Day 6: Campus Crush

I’ll admit it—I wasn’t exactly focused during today’s Principles of Management lecture. It wasn’t my fault, though. Blame Amanda.

“Dude, you’re staring,” Faisal whispered, elbowing me.

“I’m not,” I whispered back, though my eyes betrayed me.

“You so are,” he said with a smirk.

I quickly looked away and pretended to pay attention to Dr. Rajan’s introduction to organisational structures. But let’s be honest—my brain was already wandering into Amanda territory.

**********

I first noticed Amanda during orientation week last semester. She’s smart, confident, and she has this effortless charm that makes her seem like she belongs in a movie about campus life. Basically, she’s out of my league.

After class, I was heading toward the library when I saw Amanda at the water fountain. She was refilling her bottle, and I swear the world slowed down for a second.

“Hey, Eddie, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” I stammered, suddenly hyper-aware of every move I was making.

“You’re in the same Management class,” she said, smiling.

“Yeah, uh, Dr. Rajan,” I replied, as if she didn’t already know that.

She nodded, then glanced at the stack of books in my arms. “Research for a project?”

“Uh, no,” I said, fumbling for words. “Just, you know, trying to stay ahead. Ha-ha.”

“That’s smart,” she said, genuinely sounding impressed.

We stood there for a moment, an awkward silence hanging between us. I wanted to say something witty, something memorable, but my brain had apparently shut down.

“Well, see you in class,” she said, giving me a small wave before walking off.

I watched her go, a mix of euphoria and self-loathing washing over me.

**********

Later, in the cafeteria, I recounted the encounter to Faisal.

“She talked to you?” he said, his eyes wide. “And you didn’t faint? Impressive.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Faisal”

“What did you say to her?”

“Nothing intelligent, that’s for sure,” I admitted.

Faisal laughed. “Don’t worry, man. Next time, just be yourself. Or, you know, less awkward.”

**********

That evening, as I sat at my desk pretending to study, my mind kept replaying the conversation. Sure, it wasn’t the most groundbreaking exchange, but it was something.

Amanda knew my name.

That fact alone was enough to fuel my daydreams for the next week.

**********

Lesson of the day: Sometimes, the smallest moments can make the biggest impact. Even if you sound like a total dork.