The cool autumn breeze swept through McNutt Hall, carrying the fresh scent of fallen leaves through the open window of Veronica and Kiara's shared dorm room. The two girls sat on their respective beds, chatting like they had been best friends for years. Since moving in together, they'd developed a routine—afternoons spent gossiping and late-night Netflix marathons.
Today was no different, but the topic was juicy: Kiara's crush on Gabriel, the French heartthrob who lived in their dorm.
Veronica sat cross-legged on her bed, adjusting her hair in the small mirror she kept on her nightstand. "So, you still haven't talked to him?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Kiara, you can't just keep swooning from a distance. I've taught you better than that."
Kiara rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "I have talked to him. Kind of. We said 'hi' in the hallway yesterday."
"Hi?" Veronica scoffed, putting down the mirror. "That's not progress. That's what you say to your neighbor when you're taking out the trash. You need a strategy."
Kiara leaned back against the wall, her arms crossed. "Okay, fine. I've been playing it safe. But there's something you need to know about Gabriel…"
Veronica leaned forward, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Oh, this sounds good. Spill."
Kiara glanced around, as if checking to make sure they were alone, even though they were in their own room. She lowered her voice, leaning in closer. "So, I was in the dorm bathroom the other night—super late, around midnight. No one else was in there, or so I thought."
Veronica tilted her head. "Go on…"
"Well, I hear someone come in, and it's Gabriel," Kiara said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And he didn't know I was there because I was in one of the stalls. But, Veronica, you wouldn't believe what I overheard."
Veronica's eyes widened. "What? Was he singing in the shower? Talking to himself?"
Kiara shook her head, her expression serious. "No, it was worse. He was on the phone with someone, and I heard him say… 'No, I'm not telling anyone about the bathroom thing. No one can know.'"
Veronica blinked, processing the information. "The bathroom thing? What's the bathroom thing?"
Kiara shrugged, exasperated. "That's the problem—I have no idea! But now every time I see him, all I can think about is that weird conversation. What's he hiding, V? It's driving me nuts."
Veronica sat back, biting her lip thoughtfully. "Okay, that's a little strange. I mean, maybe it's nothing? But then again, maybe he has some dirty little secret that's too embarrassing to share."
Kiara groaned, covering her face with her hands. "And I like him so much! He's so sweet and cute, but now I can't get this out of my head. What if it's something gross? Like, what if he has a thing about… public bathrooms?"
Veronica laughed, shaking her head. "Okay, let's not go too far down the rabbit hole. I'm sure it's not that bad. But if you really like him, you'll need to get past this. Maybe ask him about it, casually?"
Kiara dropped her hands and looked at Veronica like she was crazy. "Oh, yeah, super casual. 'Hey, Gabriel, love your accent. By the way, any weird bathroom secrets you want to share?'"
Veronica grinned. "Alright, point taken. Maybe not so direct. But if you're going to keep crushing on him, you'll have to get over the whole bathroom mystery."
Kiara sighed. "You're right. I'll just… push it to the back of my mind. But now every time I see him, it's going to be awkward."
As if on cue, Veronica's phone buzzed with a notification. She glanced at the screen and smirked. "Speaking of awkward, don't we have a study group in about thirty minutes?"
Kiara groaned again, rolling onto her back. "Don't remind me. I'm so not in the mood to sit through another boring group session."
"Well," Veronica said, standing up and grabbing her bag, "I have some news that might make it more interesting. Gabriel is in our study group."
Kiara shot up from the bed, eyes wide. "Wait, what? Gabriel? My Gabriel?"
"Your Gabriel," Veronica confirmed, smiling. "So, now's your chance to make some moves. Or at least, you know, figure out what the whole bathroom thing is."
Kiara was suddenly full of nervous energy, hopping off the bed and grabbing her notebook. "Okay, okay. I can do this. I'll just act normal, no big deal. I'm calm. Totally calm."
Veronica smirked. "You're freaking out."
"I'm freaking out," Kiara admitted, pacing the small space. "But it's fine. It's fine. Let's go."
The study group was held in a cozy room in the student center, with a large table in the middle surrounded by chairs. As Veronica and Kiara walked in, they saw a few familiar faces from their business class already seated, along with the one and only Gabriel.
Kiara froze for a split second, her heart racing, before Veronica nudged her forward. "Deep breaths, Kie. You've got this."
Gabriel was sitting at the far end of the table, his tousled hair and chiseled jawline making him look effortlessly handsome, as always. He looked up when they entered, his blue eyes flickering over Kiara before he smiled.
"Hey, Kiara," he said in that smooth French accent that made her stomach do flips. "Good to see you."
Kiara managed a weak smile, trying to remember how to speak. "H-hey, Gabriel. Uh, this is my roommate, Veronica."
Veronica extended her hand with a confident smile. "Veronica Lodge. Pleasure to meet you."
Gabriel took her hand, his grip firm but gentle. "Gabriel. Likewise." He turned back to Kiara. "So, how's everything going? You settling into the dorm?"
Kiara nodded, trying to keep her voice steady. "Yeah, it's good. Really good. McNutt's… fun."
Veronica had to fight back a smirk as she watched Kiara struggle to maintain composure. It was adorable, in a way. Normally, Kiara was so laid-back and easygoing, but around Gabriel, she was clearly a bundle of nerves.
Gabriel leaned back in his chair, his smile relaxed. "That's good to hear. I like McNutt too—most of the time."
Veronica raised an eyebrow, picking up on his tone. "Most of the time? What's the downside?"
Gabriel hesitated for a moment before chuckling softly. "Let's just say the dorm bathrooms aren't exactly my favorite part of living there."
Kiara's eyes widened, and she shot a panicked glance at Veronica, who bit her lip to keep from laughing. The bathroom thing!
"Oh?" Veronica said, playing it cool. "Dorm bathrooms can be a nightmare. Any, uh, specific reason?"
Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, well, I had a... bit of a weird experience recently. Someone... let's just say, left a mess, and I walked in right after. It was pretty bad. I've been trying to avoid that particular bathroom ever since."
Veronica and Kiara exchanged a quick look, both relieved and amused. So that was the bathroom secret—nothing scandalous, just typical dorm life grossness.
Kiara finally found her voice again. "That sounds awful. I don't blame you for avoiding it."
Gabriel laughed, the sound rich and warm. "Yeah, dorm life isn't as glamorous as I thought it'd be. But hey, that's part of the experience, right?"
Veronica, ever the smooth operator, jumped in. "Absolutely. You've got to take the good with the bad. And who knows, maybe one day you'll look back and laugh at the bathroom disasters."
Gabriel smiled at her, then glanced at Kiara. "Yeah, maybe. Anyway, it's good to have you both in the study group. It'll make these sessions less... painful."
Kiara, still blushing, smiled back. "Yeah, definitely."
The group settled into their study session, discussing class readings and assignments. But throughout it all, Kiara couldn't help but steal glances at Gabriel, feeling both relieved and ridiculous for having let the bathroom thing get to her.
Veronica, on the other hand, had a satisfied smile on her face, watching her friend navigate her crush with a mix of awkwardness and excitement. After all, this was college—messy, weird, and full of unexpected moments. And for once, the drama wasn't life-threatening.
As the session wrapped up, Gabriel waved goodbye to them, giving Kiara one last lingering look before heading out.
Veronica turned to Kiara with a teasing smile. "So? How'd it go?"
Kiara grinned, her face flushed with excitement. "Better than I expected. And thank god the bathroom thing wasn't as bad as I imagined."
Veronica laughed, throwing an arm around her friend's shoulder. "See? You were overthinking it. Now, just keep talking to him. You're getting there."
Kiara nodded, still smiling. "Yeah. You're right. I've got this."
And as they walked back to their dorm room, the campus buzzing with life around them, Veronica couldn't help but feel proud of her friend—and maybe, just maybe, excited for whatever came next in their unpredictable college adventure.
