The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Ella’s POV

So, there I was, sitting in class, doing my best to focus on the professor’s speech about what to expect for finals. Something about how these exams would determine our futures and how he didn’t want to see any of us in his class again next semester. Inspiring stuff, really.

Yeah, I think that’s what he said.

Honestly, apart from the few useful nuggets about what would actually be on the test, I wasn’t paying much attention. I should have skipped class if I’d known this was going to be more pep talk than lecture. But hey, he did give us a heads-up on the material, so I guess that’s something.

Still, keeping my mind on the professor’s monotone was a struggle. Not because the material was particularly riveting—no, it was because I could feel someone watching me. Constantly.

At first, I thought I was being paranoid. Maybe I was just imagining it. But the sensation didn’t go away, like a tiny itch at the back of my neck. And every time I tried to convince myself I was imagining things, I’d feel it again—this undeniable weight of someone’s gaze on me.

I didn’t need to guess who it was. I knew.

Jason.

Because, of course, it would be him.

I did my best to ignore it, scribbling random notes in my notebook that didn’t even make sense. Something about his constant attention made my stomach do this weird flip-floppy thing I wasn’t ready to deal with.

And then, because the universe clearly has a sense of humor, I made the mistake of glancing up.

Our eyes met.

Jason wasn’t even subtle about it. He was looking right at me, and instead of looking away like any normal person caught staring, he smiled. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Not one of those smug, infuriating grins he usually wore, but a soft, genuine kind of smile. The kind that makes your heart stutter for a second, even when you don’t want it to.

I felt my cheeks heat up instantly. Oh, no. Nope, nope, nope.

Before he could catch on to my reaction, I quickly averted my eyes, pretending to find something fascinating about the professor’s PowerPoint slide. Anything to avoid letting Jason know that his stupid sweet smile had made my stomach feel like it was full of butterflies.

This was ridiculous.

I wasn’t going to swoon over Jason. Not now, not ever.

Right?

After class, I was doing my usual routine—putting my books back into my bag, adjusting my notes, and trying to stay out of everyone’s way. The room was already buzzing with students packing up and chatting about plans for finals when I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

I glanced up, and there he was. Jason. Because, of course, he couldn’t just leave me to my peaceful post-class routine.

"What do you say to a study session?" he asked, flashing that easy, annoyingly charming grin of his.

Was this guy crazy?

Here I was, trying my best to keep my distance—pretending not to notice when he stared at me in class, brushing off the fluttery feelings his stupid smile caused—and now he was suggesting a study session?

No, sir. That was not happening.

It wasn’t even about the studying. I could already feel myself slipping, letting him get into my head. It had only been a few days since I started hanging out with him, and somehow, he was already lodged in my thoughts in a way I didn’t like. Spending time with him was dangerous—not because he was a bad guy, but because he wasn’t. A study session with Jason wasn’t just a bad idea; it was practically inviting disaster.

Jason wasn’t what I expected. He wasn’t pushy, wasn’t overly arrogant, and, frustratingly enough, he wasn’t a jerk. If anything, he was thoughtful, funny, and had this disarming way of making me forget all the walls I’d worked so hard to build.

But I couldn’t let him in. Not like that.

A study session with him? That was a fast track to thinking he wasn’t just not a bad guy, but actually someone I might... like. And liking Jason? Nope. Not on my to-do list.

Because deep down, I knew the truth: if I spent more time with him, I might stop convincing myself that he was just this cocky, mildly irritating guy who liked to get under my skin. I might start thinking that he wasn’t so bad.

Worse, I might actually start liking him.

And that? That would be unacceptable.

So, I gave him my most casual, nonchalant shrug and said, "I prefer studying alone."

His smile faltered, just for a second, before he covered it up with a playful smirk. "Fair enough," he said, stepping back like he hadn’t just thrown me off-balance with a simple question. "Can’t blame a guy for trying, though."

But as I zipped up my bag and walked out of the classroom, I couldn’t help but feel his eyes on me again.

And this time, it wasn’t just his gaze that lingered—it was the thought of what could’ve happened if I’d said yes.

Jason’s POV

Class had been a total blur. I’d heard something about finals, a heads-up on what to expect, and the professor making a half-joke about not wanting to see us again next semester. Inspiring stuff, truly.

But let’s be honest: I wasn’t paying attention. Not really.

My focus? Ella.

I couldn’t help it. There was just something about her—the way she furrowed her brows while taking notes, like she was trying to will the professor into making sense; the way she’d twist her pen between her fingers absentmindedly when her thoughts wandered. She had this quiet intensity about her, even when she wasn’t doing anything particularly dramatic. It was like she carried her own gravitational pull.

I didn’t want to be that guy—the one caught staring like some kind of creep—but damn, it was hard not to. Every so often, I’d glance her way, half-hoping she wouldn’t notice, but also wondering what she was thinking about.

Then, just when I thought I was being subtle, she looked up.

Our eyes met.

And for a second, everything else in the room disappeared. It was just her, those sharp yet soft brown eyes of hers locking with mine.

I froze, but I managed a smile—a real one, not the cocky smirk I usually wore when I was teasing her. For once, I wanted her to see something genuine.

Her reaction? She blushed. And as quickly as she’d looked at me, she glanced away, burying herself in her notebook like it held the secrets of the universe.

I couldn’t help but grin. There was something endearing about how flustered she looked, even if she was clearly trying to pretend I didn’t exist.

The rest of class? Forget it. My mind was officially somewhere else.

When the professor finally dismissed us, I knew I had to try something. Anything. Sitting back and watching wasn’t cutting it anymore.

Ella was at her desk, packing up her things with that same focused determination she brought to everything. I took a deep breath, waited a while before tapped her shoulder.

She turned, looking up at me with an expression that was equal parts curious and wary.

"What do you say to a study session?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light, casual. Like it was no big deal.

But it was a big deal. At least to me.

She blinked, her expression unreadable for a moment, and I felt my confidence waver.

"I prefer studying alone," she said, her tone calm but firm.

Ouch.

For a second, I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been rejected before, but this felt... different. Like there was more weight behind her words, even if she was trying to play it cool.

I covered up my disappointment with a smirk. "Fair enough. Can’t blame a guy for trying, though."

Her lips twitched, but she didn’t say anything else. She just zipped up her bag and walked past me, leaving the classroom without a backward glance.

I stood there for a moment, feeling a mix of frustration and something I couldn’t quite name.

She was hard to read, that was for sure. One minute, I’d think we were making progress—like when we’d locked eyes earlier and she’d blushed—and the next, she was shutting me down with a shrug and a polite brush-off.

But then again, I couldn’t help but admire that about her. She didn’t make things easy, and maybe that’s why I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

As I grabbed my own stuff and headed out of the room, I couldn’t help but glance down the hallway where she’d disappeared.

Sure, she’d turned me down this time. But something about the way she’d blushed, the way she’d looked at me before shutting me out, told me this wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

I still had made progress with her, right? I mean, the last few days hadn’t been a total loss. She hadn’t thrown me out of her life or told me to stop talking to her—yet. That had to count for something.

But then again, it felt like every time I thought I was getting somewhere, Ella would pull back, like she was determined to keep me at arm’s length. And yeah, I got it. She didn’t trust easily; she’d made that clear. Still, there were moments—like when I caught her smiling or when she blushed after catching me staring in class—that made me think maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t completely wasting my time.

The problem? Time wasn’t exactly on my side.

With finals coming up, everyone would be buried in their books, and then, just like that, we’d be graduating. This whole Chapter of our lives would be over in a flash, and the thought of what came after was already creeping in.

Would Ella stick around? Or would she disappear, just as quickly as she’d shown up?

The idea of her leaving made my chest tighten in a way I didn’t want to analyze too closely. It wasn’t just about liking her—though, yeah, I liked her. A lot. But it was more than that.

Ella wasn’t just someone I wanted to date or flirt with. She was someone I wanted to know, really know. The thought of her walking out of my life, taking all her wit, sarcasm, and that quiet strength of hers with her? I couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

I leaned back against the hallway wall, letting out a slow breath as I stared up at the ceiling. God, I’d never felt this way about anyone before.

It wasn’t just the usual crush stuff, the butterflies or the way my heart sped up when she was around. It was the idea of a life without her. A life where I didn’t get to see her walking into class, looking like she was barely tolerating the whole experience. A life where I didn’t get to tease her just to see her roll her eyes or flash that rare, reluctant smile.

I couldn’t imagine it.

And yet, the possibility loomed closer with every passing day.

What if she graduated and moved on to bigger things? She’d mentioned she wasn’t exactly tied down here, and I didn’t have the nerve to ask about her plans after Campus.

For all I knew, she was already halfway out the door, mentally preparing for a future that didn’t include me.

I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated with myself. What was I doing? I barely knew her, and yet here I was, acting like I couldn’t breathe without her. It was pathetic.

But no matter how much I tried to talk myself out of it, the truth remained: I didn’t want a life without Ella in it.

And I’d be damned if I didn’t at least try to make her stay.