke first.
“Yeah,” Carter replied casually.
“We came here together.”
Maya immediately turned toward him.
“We’re just—”
“Oh,” Ryan interrupted with an apologetic smile while taking a small step backward.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“It’s not like that—” Maya began.
“I’ll let you both get back to it,” Ryan said with a friendly nod.
“See you around, Maya.”
Before she could explain, Ryan turned and walked toward another table across the café.
Maya watched him leave before slowly turning back toward Carter.
Several seconds passed.
Neither of them spoke.
Finally, Maya broke the silence.
“What exactly was that?” Maya asked while keeping her voice remarkably calm despite her obvious frustration.
Carter shrugged innocently.
“What?” Carter replied while spreading his hands.
“I just answered his question.”
“You answered it incorrectly.”
“Did I?”
“Yes.”
“It sounded accurate enough.”
Maya let out a slow breath before pinching the bridge of her nose.
“In case there was any confusion,” Maya said while meeting his eyes again, “we are not together.”
Carter didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he glanced briefly across the café toward Ryan, who happened to look in their direction before quickly looking away again.
“…You sure about that?” Carter asked quietly while turning back toward Maya.
Maya frowned.
“Yes.”
Carter nodded thoughtfully.
“…Alright,” Carter replied before glancing toward Ryan one more time.
“Although I think he likes you.”
Maya looked at him with obvious skepticism.
“How could you possibly know that?” Maya asked while folding her arms.
Carter smiled faintly.
“It’s just something you notice,” Carter replied while shrugging.
“Guys pay attention to people they’re interested in, especially when they think someone else might get there first.”
Maya instinctively glanced across the café.
Ryan happened to look over again for a brief moment before returning to his conversation.
She slowly looked back down at her notebook.
Her eyes rested on the equations.
Her mind didn’t.
For the first time that afternoon, the numbers on the page refused to make sense.
Her pencil remained perfectly still.