You Are the Bright Light in the Clouds

"Lucas, I'm into you. How about giving it a shot and being my boyfriend?"

Right after the welcome bash for freshmen, I cornered Lucas Wilson at the school field, beaming with a cheeky grin.

My voice boomed across the field, and with Lucas being the new campus crush, it quickly drew a crowd.

"Do we even know each other?" Lucas quipped, arms folded, his tone detached and eyes barely meeting mine.

Truth be told, it was our first encounter. Lucas had no clue who I was.

Yet, I had dug up every scrap of info on him.

Lucas Wilson, majoring in Computer Science, 6'1", a Scorpio, with a preference for sports over spicy food, and a Type B to boot.

"No biggie, we'll get there. If need be, I'll just keep declaring my feelings!"

Ignoring his frosty demeanor, I gave him a playful wink.

Lucas looked genuinely taken aback, probably didn't peg me for the persistent type, and finally, he afforded me a longer glance.

"Name's Olivia Brown, by the way."

His gaze gave me a thrill, and I couldn't stop the grin spreading across my face.

Closing the gap in a stride, I announced, "Lock it in—your future girlfriend's name!"

Balancing on my tiptoes, I leaned toward Lucas' ear and spelled it out for him.

I got so close I could catch the faint scent of cedar on him.

Without waiting for his comeback, I pecked his cheek quickly and stepped back.

It happened within only an instant.

After all, the art of teasing is in leaving them wanting more.

I was hell-bent on trapping Lucas in my web of charms, no escape.

Given his looks and background, I figured he'd be quite the ladies' man.

But to my surprise, his ears turned a telltale shade of red in no time.

His flushed ears only deepened my smile. "Consider that a little welcome gift. Hope it's to your liking!"

Lucas clamped his lips tight, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes quickly masked by a glacial gaze.

That piercing look seemed to drill right through me.

"Not a fan," he shot back, wiping his cheek and turning away without another word.

He seemed to do that to embarrass me.

Talk about playing it cool!

He's one tough cookie, alright.

But tackling tough cookies is sort of my thing.

So this tough cookie, Lucas? Consider him on my radar.

...

My bold confession to Lucas somehow got caught on video and ended up on the school's online forum.

As the latest campus heartthrob, the clip went viral instantly.

Overnight, the name Olivia Brown was on everyone's lips across campus.

While some admired my guts, others branded me desperate. A few kind souls thought we were a perfect match.

Their words didn't faze me. My mind was already racing with plans for our next "accidental" meet-up and ways to win him over swiftly.

I was all in, pulling out all the stops to capture Lucas' heart.

Whether on the athletic field, during lectures, at the cafeteria, or in the library—

I made sure I was wherever Lucas might be.

But Lucas was quite a character.

Catching him proved more challenging than anticipated.

Half a term passed and not only had I failed to snag a date, I'd barely managed a handshake.

But seeing Lucas thaw a bit—no longer as icy when I chattered beside him—was a small victory.

While I kept following him and quipping, he started responding occasionally, a sign he was getting used to my relentless charm.

That only spurred me on, more determined than ever to make him mine.

Just like any other day, I planted myself near his favorite spot in the cafeteria, hoping to catch him off guard.

After a lengthy wait with no sign of him, a voice rang out, "Hey, isn't that Lucas' shadow? What, waiting for him again?"

The guy, a dude in a black hoodie, flashed a knowing smile as he snapped his fingers.

I knew him, a buddy of Lucas.

"Yep. Seen him?" I asked, hopeful.

He shrugged, setting down his tray. "Forget it, Lucas is down with a cold and skipped school today."

Lucas' sick?

That was news to me.

Worried yet seeing an opportunity, I thought, "Fate is surely smiling on me."

I dashed to the infirmary, grabbed some cold meds, and made a beeline for Lucas' house.