It was the last thing Maya had expected to hear at 3 in the morning.

She stood by herself in the grassy lot across from her dorm, listening to the sharp ring of the fire alarm as echoed through the walls. Other residents were milling around the area as well. Some of them were mumbling to each other while others groaned on about how cold it was or how the stupid alarm had interrupted their 'beauty sleep'. Maya didn't care much about them, seeing as she was standing as far away from another person as was possible at the moment. She didn't feel all that different about the situation though.

Everything had happened so quickly. It all seemed to blur together as she thought about it. She had been nestled in the warmth of her covers, trying to get plenty of sleep before classes started the next morning. The next thing she knew, the alarm went off and startled her awake. She flew out from underneath her sheets, throwing on a pair of slippers and grabbing her room keys and cell phone from the nightstand before making a beeline for the door. She joined the large crowd of other residents making the long trip down the stairwell to get to the assigned fire alarm lot.

Maya sighed. She watched with disdain as the red and white lights of the firetrucks cast eerie shadows along the front of the dorm. She wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to shield herself from the chill that hung in the night air. It was to no avail. Almost everyone standing in the lot, including herself, was dressed in pajama shorts and a t-shirt. Her skin prickled with goosebumps and her teeth began to chatter.

"I swear," she muttered to herself through gritted teeth, "If I ever find out who made the alarm go off, I will personally see to it that they don't go to their classes tomorrow…" She paused. "Or ever."

"That's a bit of a harsh punishment, don't ya think?" a low voice questioned.

Startled, Maya turned.

Standing off to her right was a boy, a playful smile lifting the corners of his lips. She could have sworn he wasn't there a minute ago. Her gaze roamed him over, taking him in. His tousled, dirty blond hair seemed to sit perfectly on his head. His eyes shined with a hint of interest as he watched her. When Maya looked into them, she was reminded of all the times she had been to the ocean. They were a gorgeous light blue color, making them look shallow and easy to read. But just like the water, she knew they were much deeper than they gave away. He looked to be the athletic type, well built and muscled from his sturdy shoulders down through his long, toned legs. He had to be a good two feet taller than she was. Then again, everyone was taller than her at this point. She thought she heard a slight drawl to his words, a southern accent of some sort. He was wearing a pair of blue shorts and a red t-shirt. He was definitely good looking. There was no doubt about it. He also looked more awake than the rest of the students.

"Um…"

Maya blinked, suddenly realizing she had been staring for a little too long.

"What?"

"I said, don't you think that's a bit of a harsh punishment?"

She raised her eyebrows, a bit surprised that he had heard her. "Well," she started, "considering it's currently 3 in the morning, there are classes that start for people at 8 am, it's about 50 degrees out here, most of us are in shorts and a t-shirt, and I was up all weekend preparing for my classes, I'd say that it is a perfectly fitting punishment." She crossed her arms as if to emphasize the point.

The boy rubbed the back of his neck. He grinned sheepishly. "I guess I better figure out what to have written on my headstone then, huh?"

It took her a minute to process what he had said. When she did, her jaw went slack and her eyes narrowed.

"Wait a minute… It was you? This," she gestured toward the other students scattered across the lawn," is your fault?"

He gave a small chuckle. "Yeah. I guess you could say that."

Maya just stared at him for a moment, dumfounded. "What in the world were you doing at 3 in the morning that would even set off the fire alarm?"

"Um…" He glanced down, suddenly more interested in the grass at his feet. "I was trying to make some popcorn and it burned. "

"You burned popcorn?" she deadpanned.

"That's what happened."

Maya nodded slowly, an unamused smile pursing her lips. Suddenly, her small hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of red fabric. She pulled him closer, their faces only inches apart.

"It takes a real genius to burn popcorn you know?" she asked slowly.

The boy swallowed. He tried opening his mouth to speak, but she stopped him before he could get a word out. "What were you even doing making a bag of popcorn at 3 in the morning? Do you have class tomorrow? Cause I do! Are you aware that I was dragged around all weekend getting ready for my classes? I'm pretty sure I said it earlier. I was really looking forward to getting some sleep tonight because I am exhausted. Good luck seeing me awake for classes tomorrow because you had to ruin-"

Before Maya could finish, something ran into her. It jolted her forward. She looked in both directions, seeing it was just a person headed toward the building.

"Sorry!" they called back.

The pair finally had a chance to listen and look at the area around them. The shrill ring of the alarm had long been replaced by the low, peaceful hum of crickets. A majority of the residents were already back inside the dorm. A small handful were still shuffling in its direction.

Maya glanced back at the boy, seeing no point in arguing further if she didn't have to. She was tired. It didn't help matters much that she was supposed to be meeting Riley and Farkle for coffee in less than five hours. So without another word, she let go of his shirt, turned on her heel, and set off for the building.

It wasn't until after she had flashed her student I.D. at the front desk and made it halfway up the stairs that she noticed the boy was following her. She caught a glimpse of blonde hair and his red t-shirt when she rounded the landing. Stopping halfway up the staircase, she turned sharply.

"Why are you following me?" she snapped.

The boy stopped short, careful not to run into the smaller girl. He back peddled a couple steps and raised his hands in defense.

"I'm not following you."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Are you saying I can't live on an upper level?" He shot her a smug grin. He kept his distance though so he couldn't get attacked.

Maya scrunched her nose. She was annoyed that he had suddenly become so snarky. She couldn't argue his point either. It was true. She didn't know where he lived and honestly, she didn't care enough to ask. All she could do was sigh and roll her eyes as she continued up the stairwell.

She made it to the doorway that led to the sixth floor of the building and turned down the hall. Her thoughts had wandered to the short walk she had left before getting back into her comfortable bed. It wasn't until she noticed the sound of heavy footsteps on the carpet behind her that she halted and turned once more.

The boy stopped short, nearly running into Maya yet again.

"That's it. You are following me! Stop it!"

The boy looked down at her, a gleam of amusement in his eyes. He grinned at her for a solid second before he chuckled.

"I already told you, I'm not following you." He paused. "I mean, I'm not following you to your room at least. I'm going to mine."

"Yeah right," she huffed.

"No really. I am. I live down there."

The boy lifted his arm and pointed to somewhere behind Maya. She turned her head to look. At the end of the short hallway were two doors. The door on the left led to the room she had moved into three days earlier. She liked how cozy it was with just her living in it. Her gaze moved to the door on the right. She knew she had a neighbor across the hall, but she hadn't seen any sign of them the entire weekend. She figured they kept missing each other. It would have been hard not to with Riley dragging her all over campus and not releasing her until nearly three hours after the sun had gone down. As she stared at the door, she slowly put two and two together. She turned back around, looking up at him. A small, knowing smile graced the boy's lips as he nodded, confirming what she already knew.

He raised his eyebrows and gave a small, exasperated gasp. "Does this mean I'm not following you? Because it sure looks like it to-"

Maya reached out, grabbing his shirt for the second time that night and quickly shutting him up. Silence filled the space between them. She didn't say anything at first. Instead, he watched as she turned away to stifle a yawn.

"Listen. All of this tonight has been really fun," she gave him a small sarcastic smile, "but I don't have the time or energy for it anymore. It's almost 4 am. I'm tired. I just want to go to sleep. So you go your way and I'll go mine. Hopefully we never see each other again. End of story. Got it?"

The boy nodded, watching her carefully. "Good." She released his shirt. Without another word, Maya set off toward her room, silently hoping this would be the only encounter she ever had with him.

"Peaches, are you okay?"

Maya looked up to see Riley watching her from across the table. Jealous didn't even begin to describe the way she felt looking at her best friend. She knew Riley had gotten plenty of sleep the night before. It was obvious the moment the other girl walked into the coffee shop. She was nearly radiating sunshine, just as she always did. She had pulled her long brunette hair back with a clip, allowing several loose strands to escape and frame her small face. The subtle brown eyeshadow and mascara she had applied brought out the deep chocolate color of her eyes. Even though Maya envied how awake her best friend was, she had to admit she looked amazing.

"Maya?" Riley waited for an answer, worry furrowing her brow.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah. I'm fine." She gave a dismissive wave of her hand.

She paused, yawning for the fourth time that morning. She had been nearly fifteen minutes late to the coffee shop after having overslept her alarm. She knew she looked as tired as she felt. She hadn't bothered trying the fight the blonde rat's nest that was her hair when she woke up, so she threw it into a ponytail. Makeup wasn't something she was dealing with either. A light coat of lip gloss was the most she had done. When she glanced back up, Riley's expression told her she wouldn't believe anything but the truth. A defeated sigh escaped her lips.

"Alright. I'm not. I didn't get enough sleep last night."

Riley looked concerned. "I thought so. Why not? When I texted you at ten thirty, we both agreed we were headed to bed. You didn't binge watch more episodes of American Horror Story, did you?"

Maya shot Riley a disappointed look. "Thanks for a having a little bit of faith in me, but no, I didn't. I actually fell asleep. Some jerk decided to burn popcorn at 3 in the morning, which set off the fire alarm. Woke up the entire building and sent all of us outside. That's not the worst part though. Said jerk is my neighbor."

Riley's expression changed from concern to that of pity. "Oh. That doesn't sound fun at all." She paused, her face scrunching in confusion. "Who even makes popcorn at three in the morning and then burns it?"

"That's what I wanted to know!"

"Good morning ladies!" Maya and Riley's heads snapped up at the same time. "One caramel frappuccino with extra caramel sauce and whipped cream for Riley and a peach tea for Maya."

Farkle stood to their right. He set down a large plastic cup in front of both girls, smiling at them. When neither said a word, the smile fell from his lips.

"Is everything okay?"

Maya gave him a reassuring smile and nodded. "I was just telling Riley about this guy that set the fire alarm off in my building by burning popcorn at three in the morning. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because of it."

"That's rough. You think you'll make it through the day?"

She grinned. "Yeah. I think I'll survive. Thanks for getting our drinks Farkle."

He perked up once more. "Not a problem! What time did you say your first class is again?"

Riley reached for her phone, taking a quick sip of her sugary sweet drink. "We've got a 9:30 english lecture. It's…"

She stopped talking, looking up at Maya with fear in her eyes. "It's 9:15 now! We gotta go!"

Riley was already out of her chair before she could finish. She gathered her things with one hand, trying not to spill the drink that she held in the other. Maya nearly choked on her tea. She followed Riley's lead and snatched up her things.

"Bye Farkle. Sorry that we have to take off like this." Riley paused beside him, planting a quick kiss on his lips.

"Ewww! Get a room you two!" Maya giggled as she dodged Riley's hand. "See you later Minkus!"

"We're still meeting up tonight at my place, right?" Farkle called after them.

Riley nodded at him. "Yup! I should be there by seven o'clock."

"Yeah. Same here," Maya answered. "I might be a bit late though. I've got a Skype call with my mom and Shawn planned for 5:30. You know how parents can be." She gave an exasperated roll of her eyes.

"We won't start without you. I promise. Riley would kill me otherwise. Now go on. You'll be late if you don't." He smiled and waved.

The girls waved back and headed out the door.

Maya genuinely thought her day was getting better. She had a sweet drink in her hand courtesy of Farkle, her first class of the day was going to be bearable thanks to Riley, and they had made it to class with three minutes to spare. Things were looking up. Standing in the doorway of room number 61, she realized she couldn't be more wrong.

Two empty desks stuck out among the already filled rows like diamonds in a block of coal. One of them sat near the door, three rows back from the front of the room. Riley strolled in without as much as a pause or a glance back at her best friend and dropped her things beside it. Maya watched in mild disbelief as her best friend sat down. Her gaze slowly wandered over to the other desk. It sat in the front row and clear across the room from where Riley was. Her shoulders sagged in defeat as she started toward it.

She set her cup down on the desk, letting her bag slide to the ground. She was just starting to think sitting there wouldn't be such a bad thing until she glanced at the person sitting next to her. His back was turned to her as he talked to the boy on his right, but she recognized the messy mop of blond hair. It was fire alarm boy from the night before.

"Oh shit," she muttered. She said it louder than she had anticipated.

The boy stopped talking and looked over his shoulder. He eyed Maya up and down, realization slowly dawning on his face. He grinned.

"Hey! You're the girl from last night. You sure do seem to have a thing for grabbing my shirt, don't you?" His accent was much more audible now. It gave a soft drawl to his words, making him sound a little like a cowboy from the old western movies.

Maya didn't bother responding or even looking at him. She let her gaze settle on everything but his piercing blue eyes.

The boy continued anyway. "Listen. I know we got off to a bad start last night. I think we can both agree that I really need to learn how to make popcorn."

"Yeah you do," she muttered under her breath.

"I was thinking that we shouldn't begin this relationship of you obviously hating my guts and me trying to keep from getting killed without you knowing me even a little. So I wanted to introduce myself properly. Hi. I'm Lucas." He offered his hand and a smile.

As much as she didn't care, Maya figured he wouldn't give up until she acknowledged that he was there. Besides, he already knew she didn't like him much. What was the harm in getting to know him a little? All it could do was make her dislike him more. She eyed his outstretched hand, one of her small eyebrows arched in question. When she showed no sign of wanting to shake his hand, he slowly pulled it back.

"Okay then." He gave a nervous chuckle. "I really am sorry. I said that last night, didn't I? I feel bad about-"

"Good morning class!"

Conversations died midsentence. Several heads snapped in the direction of the new voice. An older lady, who looked to be in her mid-forties, entered the room. She wore a simple black and gray pantsuit, her hair twisted into a tight bun. Her black heels clicked dangerously with each step she took. She didn't seem like the type of person people, especially students, messed with often.

"Alright everyone. Welcome to English 1101. I'm Dr. Sanders. I will be your professor for the rest of the semester. I hope to learn all of your lovely names and faces soon. I expect great things from you by the end of my course. Please take out your syllabus if you have it printed out. If not, raise your hand and I will give you one."

Maya grabbed a couple sheets of paper from her bag, thankful that Riley had helped her prepare for classes over the weekend. Resting her chin on her hand, she zoned out for the majority of the syllabus. She would read later what she hadn't already.

Her gaze wandered, landing on everything and nearly everyone in the classroom. She studied Lucas at one point, not realizing she was doing so. Her eyes roamed over him, taking in the muscles of his arms and the way he tapped his toes. It wasn't until he shot her a side-long glance that she quickly looked away. She played it off as best she could because she was definitely not checking him out.

"And lastly, we'll go ahead and discuss the semester-long project you will be working on. This is going to be worth twenty percent of your grade. You will be working with a partner to research an author or other English topic that I have approved. This will require you to work with your partner for most of the semester."

Maya looked up, suddenly interested in what the professor had to say. She hadn't read to this part in the syllabus. She quickly searched the room for Riley. Their eyes met and the girls exchanged a knowing look. This class was going to be one she could survive. Even if she had to sit next to Cowboy the entire time, being Riley's project partner would make it bearable. She already knew they worked well together.

The professor's next words were a slap to Maya's face. "I have already chosen who your partner will be. Please be sure to write this down somewhere."

Maya swallowed as Dr. Sanders began to read from her list. Biting her lip, she waited in anticipation for her name to be called. Maybe, by the will of the universe, the professor had somehow paired her and Riley together.

It felt like an eternity before her name was called.

"Maya Hart?" She raised her hand so Dr. Sanders could identify her.

"Yes. You will be partnered with Lucas Friar."

Maya watched in disbelief as the blond haired, southern drawled, popcorn burning boy beside her lifted his hand in the air. He turned to her and grinned.

"Looks like we're gonna be spending a lot more time together, partner."

Her day officially couldn't get any worse.