03-Tater Tots, Flying Vases, Teases.

OLIVIA

The class turned out to be more fun and interesting than I had expected. The professor explained the segment in a way that was more engaging than boring, and the class concluded after two long hours.

As I tucked my notes back into my backpack, Matteo approached me.

"So, I didn't get your name," he said.

"I-It's Olivia, but you can call me, everyone does-uh, I mean, you can call me Olly, everyone does," I muttered in embarrassment.

"Okay, everyone does, I hear you," he teased, and I blushed in further embarrassment.

"So, mind if I get your number?"

I shrugged, collecting the phone he stretched out and typing my number on it.

"Thanks," he gave me a boyish grin and left. 

"Stop hitting on my friends, Matteo!!!" Izzy's yell carried a hint of an Italian accent

My phone buzzed, and I glanced to find a message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Nice meeting you, Olly.

"Looks like Olly was the first to pick her best flavor after all," Emma remarked, making Izzy snicker.

"Come on, I'll show you guys around the school," Izzy offered, appearing behind me and linking her hands with Emma and I.

  ∞∞∞∞

Izzy gave us the grand tour of the school, from the community clubs to the restrooms and even the janitor's closet, jokingly saying, "In case we need to get down and dirty."

As we were about to head out for lunch, a guy approached us, his gaze fixated on me. He was quite good-looking.

"Hey, I'm Dylan," he introduced himself, stretching out his hand for a handshake.

I took his hand politely. "Olivia," I replied.

"I saw you in class today, and I figured you're new because you looked unfamiliar," he grinned.

Now, how the hell would he notice an unfamiliar face among all those students?

I sighed and replied, "I am."

"Well, I was wondering if we could maybe hang?" he proposed.

I lost words to say as I tried to find a way to politely decline.

"She's with me," I heard Matteo's voice say as he came up behind me and wrapped his arm around my waist. My breath got caught in my throat as I struggled to keep my face straight and red-less.

"Sorry, man, my bad," Dylan backed off, raising his arms in surrender, and left.

"You really had to do that?" Isabella questioned Matteo.

"Come on, Olly clearly was going to refuse; I just made it easier," he explained.

So he actually does know my name, and why does it sound so good coming from him?

I shook my head to disarray my thoughts, just in time to see Izzy rolling her eyes and signaling for us to go out and get lunch. I bade Matteo goodbye, and we left the school grounds.

°°°°°°

The afternoon sun beamed down on us as we stepped into the lively bustle of the college courtyard. Izzy led the way, her energy contagious, and we headed toward the cafeteria.

As we settled at a table, Matteo was already seated, casually glancing around while munching on a burger.

Izzy couldn't resist teasing, "Matteo, our hero, swooping in to save Olly from unwanted attention."

Matteo rolled his eyes. "Just playing the helpful friend."

"Yeah, right," Izzy snickered. "And now you're munching on a burger like a starved caveman."

Matteo chuckled, taking another bite. "Got to keep the energy up for hero duties, right?"

We all shared a laugh and casually fell into a peaceful silence.

The lively chatter in the cafeteria was interrupted by the arrival of two new faces, evidently close friends of Matteo. 

Izzy, always quick with her wit, threw a mock glare at the newcomers. "Well, well, if it isn't the dynamic duo disrupting our peaceful lunch. Olly, Em, this is Tyler and Lucas and they've arrived to grace us with their 'impeccable' presence."

Tyler, the one Izzy pointed at, chuckled. "You know you missed us, Iz."

Lucas, who seemed quieter, flashed a grin. "Missed us, or missed our impeccable way of bringing you some joy in your life?"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she rolled her eyes.

Tyler grinned and extended a hand toward me "Hey there, Olly! I'm Tyler. Nice to meet you."

Lucas, with an easygoing smile, followed suit. "And I'm Lucas. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Pleasure's all mine," I reciprocated the smile. They extended the same courtesy to Emma, and I couldn't help but notice her cheeks flush a deep red when her hands connected with Lucas.

As the atmosphere buzzed with energy, Emma, who had been a silent observer for a moment, found herself drawn into the conversation. Tyler and Lucas, sensing the importance of making her feel included, seamlessly involved her in the conversation. I couldn't help but appreciate how they eased her nerves, transforming the initial blush on her cheeks into a sincere smile.

°°°°°°

One month into our UCLA journey, and assignments had us in a frenzy. In the living room, we hustled to tackle the remaining tasks, drowning in a sea of papers and deadlines, with Izzy mainly copying off Em and I.

We're actually in a hurry to wrap up our assignments, eager to hit LA, maybe hit the mall or scope out fancy restaurants in case we're forced into a date- Izzy's words not mine.

After a while, Emma sighed, shot a skeptical look at the assignments, then turned to us. "Y'all, what's the tea with these numbers and charts? We really doing business or solving puzzles?"

"I know!" I sighed. "It's like we signed up for Business 101 and got a puzzle-solving masterclass."

"Couldn't agree more," Izzy chimed in.

The doorbell rings, leaving us wondering who it could be. Em and Izzy look at me expectantly.

"Seriously," I muttered as I rose and opened the door.

A broad grin from Matteo greeted me. "Hey, gorgeous."

"Hi," I squeaked. "I mean, hi."

"What in the absolute world are you doing here?" Izzy bellowed at the absolutely gorgeous soul standing before me. 

Ignoring her, he strolled into the house, heading straight for the kitchen. 

"Questions demand answers!" she exclaimed, trying to grab his attention.

"Chill, what's the harm in dropping by to say hi to my baby sister?" Matteo replied, unfazed.

"MATT," she yelled in frustration. He ignored her, grabbing a plate of Em's leftover tater tots and popping four into his mouth.

Oh no.

Before I could turn my gaze to gauge her reaction, an empty bud vase came flying by me toward his direction. My eyes widened as I watched it narrowly miss him and shatter against the wall.

"What the actual fuck?" He shouted, scrambling towards the edge of the counter, his eyes frantic and scared as he looked at Em.

I gaped at her wide-eyed frozen feature, while Izzy shifted slightly away from her.

"Oh God, my bad! I don't even know what got into me. One second, you're grubbin' on my tater tots, and then, without even thinking, I chucked that vase your way. But, I gotta defend myself here, you know better than messin' with my food. Everybody does." she rambled.

"Bro, how the fuck was I supposed to know that? I don't live with you!" He yelled.

"Do not speak to her in such manner," I muttered, avoiding eye contact.

"You're siding with her, and she's on your side," Matteo chuckled humorlessly.

She shrugged with guilt, stealing a glance at Izzy.

Isabella chuckled nervously, avoiding eye contact.

"Now you've made Izzy scared of me," Emma sighed, glaring at Matteo.

He looked at her in disbelief and ambled toward the door.

"And where the hell do you think you're going?" Izzy called him back.

He shot her a perplexed look and gestured towards the door.

"Nuh-uh, tidy up my kitchen," she instructed, and I couldn't help but snicker.

"Are you kidding? Your roommate is batshit crazy!!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, quit the drama. Em, you aimed to miss on purpose, right?" She turned to Em, who confidently nodded.

"See?" 

Matteo shook his head in disbelief but complied. I approached him, assisting in picking up the broken glass.

"Warning, next time you come over, ask before raiding my kitchen," I chuckled.

He shot me a playful glare, and I just shrugged.

"So, I'll text you later?" he asked after disposing of the broken glass.

"Yeah," I smiled, watching him back out of the apartment.

"Watching you and my brother being all lovey-dovey for the past four days sure is interesting," Izzy playfully taunted. "Anything happening yet?"

Emma wiggled her eyebrows.

"Nothing's going to happen," I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," She snorted.

As Izzy eyed the clock, she gave us a pointed look. "Finish up those assignments, people. Mall plans are waiting, and we're not missing out on that."

°°°°°°

The mall buzzed with energy as we strolled through the vibrant corridors, the scent of various cuisines wafting from food courts, and the rhythmic beats from the music store luring us in. Izzy, Emma, and I navigated through the crowd, each with our unique sense of excitement.

Izzy, the self-proclaimed shopping enthusiast, darted from store to store, her eyes sparkling with the thrill of finding the perfect outfit. Emma, a little less enthusiastic about shopping, still found herself drawn to accessory shops, while I trailed behind, eyeing some outfits and enjoying the lively atmosphere.

Izzy, holding up a sleek jacket, grinned, "Guys, what do we think? Yay or nay?"

Emma, munching on a sushi roll, quipped,"You're asking fashion advice from the girl who rocks baggy t-shirts. Nay."

I laughed, "Izzy, it's your style, go for it. You'd make a paper bag look chic."

"Yay then," She quipped.

As we continued our mall escapade, Emma spotted a display of oversized, fuzzy hats. She grabbed one, plunked it on her head, and struck a pose.

"This is the latest fashion trend, people!" She yelled

I couldn't contain my laughter as Izzy picked up another fuzzy hat, plopped it on her head, undeterred and began doing a makeshift runway walk in the middle of the mall, drawing bewildered glances from passersby.

Amused, I joined in, grabbing another hat and dramatically modeling it. "Move aside, guys, there's a new trendsetter in town!"

We playfully mimick fashion models as we strut along.

Our hat fashion show escalated into a fit of giggles, and soon, our laughter echoed through the mall corridors. 

Soon, a security guard approached us.

"Excuse me, folks," he said, trying to assert authority over our cheerful group.

"We've had a few noise complaints. Mind keeping it down a bit?"

Izzy exchanged amused glances with the rest of us before replying, "Oh, sorry about that. We'll tone it down."

The security guard nodded and retreated, leaving us to chuckle at the unexpected interruption. However, as soon as he was out of sight, we couldn't resist bursting into laughter again.

"What kinda uppity, boujee mall you draggin' us to, Izzy?" Emma whispered, half-yelling, as we struggled to stifle our laughter.

"This place is one of Dante's . I stick to his spots 'cause I'm not into having bodyguards trailing me like I'm some sort of A-list celebrity. Trust me, my dad's got them on standby for any accidental slip-ups!" She rolled her eyes.

"Well, if I were you, I'd definitely have them following me around like the princess I am. But hey, different strokes for different folks, right? Maybe one day, I'll take a leaf out of your celebrity playbook - just need to figure out how to walk a red carpet in sneakers, you too Emma, your dad would probably have shipped his bodyguards in for you if you hadn't blatantly refused," I laughed.

Emma playfully rolled her eyes, "Please, I'm a rebel with a cause. No bodyguards for this free spirit."

We all burst into laughter as we headed to the mall register to wrap up and pay for our haul.