I'm taller.

Sophia sat cross-legged on her bed, twirling a loose thread from her hoodie as she waited for Ethan's next message. The soft hum of her dorm room filled the space, but her thoughts were all over the place. It had been a while since she felt this kind of excitement, and she couldn't deny it anymore—her conversations with "Sam" had turned into something more.

Her phone buzzed, and she jumped to grab it.

Ethan (Sam): "You know what? We should totally exchange pictures. It feels weird not knowing what my new bookworm friend looks like."

Sophia's heart skipped. Exchange pictures? She bit her lip, staring at the screen. Was this it? The moment she'd get to see the mysterious guy behind all the clever words?

Sophia: "Okay, fine. But I warn you, I'm just an average girl with a bad habit of reading novels all night."

Her fingers hovered over the send button for a second before she quickly attached a recent picture of herself and hit send. Her heart raced as she stared at the screen, waiting for his reaction.

Moments later, her phone pinged.

Ethan (Sam): "Wow... just wow. You're stunning. Way better than I imagined."

Sophia felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. She was never good with compliments, but the way he said it made her feel warm inside. Then, his next message came.

Ethan (Sam): "Alright, my turn. Here goes nothing."

Sophia's phone vibrated, and a photo popped up. Her breath caught in her throat. The first thing she noticed were his eyes. They were intense—dark, yet full of a warmth that seemed to reach through the screen. They had a way of pulling her in, like there was something deeper behind them, something magnetic.

She smiled to herself. It was official. She was smitten.

Sophia: "Okay, I have to admit. You have incredible eyes. Not fair."

Ethan (Sam): "Well, I had to have something to balance out my terrible taste in books."

Sophia laughed, her fingers quickly typing out her next response.

Sophia: "Oh, please. You know what? I bet I'm taller than you too."

She wasn't sure why she said it—maybe to change the subject or maybe because it was true. Ever since high school, she'd been insecure about her height. Most of the guys she met were shorter, and she always ended up feeling awkward. It was something she had learned to joke about, but deep down, it still bothered her.

Ethan (Sam): "Taller than me? Ha! I doubt that. I'm 6'2"."

Sophia blinked at the message. 6'2"? That was taller than most guys she knew. Her heart did a little somersault.

Sophia: "Oh, really? Well, I'm 5'5", and I still think I'd win in a height contest."

Ethan (Sam): "Challenge accepted. How about we settle this tomorrow?"

Sophia's fingers froze. Tomorrow? Her mind raced. It would be her first day of classes, and the thought of meeting Sam—Ethan—in person sent a mixture of excitement and nerves through her.

Sophia: "You're on. Tomorrow it is."

---

The next morning, Sophia and Leah were in a full-on frenzy. The clock was ticking, and despite Leah's claims that she "knew exactly where the lecture hall was," they had already circled the same building twice.

"I swear, it's supposed to be right here!" Leah groaned, spinning in a circle, looking at the campus map on her phone.

Sophia glanced around, a little embarrassed. Students were walking past, some of them giving her sympathetic smiles as if they'd been through the same first-day struggle.

"This place is a maze," Sophia muttered, pulling out her phone. She shot a quick text to Ethan.

Sophia: "So… slight problem. Leah and I are lost. Any chance you could guide two helpless souls?"

Ethan's response came almost immediately.

Ethan (Sam): "Lost already? 😂 Don't worry, I'm on it. Where are you?"

Sophia quickly described their surroundings—a large tree, a sculpture that looked like it came from another dimension, and some random benches.

Ethan (Sam): "Stay where you are. I'll come find you. Shouldn't be hard to spot you. I mean, you're taller, right? 😉"

Sophia laughed at his teasing, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement bubble up inside her. She stood with Leah, scanning the campus for any sign of him. Her heart pounded louder with every second.

Then, she saw him.

Ethan strode toward them, tall and confident, his dark eyes locking onto hers with a smile that made her stomach flip. He was exactly how he'd looked in the photo, but even more striking in person. His eyes, just as she remembered, seemed to have a way of drawing her in. And, okay, he was definitely taller.

Sophia swallowed, feeling her cheeks flush as she nudged Leah. "That's him."

Leah's eyes widened. "Oh my God, he's… wow."

Ethan stopped in front of them, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, well, well. So, who's taller now?"

Sophia tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at him, but she couldn't help the smile creeping up. "Fine. You win—for now."

Leah cleared her throat, grinning like she knew exactly what was going on. "Alright, I'll leave you two to your height debate. I'm going to figure out where this lecture hall is. Catch up with me later, Soph."

Sophia watched Leah disappear into the crowd before turning back to Ethan. She felt the butterflies again, but this time, they were stronger, fluttering wildly in her chest.

"I guess I owe you an apology," Sophia said, trying to sound casual but feeling anything but.

Ethan chuckled, his voice smooth and warm. "I'm just glad you didn't back out on our height contest."

Sophia rolled her eyes playfully. "Like I'd let you off that easily. But seriously… thanks for coming to our rescue. This campus is confusing."

Ethan grinned. "Happy to help. Plus, it gave me the perfect excuse to finally meet you."

There it was again—that feeling. The way he looked at her, the way he spoke. It was like the rest of the world faded, and it was just the two of them standing there.

Sophia smiled up at him, feeling like maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something real.