Between the Lines.

Amara approached the photography club room with the DSLR slung around her neck, her fingers gripping the strap like it might bite her if she let go. Her steps slowed when she noticed Liana by the window, speaking to someone with her usual syrupy politeness. That smile that never quite touched her eyes.

Too late to back away. Liana spotted her.

"Amara!" Her voice chimed out like she'd been waiting all day. "Did you get the shots?"

Amara gave a small nod and handed over the camera. "Yeah. I uploaded them to the shared drive this morning. Six shots. Campus life, as requested."

Liana took the camera, flipping through the shots with a slight frown settling on her face. She didn't say anything right away, which somehow made it worse.

Then—"Hmm."

Amara braced herself.

"These are… okay," Liana said, tone too light to be genuine. "But I was hoping for something with more energy. A little more color. You know… life."

"I followed the brief," Amara replied evenly. "Candid shots. Campus life. It's all there."

"Yes, but they don't pop, you know?" Liana smiled like she was offering constructive feedback, not dismissing her effort entirely. "Do you think you could head out and try again? Maybe focus on the festival prep happening in the courtyard?"

Amara straightened her shoulders. "Actually, I can't. I have a lot on my plate this week."

Liana blinked, the smile never quite faltering. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Assignments, personal stuff." Amara kept her voice calm but firm. "I've already given my contribution."

There was a beat of silence.

Liana's jaw tightened just a little. She looked down at the camera again, then back up with a cool smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Fine," she said, voice clipped. "Noted."

Then, in a tone just a bit too sweet to be sincere, she added, "A little attitude is fine—as long as it stays at the edges."

Amara didn't respond right away. She just nodded once, not too fast, not too hesitant. Then she turned, slinging the camera back onto the equipment table.

"Got it," she said, and walked away.

By the time she stepped outside into the sunlit corridor, her chest felt lighter. Not because the exchange had been pleasant—it hadn't—but because, for once, she'd said no.

Firmly. Clearly. Without shrinking.

And the sky didn't fall. The world kept spinning.

She exhaled through a quiet smile as she walked across campus. A hundred things still needed her attention—assignments, calls home she was avoiding, a fake weekend getaway she couldn't stop thinking about—but at least this, this small boundary, was hers.

Edges or not.

While Amara enjoyed the evening breeze outside the hostel, Nia was pacing around her cousin Mira's bedroom like a storm trapped in a teacup.

"What's the big deal?" Mira asked casually, lounging on the bed with a magazine in hand.

Nia spun around, throwing her arms up. "Big deal? Seriously, Mira? He's my college professor. My teacher!"

Mira shrugged, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. "Relax, will you? He's young, rich, and a professor. That's basically a dream combo."

"Dream combo?" Nia scoffed. She looked like she was about to combust. "I'm crawling out of my skin here. I've been avoiding his lectures for two weeks straight!"

Mira burst out laughing, tossing the magazine aside. "Okay, that's kinda dramatic."

"Is that funny to you?" Nia snapped, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at her cousin's head. Mira yelped and ducked.

"Hey! Who knew he'd end up being your professor?" Mira said, still giggling.

Nia dropped onto the couch dramatically. "From now on, don't you ever—ever—ask me to go along with any of your so-called 'fun ideas.'"

"Oh come on," Mira said, smirking. "So... is he handsome?"

Nia gave her a deadly glare. "Are you regretting it now?"

"Hey, I'm just asking!" Mira raised her hands innocently. "So, is he, like... interested in you?"

Nia groaned, burying her face in a cushion. "Oh, definitely. I'm now his personal entertainment. His official teasing victim."

Mira's eyes widened, glittering with intrigue. "Wait—he teased you? Like, actually? That means he might be into you!"

Nia blinked, her expression faltering. She looked away, thoughtful for a moment. "...Do you think he is?"

Nia said, her voice laced with frustration, "But no! I don't want to be uncomfortable in university. You know how hard I've worked just to feel normal there. And besides…" She paused, crossing her arms tightly. "He's not even my type."

Mira raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and leaned back against the pillows. "Oh really?" she teased, dragging out the words like honey.

"Yes!" Nia snapped, grabbing her phone and storming out of the room before Mira could see the slight blush creeping up her neck. She muttered under her breath, "Ugh, she's impossible."

She slammed the bathroom door shut behind her and leaned against it, her chest rising and falling as she exhaled sharply. Her reflection in the mirror stared back at her—eyes wide, hair tousled, face flushed.

She walked toward the sink slowly, gripping its edges and leaning in toward the mirror. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Is he really… into me?"

The silence pressed in around her.

A small, conflicted smile tugged at her lips before she shook her head violently. "No. Absolutely not. What are you even thinking, Nia?"

She slapped both cheeks gently with her palms and frowned at her reflection. "Get it together. He's your professor, not some cute boy from your department."

Her mind flashed back to earlier that week—the way he looked at her across the room, the teasing smirk, the comment he'd made when she dropped her pen, something about "clumsiness being oddly charming." She'd rolled her eyes at the time, but now…

"Nope." She shut her eyes tight and shook her head. "You said no, and you meant it."

She turned on the tap, splashed cold water on her face, and looked back up. Her expression was calmer now, but her eyes still shimmered with uncertainty.

Nia pointed at her reflection. "Stay focused. Avoid him. Be invisible. This semester is about grades, not guys."

Behind the door, Mira called out, "You okay in there? Or are you rehearsing your wedding vows?"

Nia groaned. "Mira, I swear I will throw your flat iron out the window."

"Ohhh! Feisty! That's exactly how the girls in enemies-to-lovers stories talk in the beginning!"

Nia rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. But even as she opened the door to return, something inside her fluttered—and it wasn't entirely unpleasant.

After freshening up and changing into one of Mira's cozy oversized T-shirts, Nia grabbed her phone and flopped down on the bed beside her cousin. The soft hum of the city outside the window and the quiet buzz of Mira's scrolling made the atmosphere feel oddly calm—like a lull before a storm.

Nia opened her chat with Amara and typed quickly:

Nia: Hey, I'll be crashing at Mira's tonight.

Amara: Sure! Take care

Nia: You too. Good night.

She stared at the screen for a second before locking the phone and slipping it under her pillow.

Mira glanced over and smirked. "Telling your roommate you're sleeping over so you can hide from your favorite professor?"

Nia's head snapped around, eyes blazing. "Stop calling him that."

Mira blinked, slightly startled. "Whoa, okay. Chill. It was a joke."

"It's not funny," Nia snapped, her voice sharper than she intended.

There was a moment of silence.

Mira nodded slowly, then nudged her playfully with her elbow. "Okay, okay. No more teasing. You want ice cream instead?"

Nia managed a half-smile. "Always."

They shared a quiet moment eating spoonfuls of melting ice cream from the tub, the earlier tension fading just enough for the night to feel safe again.