The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Jason POV:

Finally. Finally, those stupid things they call exams were over. Sweet freedom at last. And maybe—just maybe—I could finally squeeze in some time with Ella. Because, let’s face it, the past couple of weeks had been a living hell. Between the exams, endless practices, and Ella vanishing into her study bubble, I barely had a moment to breathe, let alone see her.

But before I could even think about planning something, I couldn’t help but stew over that last paper. God, what a disaster.

It started like a dream—deceptively easy, as if the exam was saying, "Hey, don’t worry, I’ve got you." The first three questions were straight from the notes. I was cruising, confident, thinking maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. Then I flipped the fucking page. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Big mistake.

The rest of the questions? Out of this freaking world. It was like the professor had decided, "Let’s see who can survive this," and just went for chaos. I swear, I saw at least three people throw in the towel halfway through. One guy actually muttered, "What is this nonsense?" loud enough for the entire room to hear. I would’ve laughed if I wasn’t suffering through the same torture.

But somehow, I made it through. Barely. I left that exam hall feeling like I’d just come out of a war zone. All I wanted was food, sleep, and—if the universe was kind—a chance to see Ella.

Except, of course, the universe loves to mess with me.

Coach was already blowing up my phone about practice. Nationals were around the corner, and he was hellbent on us "graduating in style" by bringing the trophy home. Don’t get me wrong, I love the game, but I was running on fumes at this point. Finals had drained whatever energy I had left, and now I had to push through grueling practices on top of it.

And then there was Ella.

I hadn’t seen her in days. She was like a ghost—barely there and impossible to pin down. I didn’t even get to talk to her after exams. She’d always finish her paper and leave before I could catch her. It was frustrating as hell, but I couldn’t blame her. Finals were brutal, and she was juggling work on top of everything else.

Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

It wasn’t just the usual "I want to see her" thing anymore. It was deeper than that, like this gnawing ache I couldn’t shake. I needed to know she was okay. Finals had been rough on everyone, and I couldn’t imagine how much worse it was for her with her crazy schedule.

So, yeah, exams were finally over, but my mind wasn’t at peace. Not until I saw Ella.

I shot her a quick text, hoping maybe we could catch up. Nothing fancy, just something like, "Hey, wanna grab coffee and celebrate surviving finals?"

Now all I could do was wait and hope she’d say yes. Because if there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that I wasn’t letting this chance slip away. Not this time.

Walking through the corridor halls, it was like navigating a battlefield—students rushing to their next exam rooms, their faces painted with varying degrees of stress, exhaustion, and relief. Some were zooming by with purpose, clutching their notes like lifelines, while others shuffled like zombies, their steps weighed down by the sleepless nights they’d endured.

There were the happy ones, grinning ear to ear, practically skipping because they were finally done with their torture. Then there were the zombies—the ones who had been running on fumes since finals began, their faces hollow from caffeine-fueled nights and nonstop studying.

And then there were the screwed ones. You could spot them a mile away—the ones the exams had royally wrecked. They looked resigned, as if they were already preparing to retake the test or, worse, the entire unit.

Lastly, there were the "I-don’t-care" types. You know, the ones who either genuinely didn’t have a clue or had completely given up on figuring out what to do with their lives now that studying was (hopefully) over.

As for me? I couldn’t say I wasn’t relieved to be done. But right now, I had a singular mission: to find a certain hoodie-wearing girl.

My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for her familiar silhouette, while my hand kept fidgeting with my phone. I unlocked it for the hundredth time, checking if she’d read or replied to my message yet. Nothing.

Not that I was surprised. Ella wasn’t the type to be glued to her phone, especially during finals. She was probably buried in her notes or catching up on sleep—if she even allowed herself that luxury.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel a little impatient. After everything—the exams, the practices, the long days and even longer nights—I just wanted a moment with her.

A glimpse. A conversation. Anything.

I stuffed my phone back into my pocket, trying to play it cool even though I was anything but. The hallway was starting to clear out as students filed into their exam rooms or disappeared into the library.

And then I spotted her.

There she was, hoodie up, bag slung over one shoulder, walking with that determined stride of hers that somehow managed to look both purposeful and carefree at the same time.

My heart did that stupid thing it always did when I saw her—a little jolt, like it was trying to remind me just how much I was into her.

"Ella!" I called out, but she didn’t even glance back.

She kept walking, her pace steady, like she hadn’t heard me—or maybe she was ignoring me. Knowing Ella, it was probably the latter.

I quickened my steps, weaving through the remaining students, until I was close enough to call her name again.

"Ella!"

This time, she slowed down, her head tilting slightly as if debating whether to stop or keep going.

When she finally turned around, her expression was a mix of exasperation and mild curiosity. "Jason, what do you want?" she asked, her tone flat and tired, her arms crossed like a shield.

I paused a few feet away, trying to catch my breath. Okay, so maybe I’d jogged a little too hard to catch up with her, but cut me some slack—it’s not like I wanted to lose sight of her.

"Wow, no ’hello’? Not even a ’how are you?’" I shot back, grinning. A little teasing never hurt, right?

Ella raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "I’m tired, Jason. What do you want?"

Her voice wasn’t snappy or mean, just... done. Like she didn’t have the energy for this conversation—or me.

I ran a hand through my hair, my grin softening as I realized I needed to dial it back. "I just... I didn’t get a chance to talk to you after the exam. Thought I’d see how you’re holding up."

Her expression shifted for a split second, like she wasn’t expecting that.

"I’m fine," she said quickly. Too quickly. "Just tired. Like everyone else."

I nodded, studying her face. The dark circles under her eyes, the way her shoulders sagged under the weight of her bag—it all told me she was running on empty. "Yeah, you look like you’ve been burning the candle at both ends. Are you getting any sleep at all?"

Her eyes narrowed, and I could tell I’d hit a nerve.

"Look, Jason," she said, cutting me off with a tone that screamed not now. "I have four hours before my shift, and I’m planning to spend it sleeping. So if this is about studying or the diner or whatever, can we talk later?"

Shift? Today? After finals?

My stomach tightened at the thought. How the hell was she supposed to keep going like this?

"You’re working today? After finals?" I asked, trying not to sound too incredulous.

"Yes, Jason," she said, her voice sharp with frustration. "Some of us don’t have the luxury of skipping shifts just because we’re tired."

That stung more than I cared to admit. She wasn’t wrong—I didn’t have to work, didn’t have to juggle exams and a job like she did. And yet here she was, holding it all together while I struggled to keep my act straight.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

"Alright," I said finally, my voice quieter than before. "I won’t keep you. But... don’t push yourself too hard, okay? You don’t have to be Superwoman all the time."

Her eyes widened slightly, the smallest flicker of surprise crossing her face before she masked it with her usual indifference.

"Thanks for the advice," she said, her tone casual, though her gaze lingered on me a beat too long. "But I’ll be fine."

I forced a small, crooked smile. "See you around, Ella."

Stepping back, I watched her for a second longer before turning to leave, a pang of frustration and something else—something deeper—gnawing at me.

I wanted to do more, to be more for her. But Ella? She wasn’t the kind of person who let people carry her burdens. She’d built walls around herself, and no matter how much I wanted to break through them, I knew I had to tread carefully.

For now, I’d give her space. But damn, she made it hard to walk away. Guess I will get to see her at the diner then.