Collision

"Shoot! It's Tuesday!" Ailsa exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Come on," Norah urged, her voice barely audible over the throng of students rushing toward the grand hall, where important announcements awaited them. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, a palpable sense of anticipation hanging in the air something unusual was about to unfold at Bookside High School that day.

As they navigated through the bustling crowd, filled with eager faces and animated conversations, Norah felt a surge of adrenaline. The halls were packed; students from every section of the school pushed forward recklessly, their chatter blending into a chaotic symphony.

In the blink of an eye, Ailsa, who had been gripping Norah's hand protectively, suddenly loosened her grip and was swept away by the current of students.

"Damn!" Norah cursed under her breath as she stood frozen in place, realizing that Ailsa had been pushed away and would never make it to the grand hall in time. It felt like an arduous journey now; she could only continue on towards the assembly hall alone. Ailsa was like a brave soldier lost in battle, she would never find her amidst the throng of students rushing like mad zombies.

Time was running out. Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than locating a friend among so many frantic students.

Just as Norah regained her composure and steeled herself to push forward, a strong body bumped into her from behind, causing her to lose her balance and teeter on the edge of collapse.

Suddenly, a firm masculine arm encircled her waist, pulling her back against a solid chest.

Jacob gazed down at the girl in his arms, his initial instinct to apologize vanished as he found himself lost in her deep, expressive eyes. For reasons he couldn't quite understand, he couldn't bring himself to let go; she felt like a magnet that disrupted all his senses.

Norah was taken aback by this unexpected embrace. The guy holding her seemed older, tall and muscular with honey-colored eyes that sparkled with mischief. His sharp nose and dark brown hair framed a jawline that could have been chiseled from stone; those thin pink lips were utterly enticing. He resembled a classic dark prince straight out of a novel, ethereally beautiful and utterly captivating.

"Alright, you can let go now," Norah said sweetly but firmly, placing her hands gently on his chest.

"Are you alright?" Jacob asked, his grip tightening instinctively as he pulled her closer.

"Yeah, it's all good. You may release your grip." She marveled at his presence; he seemed both protective and overwhelming all at once.

"Oh, my bad!" Jacob reluctantly loosened his hold on her, though his heart sank slightly at the loss. Her being in his arms had felt so right, a fleeting moment he wished could last longer.

He chuckled nervously before saying, "Sorry."

"It's all good." Norah waved gracefully as she stepped away from him.

Eventually making it to the assembly hall, Norah scanned the crowd and spotted Ailsa across the room. She approached her friend with a grin plastered on her face.

"You came first? Impressive! I thought you'd be cleaning off all that dust the pupils left on you while stamping on you." Norah teased.

"Haha! Very funny! Since when are you so sharp-tongued?" Ailsa retorted playfully.

"Ever since I started to hang out with you," Norah shot back confidently.

"You..."

Ailsa opened her mouth to defend herself when suddenly the murderous regal aura of the headmaster and his deputies graced the upper altar of the grand hall, the coordinator began announcing the topics to be addressed urgently...