The air outside was clearer. The sun had set, casting soft shadows across the school's walkways. Jill stepped into the corridor, pulling a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the earlier encounter with Adex already slipping from her memory.
She didn't notice the boy rushing toward her until it was too late.
The collision came out of nowhere. It wasn't too strong, but it took her by surprise.
She crashed directly into Dave Collins, who was sprinting down the hallway, desperate not to miss the lecture.
There was a thud of books hitting the ground, a playful mess of tangled limbs, and then, just like that, a hush fell over the room.
Jill opened her eyes to find herself on the cold tiled floor, with Dave uncomfortably stretched on top of her. His hands rested on her chest.
The boy froze, his mouth slightly open in shock, his face bright red. He couldn't believe he had accidentally ended up lying on top of such a pretty girl, with both hands resting on her chest.
He stayed completely still, staring at Jill, lost in his thoughts momentarily.
Jill stared back at him, her face clearly saying, 'Snap out of it and get off me.'
The students stood, watching, stunned as the awkward scene unfolded, their eyes fixed on each other.
"Uh... excuse me?" Jill said, her voice low and dry. "You're kind of... on top of me."
He scrambled off her body as if he had touched fire.
"I'm so sorry!" he blurted. "I wasn't looking—I mean, I was looking but not paying attention—I mean—God!"
When he heard laughter, he was overcome with shame. The students weren't just watching; they were engrossed, some laughing, others surprised, all eyes on him and Jill. He wanted to disappear.
Jill got up, wiping herself off. Her knee hurt a little, but she was more amused than furious.
Her face looked tense. She turned slightly, catching the crowd's eyes with a sharp, irritated glare that silenced a few giggles. Then she looked back at him, her expression softening as she noticed he felt ashamed in front of the people around him.
"I was rushing to class," Dave admitted, still irritated. "Stupid of me. "I was not paying attention."
Jill smiled. "I noticed."
He looked at her intently this time. "I'm Dave Collins."
"Jill," she replied. "Jill Andrew."
"Nice to meet you, Jill." His broad, crooked, and childish smile made him appear younger than he was.
"Likewise," Jill replied with a broad smile.
He glanced at his watch. "I'm late—but I hope I run into you again." He paused and whispered, "Preferably not... like this."
Jill chuckled. "We'll see."
And then he was gone, racing down the corridor, his footsteps fading with distance. She stood for a little longer, watching him leave.
Something about him lingered.
Jill strolled across the corridor as if she were unaffected by the noise.
She was about to enter her lecture room when Alice approached her.
"Jill, I saw everything, I mean everything…" Alice stated.
Jill quickly hushed her. "I don't want to talk about it," she said softly.
"You don't want to talk about it?" Alice repeated, surprised, her mouth slightly open.
"His hands were on your chest, and you think that's nothing to talk about?" Alice said louder, still using her usual friendly tone and expression.
"I said I don't want to talk about it. It was an accident; that's it," Jill replied and walked into the lecture room.
Alice stood transfixed in the corridor, her thoughts racing with questions and suppressed laughter, while Jill vanished into the room like a shadow consumed by light.
Inside the lecture auditorium, Jill went across the aisle with quiet confidence, as if nothing had transpired in the previous seconds, her countenance unreadable. She sat down, opened her notebook, and glanced at the blank page, but her thoughts were not on the note.
For a minute, the faces, voices, and golden-lit desks around her blended into background noise. She remembered Dave's shocked expression, how he'd stared at her as if the universe had shifted, as if she were an unexpected miracle in his chaos.
And then, just as quickly, she pushed the thought away.
Alice slipped in from across the room, her gaze immediately drawn to Jill. But she didn't say anything this time. Instead, she moved into the seat next to her and sat silently, inquisitive and amused.
Outside the windows, the last rays of sunlight melted into amber.
The sound of running footsteps had faded somewhere down the corridor, but something told Jill that this would not be the last time she encountered Dave Collins.