CHAPTER 6: My Fate

The night outside was completely black, with a thick veil of blackness pressing against her window. Inside, the room's golden illumination seemed frail, nearly too delicate to hold the darkness at bay.

Evangeline remained still, her breath stopped in her throat as she looked out the window. A figure stands vertically below, totally still, wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled down, covering their face. They didn't move or flinch, simply stared directly at her chamber.

Her chest felt tight, making it difficult to breathe. Her frigid hands trembled as she grabbed the curtain. A cold went up her spine, causing goosebumps. She wanted to look away, but she was frozen in fear.

The figure stayed motionless, its shadow stretching until eternity. When they finally turned and walked away, it felt like a spell had broken. Relief washed over her, but the fear lingered, seeping into her bones like ice.

She stepped back from the window, her thoughts racing. Who was that? What did they want?

The sharp trill of her phone pulled her back to reality. She flinched, her heart leaping into her throat. With shaky hands, she picked it up and answered. 

"Eve? Are you there? Is everything okay?" Aaron's voice came through, steady and familiar. 

"Y... yes, Aaron," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"I couldn't hear you earlier, so I called back. You sound... weird. What happened?" 

She hesitated, her fingers tightening around the phone. The words felt heavy on her tongue. "I... I saw someone. Outside my window. just standing there, staring at my room. For three minutes. Maybe more." 

"Hey, hey, relax," Aaron said, his tone soft but firm. "Your room is locked, right? Don't worry about it. If you're still scared, just call your brother, okay?" 

"No, Aaron. No way," she said quickly, trying to sound braver than she felt. "I don't want to make a scene. You know how it is if I tell them…" 

"Alright," he said after a pause. "Just make sure to lock your room tightly. You'll be fine. Everything's going to be alright." His reassurance offered her a glimmer of hope and helped her relax.

"Yes," she whispered, forcing a laugh that sounded hollow even to her ears. But deep down, she knew those words felt like lies.

After the call ended, Evangeline crawled into bed, hugging her pillow tightly. Despite the blankets, she felt cold. The figure's unflinching stare lingered in her mind. Not again, she whispered to herself. She tried to convince herself it was over, but the suffocating feeling of being watched remained.

---

The next morning, the Business Communication class was filled with murmurs of excitement. The class was eager to find out what the professor, Mrs. Anabella, had in store for them. 

"Alright, students! You have one month to submit your project. But before you start panicking, I have a fun little game for you," she announced.

The class fell silent, curiosity filling the air.

Mrs. Anabella continued, "You're going to choose your partner from your stream."

The students stared at each other in shock, the atmosphere charged with surprise and uncertainty. This wasn't a typical assignment. 

Evangeline leaned over to Joe and murmured, "Are we in high school or kindergarten? It's like they think we're still kids." 

Joe nodded. "I was hoping for a regular lecture today. This feels like P.E. but worse."

Mrs. Anabella, ignoring the mutterings, continued, "I've written all the boys' names in this jar.

Each girl will pick one. That'll be your partner for the project." 

Evangeline rolled her eyes, already fearing the instability that would ensue. Everyone excitedly awaited their time to take the jar. Some girls whispered eagerly about who they wanted to partner with, while others looked at the boys. Evangeline tapped her fingers on the desk, her thoughts divided between the classroom and the person from the previous night. Was this just a prank? Is someone playing with me? Or something worse?

Rachel went first, her voice ringing out: "Mike!" with disappointment. 

Then Lisa called, "Henry!" 

Joe, grinning, announced, "Harry!" 

One by one, names were called. Some females yelled with excitement while others grumbled in despair. When it came to Evangeline's turn, her heart raced as she reached into the jar.

Evangeline took a deep breath, attempting to appear calm despite her nervous tummy. She addressed him casually as "Nate."

Everyone turned to gaze, and the entire space became silent. Some of the girls appeared dissatisfied, while others were surprised. Lilly offered Joe a compassionate glance and murmured, "Better luck next time."

Evangeline walked to her seat, keeping her expression neutral, but inside, her stomach churned. She refused to meet Nate's eyes. 

Of fact, he was already observing her. Their brief eye contact sent a shudder down her spine. His lips twisted into a knowing smirk, and she swiftly averted her head, pretending to have a pleasant chat with Lilly.

Nate smirked to himself, thinking, "Cute act."

Joe leaned over, beaming. "Lucky you, Eve. Fates have a strange sense of comedy."

Evangeline said jokingly, "Mock me all you want. I'm going to make his life miserable with this project." She smirked, imagining ways to torture Nate.

This seems to be too much!" "My man is innocent." Lilly pretended to be horrified.

"Whether innocent or not, it doesn't matter now," Evangeline said, rolling her eyes.

She put her hands on her head and sighed heavily, seeking to relieve her tension. The mocking continued as the lecturer started the next section of the class.

After the evening sessions had ended, Evangeline stood at her desk, thinking how to approach him. Her heartbeat as she watched Nate exit the classroom. Joe sensed her uncertainty and nudged her.

"Go. You will be fine."

The bell rang, signifying the end of class, and Evangeline hastily gathered her notes. She said her goodbyes to Joe and Lilly, who nodded and wished her the best.

Evangeline followed Nate while he went out of the classroom, her heart pounding. "Nate, wait!" she called out, but he kept walking fast pretending not to hear. She shouted after him, her voice echoing down the hallway. "Nate!"

Nate, wait!" She yelled out, but he continued going, pretending not to hear. She yelled after him, her voice echoing down the corridor. "Nate!" Everyone in the hallway stopped and watched her when she yelled his name soundly.

After realising everyone eyes on both, He finally paused and turned to face her; his countenance unreadable. "What?" His voice was deep and gentle.

He took a couple of steps closer, making her feel small. Evangeline's attention briefly shifted from his muscular chest to his belt before darting away. "OMG He smells amazing ,it's annoying. "Focus, Eve. Focus...." she thought, flustered.

Nate leaned in slightly to her ear, a mischievous grin developing. "Enjoying the view?"

Evangeline was excited, her words tripping over one another and she can't look his eyes directly now, "Yes, I mean..."she shook her head"No... I am your partner."

"Wait....What?" Nate lifted an eyebrow, visibly surprised.

Under her breath, Evangeline mumbled, she swollen her saliva finally "God... I mean, I'm your Business Communication partner." She was perplexed for a while before responding, with a casual shrug, Nate gazed into her eyes and said, "Okay, so what?"

There was a mixture of frustration and annoyance, and Evangeline's patience gave out . "I just have a question! We must collaborate on the project. This weekend, are you available to talk about it?

Nate could shrug, obviously enjoying the moment, but he wished he could play more. "Calm down. I'll contribute. You might just take pleasure in your grade."

As she frowned at him, Evangeline's cheeks became hot. "It doesn't work like this. We're collaborating on this.

Nate's phone buzzed continuously before he could answer. He nodded slightly to her and cast a quick glance at the screen, leaving her wondering what he was trying to say. "Later, Evangeline."

She watched him walk away, frustration building in her chest. What a waste! Why him out of all the others? And why was everything about him so obnoxious and... strange?

 Aaron was leaning against a locker, quietly paying attention to the encounter. He had been waiting for Evangeline, but seeing her stand there alone after the conversation with Nate caused a knot in his stomach. Evangeline also noticed Aaron observing her and flashed a little grin before walking towards him.