Subsequent events unfolded naturally. As desk mates, Cassius often engaged Mikayla in conversation, asking her about math problems or if she wanted anything from the campus store.
"Hey, class rep, can you help me with this problem?" Cassius lightly poked her with his pen.
Mikayla took his notebook, glancing at the problem he'd circled with his pencil. "The teacher just explained a similar problem in class."
"I don't get it. Please teach me." He looked at her with a delighted expression.
Mikayla tore a sheet of scratch paper, her pen swiftly moving across the page. Cassius's gaze never left her profile.
As she explained halfway through, she caught a whiff of the faint lemon scent from his uniform mixed with the smell of sunshine. She then realized how close he had moved. Her heart fluttered like a wind chime in a breeze. She held her breath, frowned slightly, and pushed his head away. "Back off!"
"Tsk, you've got some strength!" Cassius tousled his now messy hair.
Mikayla slid the scratch paper in front of him. "You can look at the rest yourself. I've written the steps clearly."
"Alright, alright. Thanks, desk mate."
Mikayla glared at him before resuming her own homework.
"Mikayla? Mikayla?"
She turned impatiently. "What problem now—" Before she could finish, Cassius held out a partially unwrapped lollipop. "For you."
Mikayla met his bright eyes, her heart racing. She took the lollipop and put it in her mouth. "Thanks," she mumbled around the candy.
It was her favorite orange flavor.
"You're welcome." Cassius leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, smiling at the tangerine hair clip in her hair.
The confession happened during an evening self-study break. Mikayla was busy recording grades at her desk when Cassius returned with a few friends from the campus store. He placed an iced tea on her desk.
"Why aren't you watching the sunset? Lots of people are out in the hallway."
"Can't you see I'm recording grades? No time for that."
"Here, let me help." Cassius grabbed the papers beside her. With his help, Mikayla finished quickly.
She grinned mischievously at him. "Since you have the papers, you can help me distribute them."
"Fine, you're getting good at bossing me around."
When he returned, Mikayla was leaning on her desk, staring at the sunset outside the window. Cassius opened the window slightly, letting the romantic evening breeze lift Mikayla's hair. He mimicked her, resting on the desk, but kept his eyes on her.
"Why are you staring at me?" Mikayla asked, puzzled.
He chuckled. "Because you're pretty."
"How boring." She turned away, hiding her flushed face in her arms.
Cassius's hand reached out, ruffling her hair. "Mikayla, turn around. I have something to tell you."
Mikayla turned just enough to show her clear eyes. They hid behind the bookstand, unnoticed by others. For a moment, all the noise around them faded away.
Cassius nervously said, "Do you… want to be my girlfriend?"
She remembered the wind-blown green curtains, the pink-purple sunset, and the hands secretly held under the desk.
Someone seemed to touch her hair. Mikayla snapped out of her reverie, frowning as she tried to dodge.
"Don't move."
Cassius pulled a pale yellow camphor flower from her hair. "What were you thinking about so intently?"
Mikayla looked up at the tall, dense tree. "The past."
"Come on, let's get something to eat."
Following him, Mikayla noticed Cassius walking slowly, making time feel like it was moving slower with them. The school's broadcasting station suddenly played Paolo Nutini's "Rewind," and they both stopped in their tracks.
"I know neither of us is at fault, it's just that letting go is easier. The best love continues in memories…"
"Cassius." On an impulse, Mikayla called his name. He turned, looking at her with one hand in his pocket.
"I..." The words she wanted to say stuck in her throat. She wanted to ask him if he regretted leaving, if he had been doing well after going abroad.
If Cassius could hear her thoughts, he would hold her tight and tell her, "I haven't been okay since I left you."
In the end, Mikayla stammered, "I… I'm hungry."
Cassius sighed slightly, looking at her. "How about the hot dog from the place near the school?"
"Yeah."
Returning home, Mikayla collapsed on the couch, the lights off, feeling a fog over her heart, tinged with a slight bitterness. The cat, Orange, sniffed her before walking away with its tail in the air.
Her phone buzzed repeatedly, but Mikayla ignored it. Finally, she answered on the third ring—it was Cayden.
"…Hello?"
His voice was colder than usual. "Are you home?"
"Just got back."
"Mrs. Garcia said you didn't come back for dinner."
Feeling guilty, Mikayla admitted, "Uh… I went out to eat with a friend and forgot to inform Mrs. Garcia."
"Okay, have you been very tired these days?" He could hear the fatigue in her voice, sensing her low spirits.
"Not really. When will you be back?"
"Thursday. Is there anything you want? There are many local specialties here."
"Nothing in particular."
After her blunt refusal, Cayden paused, feeling the distance between them had reverted to when they first met.
"I'll pick out something for you. Get some rest early."
"Alright."
After hanging up, Cayden opened a photo sent by Marcus, showing Cassius and Mikayla walking side by side on campus. Cassius was smiling down at her, and the sunlight enveloped them in a halo, making them look like a perfect couple.
Marcus had sent it, possibly to spite Cayden. He clenched a stuffed toy he had planned to gift Mikayla—a cute cat plush just look like Orange.
Leaning against the bed, holding the toy, Cayden couldn't understand why Mikayla had kept this from him. He feared that two months of careful efforts would be undone by an afternoon spent with Cassius. He wondered how far he still had to go to reach Mikayla's heart.
