Chapter 4: Second Collision

Hannah’s POV

That evening, after the incident at the football field, I returned to the dorm room feeling completely drained. My shoulder still hurt slightly, but the embarrassment hurt more.

Maya and Tiffany were already inside when I walked in. They immediately noticed my expression.

“What happened?” Maya asked, her voice filled with concern.

I hesitated for a second before sitting down slowly on my bed.

“I… I got hit by a football today,” I said quietly.

Both of them froze.

“What?” Tiffany exclaimed, sitting up straight. “Who threw it?”

I swallowed nervously.

“Zachary Reed.”

Silence filled the room for a moment.

Then Tiffany jumped to her feet dramatically.

“That guy?” she shouted. “He hit you and didn’t apologize?”

I shook my head.

“He told me to watch my surroundings,” I replied softly.

Tiffany’s face turned red with anger.

“I swear, if I ever see him, I’ll beat him up myself,” she said, clenching her fists.

Maya quickly stood up and grabbed her arm.

“Calm down,” she said firmly. “You’re not fighting the star quarterback.”

Tiffany scoffed.

“I don’t care if he’s the president of the country,” she muttered. “Nobody embarrasses my friend like that.”

Despite everything, a small smile appeared on my face. Their support made me feel less alone.

Maya turned back to me gently.

“Are you okay, though?” she asked.

I nodded slowly.

“I think so,” I replied. “It was just embarrassing.

Tiffany crossed her arms.

“Well, next time he tries anything, we’re walking up to him together,” she declared.

I laughed softly, shaking my head.

“Please don’t,” I said.

But deep down, I appreciated them more than words could explain.

Two days later, everything changed again.

I was rushing to class, my books pressed tightly against my chest, my mind focused on the lecture I didn’t want to be late for. The hallway was crowded, students moving in every direction.

Then suddenly

I bumped into someone hard.

My books slipped from my hands and scattered across the floor.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I said quickly, kneeling down to pick them up.

Then I heard a deep voice above me.

“Watch where you’re going.”

My heart skipped.

Slowly, I looked up.

It was him.

Zachary Reed.

He stared down at me with an annoyed expression, his eyes cold and distant. For a second, his face showed recognition.

It was clear he remembered me.

“I said I’m sorry,” I repeated softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

He bent down and picked up one of my books, glancing at the cover.

“Law?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Then his eyes moved to my clothes.

A small smirk appeared on his face.

“You again,” he muttered.

My stomach tightened.

“I didn’t mean to bump into you,” I said quickly.

He handed the book back to me slowly, his expression still unreadable.

“You should try looking up when you walk,” he said calmly.

A few students nearby began watching us, whispering quietly. The attention made my cheeks burn.

“I’ll be more careful,” I replied, lowering my eyes.

He studied me for a second longer, then shook his head slightly.

“Yeah,” he said flatly.

“You should.”

Without another word, he walked away.

I stayed there for a few seconds, holding my books tightly against my chest, my face burning with embarrassment.

That was our second encounter.

And somehow, it hurt even more than the first.

Zachary’s POV

I kept walking down the hallway after the collision, pretending it meant nothing.

But it didn’t feel like nothing.

The moment we bumped into each other, I recognized her immediately.

The same girl from the field.

The quiet one.

The one who looked like she didn’t belong anywhere near me.

Her books had fallen everywhere, and she apologized so quickly it almost sounded automatic,like she was used to saying sorry all the time.

That annoyed me more than it should have.

Tyler suddenly caught up with me from behind.

“Bro, that was the girl from practice, right?” he asked.

I didn’t answer right away.

Adrian joined us a second later.

“The one you hit with the ball?” he added.

I sighed quietly.

“Yeah,” I said shortly.

Tyler glanced back down the hallway where she was still standing.

“She looked scared again,” he said.

I rolled my eyes.

“She’s always scared,” I replied bluntly.

Adrian frowned slightly.

“You don’t have to talk to her like that every time,” he said.

I stopped walking and turned to face them.

“And how exactly should I talk to her?” I asked coldly.

“Like she’s special?”

Neither of them responded.

I continued walking, shoving my hands into my pockets.

I didn’t mean to be harsh. That was just how I talked to people. Cold. Distant. Controlled.

Safe.

Still, something about her reaction bothered me.

She didn’t argue.

She didn’t roll her eyes.

She didn’t get angry.

She just apologized.

Again.

Tyler shook his head slightly.

“You’re too hard on people sometimes,” he said.

I scoffed.

“People need to toughen up,” I replied.

Adrian studied me carefully.

“Or maybe,” he said slowly,

“you just don’t know how to be kind.”

My jaw tightened immediately.

“I don’t need to be kind,” I said firmly.

“I need to win.”

Neither of them argued after that.

But as we walked toward the stairs, one thought kept replaying in my mind,

Why was I still thinking about her at all?