Academic lovers

32 | Morning madness

As I sipped my tea, a yawn escaped my lips, and I adjusted the strap of my pink duffel bag on my arm. The day of our long-awaited trip had finally arrived, and the clock struck 6:00 a.m. sharp. A group of us seniors gathered outside the buses, while the teachers busily prepared everything we needed.

"Man, all I want is to go back home and catch some shut-eye," I groaned, resting my head on Ciara's shoulder.

"I totally feel you," Kehlani chimed in, letting out a loud yawn and resting her head on the other side of Ciara's shoulder.

Ciara chuckled. Being the only morning person in the group, she was always full of energy in the morning.

"We're already here, so there's no going back." She said this as she playfully tapped our heads.

I nodded, lifting my head from her shoulder, and my gaze fixated on the mesmerizing sunrise. The sky was ablaze with hues of soft orange. The first rays of sunlight gently kiss the horizon, casting a warm and golden glow.

The sight was truly breathtaking—a perfect way to start the day. I nestled my head back onto Ciara's shoulder, feeling the comfort of her presence as I nuzzled my hair against her.

"Alright, seniors. I would be doing roll calls now, so quiet down and get ready." The instructor announced.

—

Once the roll calls were done, it was time for us to stow our luggage in the bagging area. As I glanced around, a frown creased my forehead , realizing that a particular someone was missing.

Was he not coming for the trip? I swear he mentioned something about him coming.

With a weary sigh, I made my way through the luggage area. As I waited for my turn, I couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of stuff scattered around. Did I really pack that much? Or was I just imagining it?

I only brought a duffel bag and a tiny suitcase, which I thought was reasonable. But now that I was struggling to fit everything inside, I couldn't help but groan in frustration. Why was there barely any space? Was I really bringing too much?

As my bag slipped from my grasp, a exasperated sigh escaped my lips. I scanned the area, realizing that there was barely anyone around to help. I couldn't help but think that this was shaping up to be a less-than-ideal start to the trip.

But then, I felt a familiar presence behind me. In an instant, a gentle hand reached out, deftly lifting my bag and effortlessly placing it where it belonged.

"Good morning." Aiden's deep voice greeted

"Morning," I replied, feeling a tinge of awkwardness as I turned to face Aiden, with a light wave.

We found ourselves in an uneasy moment of silence, both of us unsure of what to say or do next. In this brief moment, my gaze couldn't help but wander over Aiden's body. He wore a casual outfit; black sweats and a hoodie, topped off with a black puffer jacket. It was a laid-back and comfortable outfit.

I couldn't help but notice that Aiden was wearing his glasses, which made him look ten times cuter, today. His hair seemed a bit tousled, as if he didn't get much sleep.

Breaking the silence, I cleared my throat. "Anyway, we should start making our way now," I suggested, stepping from one foot to another.

He nodded, assuring me that he would join me shortly. As I stepped onto the bus, I glanced at my ticket to find my seat. "Alright, seat 5A," I murmured to myself.

When I finally found my seat, a surge of delight washed over me as I realized my seatmate was nowhere to be found. With a smile, I settled into the window seat, which, let's be honest, is the best seat on the bus.

Finally, I can finally sit down after standing in the freezing cold for like twenty minutes. The morning rush was basically done now, and I could enjoy some peace for a couple of hours.

As I let out a relieved sigh, the seat next to me suddenly sank under the weight of someone plopping down. I turned my head to see who it was, and my eyes widened in surprise. It was none other than Aiden.

Of all the people on this bus, fate had decided that I would be sitting right next to Aiden. Isn't that just my luck? I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disbelief that I would have to endure a two-hour and thirty-minute journey right beside him. Wow.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mind sitting beside him; it's just that things are a bit awkward and tense between us, so this isn't the ideal situation.

We made eye contact, and both quickly looked away. I noticed him covering his face with his hands. Something Aiden tends to do when he gets shy or flustered, I smiled at that.

1 hour and thirty minutes later

I found myself growing increasingly sleepy. The hours had passed by, and not once did I exchange a single word with Aiden. Our silence hung heavy in the air, the total opposite of the lively chatter of everyone else, even the teachers.

It was like we existed in our own separate bubble of awkwardness.

But then a sound caught my attention. My curiosity piqued, and I stole a glance in Aiden's direction.

To my surprise, he was engrossed in a book. Not just any book, mind you, but the same one we had seen at the library. It was thanks to that book that I found out about our shared passion when it came to reading.

Aiden was deep into his book, with his brows slightly furrowed. He's fully engrossed in the book he's reading, completely lost in the words on the pages.

I can see the intensity in his eyes as he absorbs every sentence, his focus unwavering. The way he holds the book, the light veins on his fingers showing, him leaning slightly forward, and glasses perched nicely on his face He looks hot—very hot.

From the corners of my eyes, I noticed some girls giggling and blushing while staring at him. But he seemed to pay zero attention to them. Engrossed in his book

That brought a smirk to my face and made the two girls scowl at the zero attention he gave them.

Deciding not to bother him any longer, I closed my eyes, letting sleep take over.

—

"Zhera," I heard a muffled sound, gently pulling me out of my sleep. Slowly, I rubbed my eyes, still feeling the heaviness of sleep weighing me down. As I slowly opened my eyes, a smile formed on my lips as I realized I had been using a soft armrest. It was comforting, like a cushion of support under my head.

And the scent that filled my nose was amazing, like soft vanilla.

But then, I heard it again. "Zhera." The voice grew louder, cutting through the haze of my sleep.

Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat as I recognized the name that followed. "Thompson." In an instant, I jolted up, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment as the realization hit me. The armrest I had been leaning on was none other than Aiden's shoulder.

I turned my gaze towards Aiden, our eyes meeting in a moment of surprise.

The air between us felt tensed with a mix of emotions: confusion, realization, and maybe even a touch of amusement. It felt like time had stood still.

My mind raced, thinking of words to break the silence. I could feel my face burning and my cheeks betraying my embarrassment.

In that moment, I managed to stammer out an apology, my voice barely audible.

Aiden's expression softened, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. Even during awkward moments like this, he knew how to make it less awkward.

"I was going to tell you that we're almost there; we'll be there in five minutes."

I nodded, "Alright." Fixing my hair. I then started biting my thumb. I did not just sleep on his shoulders the whole time, did I? It was for, like, a good hour. Did I make him uncomfortable? I hope I didn't.

But that sleep felt so good, and he smelled nice too. Lost in my thoughts. I placed my hand on my face. Feeling something in my stomach.

—

Wordcount; 1424